Empty Mugs

20 | Accounting | Struggling with Executive Dysfunction

[mood-mixerrr]

[macgyvermedical]

Took me until about halfway through college before I realized “study” means “play with the material in a variety of ways until you understand it” and not just “read the assigned chapters and do the homework” and I think that probably should have been discussed at some point prior to that.

[malusokay]

focus on the likes and not the wants

you may not want to clean your room, but you like the peace and call it brings you after

you may not want to study, but you like the confidence and satisfaction you get from being prepared

you may not not want to apologise, but you like the relief and connection that reconciliation brings

you may not want to cook, but you like the satisfaction of eating a healthy come cooked meal prepared with love

you may not want to exercise, but you like how you feel afterwards and how it makes you confident

you may not want to journal or write, but you like the reflection and calm it brings you

you may not want to step out of your comfort zone, but you like the new experiences and growth you gain from it

my insta @ malusokay

[animentality]

[valhallavalkyrie9]

Dude this is specifically one of the many things that stacked up to make me eventually question if I was autistic. I cant mentally get around the scenario of

"But this place says I need to lift up to 50 pounds"

"Yeah you probably wont have to lift that much ever."

"But what if the occasion comes up and I cant do it. They listed it for a reason, I cant lie"

"Everyone lies on their resume"

"If everyone lies, then everyone knows they lie, which means the person hiring knows, so why are we all bothering with lying if everyone is in on it?"

"Because"

BECAUSE WHY!? WHY are there so many expected social contracts where we all have to play along with something even though we're all in on it being a false thing we're playing along with? Why not cut through the bullshit? I just cant get past the idea that I should lie when applying for jobs.

[nenelonomh-deactivated20250906]

school, extracurriculars and balance

balancing extracurriculars and school activities can be challenging, but with some effective strategies, you can manage both successfully. here are some tips:

☆ create a schedule: use a planner or digital calendar to map out your school assignments, extracurricular activities, and free time. this helps you visualize your commitments and manage your time better.

☆ prioritize tasks: identify which tasks are most important and time-sensitive. focus on completing those first. this can help you stay on top of deadlines and reduce last-minute stress.

☆ set realistic goals: break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable goals. this makes them less overwhelming and easier to tackle.

☆ stay organized: keep your study materials and extracurricular gear organized. knowing where everything is can save you time and reduce stress.

☆ communicate with teachers and coaches: if you’re feeling overwhelmed, talk to your teachers and coaches. they might offer extensions or adjustments to help you manage your workload.

☆ use downtime effectively: make use of short breaks between classes or activities to review notes, read, or complete small tasks. this can help you stay productive without feeling overwhelmed.

☆ practice self-care: ensure you’re getting enough sleep, eating well, and taking time to relax. taking care of your physical and mental health is crucial for maintaining balance.

☆ learn to say no: it’s okay to decline additional responsibilities if you’re already feeling stretched thin. focus on the activities that are most important to you.

☆ seek support: don’t hesitate to ask for help from family, friends, or school counselors. they can provide support and advice on managing your time and stress.

☆ reflect and adjust: regularly review your schedule and commitments. if something isn’t working, be flexible and make adjustments as needed.

balancing school and extracurriculars is all about finding what works best for you and being mindful of your limits. do you have any specific activities you’re trying to balance right now? maybe i can help with some tailored advice,, my ask box and messages are always open!

❤️joanne

[lifeafterpsychiatry]

It's a lot healthier to go for a daily walk than to sign up for a gym membership you won't be using because you hate that kind of exercise. It's a lot healthier to eat a frozen meal than to skip a meal because you were too tired to cook something healthy. It's a lot healthier to take a quick shower than to procrastinate an elaborate routine for days. Don't aim so high that you won't be hitting anything!

[orangememos]

consumed an alarming amount of caffeine this week

[belovedapollo]

I started reading Can the Monster Speak ? by Paul B. Preciado and it’s hitting home a little bit too hard 📚 reblog is ok, don’t repost/use

[metamorphesque]

   — Susan Sontag, Reborn: Journals and Notebooks, 1947-1964

[text ID: I must change my life so that I can live it, not wait for it.]

[bedroom-plants]

[pastelparrotlet]

Isn’t it wonderful how you’re always finding new songs and new books and new shows and new hobbies and new places and new people to fall in love with?  There will always be things to love, as long as you stick around to find them.

[sea-mists]

ways to reclaim your body:

shave your head or cut your hair

go for a run, run as hard as you can

get a new piercing or tattoo

cook a meal from scratch and eat it with no distractions

swim in your nearest body of water, or take a cold shower or bath

stretch, do a yoga routine and feel every muscle

wear clothes that you like, doesnt matter what it looks like

avoid mirrors, your body doesnt need to look a certain way to be valuable

hold someone close, a loved one or a pet or hold yourself tight

lay down on your bed or on grass, close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the surface deeply

turn music on loud and dance however feels good

drink a a big glass of water or as much as you can, feel the discomfort and let it dissipate

try to meditate, do a body scan in whatever position feels comfortable (or uncomfortable) and pay attention to as fine a detail as possible

sing or hum or make noise, hear it reflect back at you, feel the way it vibrates your cheeks, your lips, your bones

drink some hot tea or any other hot beverage, feel its warmth spread down your throat and into your chest

sit outside, no matter the weather and experience it, the wind, the sun, or the rain on your cheeks and your eyelids

[lifeafterpsychiatry]

Dealing With Executive Dysfunction - A Masterpost

The “getting it done in an unconventional way” method.

The “it’s not cheating to do it the easy way” method.

The “fuck what you’re supposed to do” method.

The “get stuff done while you wait” method.

The “you don’t have to do everything at once” method.

The “it doesn’t have to be permanent to be helpful” method.

The “break the task into smaller steps” method.

The “treat yourself like a pet” method.

The “it doesn’t have to be all or nothing” method.

The “put on a persona” method.

The “act like you’re filming a tutorial” method.

The “you don’t have to do it perfectly” method.

The “wait for a trigger” method.

The “do it for your future self” method.

The “might as well” method.

The “when self discipline doesn’t cut it” method.

The “taking care of yourself to take care of your pet” method.

The “make it easy” method.

The “junebugging” method.

The “just show up” method.

The “accept when you need help” method.

The “make it into a game” method.

The “everything worth doing is worth doing poorly” method.

The “trick yourself” method.

The “break it into even smaller steps” method.

The “let go of should” method.

The “your body is an animal you have to take care of” method.

The “fork theory” method.

The “effectivity over aesthetics” method.

[howtomusicmajor]

How to Handle Having TOO MUCH To Do

So let’s say you’re in the same boat I am (this is a running theme, have you noticed?) and you’ve just got, like, SO MUCH STUFF that HAS to get done YESTERDAY or you will DIE (or fail/get fired/mope). Everything needs to be done yesterday, you’re sick, and for whatever reason you are focusing on the least important stuff first. What to do!

Take a deep breath, because this is a boot camp in prioritization.

Make a 3 by 4 grid. Make it pretty big. The line above your top row goes like this: Due YESTERDAY - due TOMORROW - due LATER. Along the side, write: Takes 5 min - Takes 30 min - Takes hours - Takes DAYS.

Divide ALL your tasks into one of these squares, based on how much work you still have to do. A thank you note for a present you received two weeks ago? That takes 5 minutes and was due YESTERDAY. Put it in that square. A five page paper that’s due tomorrow? That takes an hour/hours, place it appropriately. Tomorrow’s speech you just need to rehearse? Half an hour, due TOMORROW. Do the same for ALL of your tasks

Your priority goes like this:

5 minutes due YESTERDAY

5 minutes due TOMORROW

Half-hour due YESTERDAY

Half-hour due TOMORROW

Hours due YESTERDAY

Hours due TOMORROW

5 minutes due LATER

Half-hour due LATER

Hours due LATER

DAYS due YESTERDAY

DAYS due TOMORROW

DAYS due LATER

At this point you just go down the list in each section. If something feels especially urgent, for whatever reason - a certain professor is hounding you, you’re especially worried about that speech, whatever - you can bump that up to the top of the entire list. However, going through the list like this is what I find most efficient.

Some people do like to save the 5 minute tasks for kind of a break between longer-running tasks. If that’s what you want to try, go for it! You’re the one studying here.

So that’s how to prioritize. Now, how to actually do shit? That’s where the 20/10 method comes in. It’s simple: do stuff like a stuff-doing FIEND for 20 minutes, then take a ten minute break and do whatever you want. Repeat ad infinitum. It’s how I’ve gotten through my to do list, concussed and everything.

You’ve got this. Get a drink and start - we can do our stuff together!

[allydsgn]

WOAH THIS SOUNDS HELPFUL. I’M GOING TO TRY THIS IMMEDIATELY. Also, I made a chart for myself, but if anyone else wants it for reference (or if this is wrong and I misread you can tell me) here it is:

[mundanities-and-camaraderies]

Executive Dysfunction Study Tips

(compiled by us, for us; not a comprehensive list by any means, just the ones that work well of our brain specifically)

dress in a Nice Outfit for the Aesthetic. Studying in slacks and a button-down or knit sweater or similar with a mug of tea has completely different vibes (and much more productive ones) than studying in pajamas, even if the clothes aren’t as comfortable. Besides, the faster we get work done, the faster we can change into Comfy Clothes and relax. 

in a similar vein, Beverage + Studying Music. Our go-to is corn tea and the LoZ ocarina of time soundtrack. lyrical music is fine for doing calculations, but for essays its instrumental only since the lyrics can fuck with the writing process. 

make that grid of everything you need to do from this post, with Check Boxes next to each thing for Checking Things Off (or you can cross them out if that’s more satisfying). Also gives an order and instruction for Starting The Thing which is usually the hardest part.

Imitate School Environment with “periods”, AKA studying for 40 minutes with a 5-10 minute “passing period” in-between, in which getting up and walking around is required. do not do “fun stuff” (reading/YouTube/etc) during passing period, or getting brain back on task will be Hell. our brain works best with a clear structure. Also, Set Alarms.

SNACKS!! snacks that are crumb free and don’t disturb the working process are best. I like pumpkin seeds, smoked salmon, apple/pear/peach/etc slices, cheese, and similar. washed bowls of fruit (grapes, cherries, strawberries, etc) make my fingers wet every time I eat them which is inconvenient, and I can’t eat most junk foods for allergy/health reasons (+ grease, cheese dust, etc are similarly impractical)

from this post, “make timelapses on your phone of u doing your work” providing the exact amount of Nervous Energy from being “watched” to be productive, without the anxiety of being criticized from having someone actually watch you. For an extra kick, actually post them to YT. 

have Separate Windows open for studying vs for fun stuff. I usually have three windows open on my laptop at all times – one for YT/reading (relaxing stuff), one for studying, and one for writing. 

set a Consistent Time To Work and Time To Stop Working, because brain stop working late at night when get tired, but brain also no work as soon as we get home from class, because we’re exhausted and need to take a break + eat first. 

in a similar vein, have a Work Time Ritual to get brain in the mood. Do the same thing every time its time to work so that you can pavlov yourself. For example, having a glass of water and and doing five jumping jacks, taking a shower, or getting changed into Studying Clothes. ADHD brain hates Transition Between Activities and also Starting Task so make it fun or relaxing. 

finally and most important!!!! sleep well, eat well, and when its time to stop working (NOT when work is done, but when its Time To Stop), take a break and do something relaxing. Work on hobby or lie in bed and read fanfiction. We don’t work past 10:00PM and we aren’t out of bed past 11:00PM. aint nothing going to get done if your body isn’t in a shape to get it done. As a system, sometimes we can see the body as a tool/instrument/machine separate from the mind/identity/personality, and you gotta keep that shit well-maintained or its gonna break down on you and you’ll have to take it to the repair shop. 

[esmereldastudies]

Study Motivators That Work

The 3 Minute Rule

When you have a task that you don't want to complete, just get started and keep going for 3 minutes. If you still don't want to complete the task after 3 minutes, stop and start another task

This method can be very challenging during the initial stages of trying it

When you procrastinate, you tend to find something else to do first to dodge the main task at hand

This rule forces you to immediately avoid any deviation from completing the task for 3 solid minutes with the option to stop after those 3 minutes

Discipline plays a crucial role in this motivation technique as starting the 3 minutes requires you to overcome procrastination

Something that helps in this process is trying to slightly mentally detach yourself from the situation to have an objective view on it

You need to look at the situation and acknowledge that you have the freedom to stop the task after 3 minutes if you truly cannot complete it and that you absolutely must start the task immediately

Often times, I keep going once I start which results in significantly improved productivity

Flexibile Schedules

Often times, I plan out the perfect study and work session with my tasks and times detailed to the second

However, sometimes, life gets in the way of these plans and I'm forced to reschedule everything

Something like this can be extremely demotivating, especially if your day revolved around your very detailed plan

To help solve such issues, there are 2 options for 2 different scenarios

The first option is to prevent the situation from occurring at all

Extremely rigid and detailed plans are very easy to disrupt

Preventing the situation would be done by outlining more flexible study and work plans that can be done at most times and don't rely on strict timings (I will post another article on creating a flexible and functional study schedule)

The second option is how to move forward if you do find yourself in a situation where your study plans have been disrupted and you're demotivated

In this instance, the first step is to list the topics you need to cover and sort them from most important to least important

Estimate how much time each topic will take and look at how much time you have available

Evaluate if the time you have available is adequate to completely cover all of your listed topics

If not, choose as many topics with the greatest priority that will be able to be completed within your available time

Remember, these steps should be completed within 5 minutes at most to prevent you from losing any more time

There's always a plan for every situation. It just needs to be found.

Justify It

If you truly feel like there's no reason to compete the task, find a reason

If the task is important enough for you to lament over it, it's certainly important enough for you to complete it as soon as possible

Clear your mind of any frustration and just relax

Think of what the purpose of the task is

Do you need to complete an assignment that will be a part of your final grade?

Do you need to complete a report for your job?

Will this benefit you in the future - near or far?

If you need to study, what is your end goal?

When I hesitate with my studying, I always remind myself that what I'm learning now will one day help me improve as a doctor

Once you identify a reason, act on it and complete the task

The reason will help you sense that what you're doing has meaning and purpose, making the task less of an inconvenience and more of a duty

Knowledge is always valuable.

[un-----made-deactivated20240219]

03 | 100 days of productivity

went to the office but i gave 2 hours to myself after work to focus completely on my dissertation🌷reading different experimental essays to inspire myself to write with a more creative mindset

i woke up so happy & proud about my new vlog, slowly getting more comfortable with editing, hopefully i can try other formats of vlog in the future, i really want to talk but i still feel a little bit shy

& i created a playlist with all the female voices that i dance to while i need to do boring task haha