How do you prioritise?? any input appreciated ❤️
There are so many little things to do on a daily basis, I’m amazed there are people who know what to do most of the time. I’m always ending up in choice paralysis and then walking away from the task in a bizarre anxious haze.
I sometimes feel terrible because it’s so simple for everyone else I know but difficult for me… things like: “do I wash my hair or finish this paperwork first? Or should I do the laundry? Or should I call my gran first?” Tiny decisions like this seem to stress me out to the point I just freeze. I’m trying to be nicer to myself about this because I’ve got so frustrated with my inability before that it’s led to so much hurt.
**The only method I seem to find is the Eisenhower matrix - this has never worked for me because 99% of my tasks all fall into the same category OR I’m so unaware of how to judge the urgency and importance of my tasks that I put them in the wrong one.
Ahhhh!! I would love to know your thoughts, or if you can relate ❤️xx
@SwanOfAges
Great question, and in my opinion, I think because our minds are working so fast all the time, we tend to think quickly of all the things all at once. This leads to choice overload, which then leads to functional freeze. It's like that meme that shows all the things a person needs to do, but then they just end up taking a nap instead. I think that sums it up well.
Putting the brakes on the constant stream of consciousness in our heads is what needs addressing. So how can we do that? You can use medication, mindfulness or a combination of these two. There is evidence-based research to back up both of these methods.
Thank you for your thoughts 🙂🤍
@SwanOfAges
I'm a constant procrastinator and chooice paralysis is my mortal enemy but sometimes I get lucky because I remember how much easier it is to decide when I just talk to myself out loud. It's so silly and probably not for everyone especially if you have roommates that judge you but simply talking out loud, in the mirror, recording on your phone, whatever! "I need to do my laundry I should probably put that away I can also do the dishes but which should I do first but also have those papers to do and should probably also work out... what is the first thing that could most benefit me right now? Working out might feel good but is that really important? I think I should get the clothes off my floor okay I'm going to do that right now and I'm going to keep talking to myself while I do it I'm just going to keep doing it" and once you get started on a task it's 100% easier. Hope this helps!
Oh that’s a good one!! I’ll definitely try this because I do have an outdoor space I could do this without judgement. Thank you ❣️❣️
omg my former roommate struggling with ADHD used to do that as well, she'd say the same things for word for word! my other roommate would be like "why is she speaking alone😂" but I genuinely found her enthusiasm cute and refreshing. hearing about her cooking or cleaning her stuff made me want to do it with her as well, fun times.
I've found that sitting and running through everything I need to do in my head keeps me glued to the couch. I get overwhelmed by all the tasks, and then just sit and scroll FB or do a non essential task. I too, used to beat myself up over not getting anything done.
Instead, I have jotted down everything onto a list in no particular order, just in the order that I think of each task. Then I picked 3 things that seem the most important and manageable and wrote those separately, in the order I intended to do them. Sometimes I turn on music to get me off the couch to get stuff done.
My current strategy is to make a simple one week planner on Trello, which is an app and a website. I make a "brain dump" to-do list, and I make cards for each day of the week. Then I drag items from my to-do list to whichever day I want to do those tasks. It's highly customizable and you don't have to worry about losing a planner. You can decide what level of priority to assign each task and make a colored label to say something like "URGENT!" or "low priority." Then, you can check off each task as you do them. I find it so satisfying! This has helped me create a flexible weekly schedule so I can plan each day with my usual chores and make time for neglected projects. Embarrassing example: I don't think I have ever completely cleaned my bathtub and shower in the 4 years I've been at my house. I've known that I need to clean it, but I never knew when I could clean it. Now, I have a visual reminder on my phone that it is "URGENT" and "in progress" and that it is planned for tomorrow.
@SwanOfAges
@easyScarf7950
I too am guilty of being glued to the couch. I heard about the '5 second rule' it is supposed to help with procrastination. You count backwards from 5 and before you reach 1 you get up and do the first thing on your list. I tried it and it sort of works. After I was done a task I would sit back down again and watch something or look at my phone, so I would have to do this process several times. The hardest part was not getting sucked into time blindness when relaxing. But I found if I used a timer like with the Pomodoro method and coupled that with the 5 second rule, I got a lot more accomplished. Ah such is life living with ADHD.
Another thing I've done in the past was I cut up a piece of paper with all the tasks that I needed to do around the house and put each slip of paper in a bag. Instead of trying to prioritize from a long list of tasks, I would reach in and grab 1 piece of paper with a task on it. I called this "Rando Chores." I would even turn on some fun music to really make sure I jumped off the couch. When I finished my task, I would either pick another one from the bag. My strategies for getting stuff done have really evolved over the years.
Another thing I've done in the past was I cut up a piece of paper with all the tasks that I needed to do around the house and put each slip of paper in a bag. Instead of trying to prioritize from a long list of tasks, I would reach in and grab 1 piece of paper with a task on it. I called this "Rando Chores." I would even turn on some fun music to really make sure I jumped off the couch. When I finished my task, I would either pick another one from the bag. My strategies for getting stuff done have really evolved over the years.
@SwanOfAges
What helps me with prioritizing is making a to do list or a list of priorities the day or night before and reading the list after it’s completed to see what is most important for me and putting 1 next to that, then seeing what’s important after that task is done and putting 2 next to that, and so on till your list is in order. That way when you start working on it you’ll at least be organized with what to do first, second, third, etc.
