Explore the key differences between executive dysfunction and laziness, their impacts, and strategies for management.
Disclaimer: I've never heard of this site before and it's never wise to trust unvetted sources. Also they don't seem to be selling anything and in 2025 that weirds me out.
BUT the descriptions of executive dysfunction in these articles make me want to sit down on the floor and cry-laugh at the accuracy, and I figure I'm probably not the only one. And it's the first resource I've seen to mention medication for that specifically, as well as strategies beyond "have you tried a to-do list?"
If anyone's got advice or tips to share, I'm all ears. :)
Hi, I have hard executive dysfunctions but had some (temporary) results using to-do apps and stuff. For everything, brushing teeth, eating, etc. But it always end (very quickly) by me adding 30+ to dos for a day and working 10 hours to get them done until I break down. I can't not do it. Once I think about it, there is sooo much to do, so much I neglected.
So I saw this nice bullet journal in a shop today and took it with me and need some ideas how to make it, to not end like the others:
I thought about a symptom part, how good did I sleep, what mental health issues do I have, etc pp.
I am completely unsure if I should ad any "chore to-dos" or only self care/mental health ones. But even those feel like chores so...
And my energy level varies strongly so I thought about keeping it vague like idk "do one relaxing thing"-like maybe. So I could decide on that day, what I think I will get done. But that's pretty unsatifying.
Ah and, as much as I love such book and diaries etc, writing it down feels like a chore too so... It sounds worse than it is, I had some results but everything in this world sounds like a chore so I am unsure how to make this fun and manageable and neither go to the extreme nor give up.
Give me all your ideas and examples and plans.
Hi anon,
As soon as I saw your ask I just knew I wanted to answer it ~ I have ADHD, but because of other chronic health issues - I cannot take stimulant medications for it and rely on my adaptations to manage symptoms (and yup, some of my mental energy does get used up doing it this way - but it is possible for some of us!).
I wanted to start by sharing some resource links and articles first:
The Best Work Schedule for ADHD Brains: Flexible or Rigid? (with resources at the end, and lots of reflections from a variety of folks who benefit from both - great starting point to see which style resonates with you)
Adults With Executive Function Disorder (scroll about halfway down for tips and resources)
Tips and Tricks for Executive Function Disorder (geared towards the caretaker of a child with it, but still impactful suggestions, including movement breaks and reward systems)
Executive Function Disorder: Bullet Journal (one person’s personal bullet journal and how an adaptable reward system - shaped like a bingo card - really helped them)
But also wanted to share what I use/tell myself throughout the day/week to help:
(under the cut to help avoid the post getting super long)
I personally use an adapted planner for the overall schedule, it’s got enough blank spaces where if I want to “change it up” I can do that week to week, but in general this is the place where I store my overall monthly calendar and every Sunday night write out my week ahead of “big things” (apps, time sensitive errands, etc).
I take a picture of my monthly calendar, as well as my weekly so even if I’m out and about I can quickly refer to it if someone asks about a date - versus saying “I’ll check my calendar later and get back to you” . . . and then - never doing it, whoops!
People in my life are used to it by now, but essentially if someone tells me something like “next weekend is so and so’s birthday” - I’ll take a moment to set an alarm reminder to add it to my calendar when I’m home, and or make a text message note on my phone, and set an alarm that essentially reads “don’t forget to add your text notes to the calendar” (some days I can have like fifteen alarms going off throughout the day, but this way I also manage to add the information I need to, versus feeling like I’m constantly forgetting something, or worse, expending limited mental energy constantly cycling through a “don’t forget don’t forget don’t forget” concentration).
I timeblock my day every morning before everyone else is awake, for example: 7 to 8 - studies, 9 to 10 - social, and so on. By doing it every day, I can refer back to it throughout the day and adjust as needed but also not plan too far ahead with no adaptability to changing circumstances. I also ensure that for a chunk of “serious chores” I also schedule in what I like to call “serotonin boosts” - whether that’s some friends time, or creative time, whatever sparks joy for you. There have definitely been days where I felt like I could not do one more email - and then reminded myself that as soon as I got through the five I scheduled myself for, then I could draw for an hour (a basic ‘this, then that’ reward system). Suddenly, I manage to push through it, and often quicker than I had originally thought it would take - allowing me to have even more time with something that brings joy.
If I have to be somewhere at a certain time, I set several alarms, almost like a countdown
I like to use fun color pens, or even pens with like fuzzy balls, or some other sort of stimming part to it as I work - it allows me a moment to stim if I need it, even when I’m tackling the “boring brain dump” stuff.
No amount of telling my brain “just do it” for twenty minutes is going to magically create the dopamine/serotonin it needs to do the thing. So if a reward isn’t working, I get up and move with a timer to get it going that way, and then try again.
I’m sure there’s plenty more ideas/tips/tricks - anyone stumbling on this, please feel free to comment, reblog, and add to it, but I hope it’s a helpful start for you and anyone else out there looking for adaptions.
- Mod Kat
i don't think folks with proper executive functioning really understand just how many STEPS it takes to do a single task. yes it's easier to break something down into steps but then you just realize. oh god. there's so many.
my cats just watch me pace back and forth between rooms as i only have enough working memory to get myself to the exact area i'm supposed to perform the task.
and once i'm there it's just "ok what was i doing. i'm in front of dishwasher. i needed a cup? no! i was putting dishes away! where did i -- oh i left them over there, fuck, okay getting them into the dishwasher -- oh god are these clean??"
though if you were to actually see what's going on in my mind i'm actually playing scenes from existing movies/tv shows or something of my own creation, and you'd UNDERSTAND that of course i'm paying more attention to the giant screen in my brain. my OC's are having a MOMENT i don't have the space to remember what i was doing two seconds ago!!
Me: I have 16 fics, 7 drafts, a NaNoWriMo book that I’m falling behind on, two animatics, my fan comic, my other comic, and a scarf that I need to finish.
What I should do: divide them based on how important they are and how crucial it is that I get them done.
I was today years old when I learned that my lifelong "laziness" is called "executive function disorder," and my "oversensitivity" is called "rejection sensitivity dysphoria," and both these things are hallmarks of adult ADHD.
Is there any way to stimulate the mind WHILE doing a boring or difficult task? By stimulate I mean like feel pleasant. I keep wanting to shift to doing something more pleasurable and it's this strong urge to just flee from my important work at hand. Like I feel it in my arms to just click away from the work related tabs to the video streaming sites. Rewarding myself before or after the task does not work so I was wondering if there is a way to experience pleasure while doing the work.
