How to actually get stuff done when you're neurodivergent
I should know, because I feel like I've tried every productivity tip, every study method, every pastel gel pen set you can think of but the result is always the same. I get at most a couple of weeks of pure bliss, getting everything done that I want to and then the belligerent dopamine-hungry goblin in my brain throws its toys out of the pram and calls it quits. Suddenly all of my routines are gone, Pomodoro method is out of the window and I feel once again frustrated at myself for not being able to do what everyone else does.
When I realised I was neurodivergent, this meant unpacking everything that I knew about productivity. First, I felt a huge amount of relief that it's not my fault that many of the conventional ideas don't work. After I processed that fact, I began wondering how I can learn to work with the dopamine goblin instead of against it. Now, I want to share what I've learnt so far.
The main thing you need to know about the dopamine goblin is that it feeds off of 4 things: Novelty, Accountability, Interest and Urgency.
Starting with novelty, have you ever gone out and bought all of the new equipment for a task you need to do, all of the stationery, all of the gym gear and you found that having all of those new things helped to spur you on for a little bit? Those new purchases were firing off dopamine in your brain, making these tasks seem enticing and that made you feel more than capable of accomplishing them.
When the dopamine runs out, it's likely that you found yourself falling out of the routine and it can feel like moving back to square one. The good news is, we can try to harness the dopamine of this novelty and use it in short bursts regularly, so that we're never running out of that fuel. For example, you could mix it up and work in different areas of the house on different days or get out and work in a coffee shop.
If it's exercise that you're looking to get into, you could change up your gym routine regularly or try some classes so that you're not doing too much of the same thing. Also, buying some new equipment/tools can be a great way to get you initially hooked, as long as you're not breaking the bank and you know you'll need to find a new motivation soon after.
The second method is accountability. This is a great time to teach you about body doubling, which is when you have someone either sit with you while you complete a task or do their own thing at the same time, but in the same space as you.
I find that when I need to do some cleaning, nothing motivates me more than inviting people over and knowing that I need to clean before they arrive. I can get more done in the 30 minutes or less that it takes for them to show up than I can in weeks because of this huge rush of energy spurred on by the accountability.
This is also where having a study buddy, a gym buddy or a personal trainer can be really effective because if you feel like someone else is involved and you don't want to let them down, it's much harder to come up with an excuse and get out of the task.
Urgency can also be pretty motivating. Only having 30 minutes to clean before people show up creates a sense of urgency which again, introduces a surge of energy. ADHDers in particular may ask themselves "Why do I always have to wait until right before a project is due to start working on it?"
That would be because your dopamine goblin is thriving off of the urgency. So, to simulate this urgency you can set yourself time goals for tasks that you need to complete. For example, if you have an essay or a project to work on, try setting yourself a timer of 30 minutes and see how much you can work through in that time.
Also, as an added bonus, combining the timer with a reward if you're able to complete what you need to in that time can give you an extra boost.
Finally, neurodivergents are motivated by interest. This seems obvious - of course you would be better at doing things that you're interested in, but it goes beyond that. If we can find an interest in a topic, this can sometimes kick off hyperfocusing which is when we become so focused on what we're doing that hours can pass and it feels like nothing. We even sometimes forget to eat, drink or go to the toilet.
Whilst this can have its own issues and I would definitely recommend setting reminders to help you take care of these needs, it's a fantastic feeling when you're in the flow of something and everything else blends into the background. If possible, find some area of interest in whatever you need to do, research into it and allow yourself to fall into that interest deeper and deeper.
Now that we've covered the 4 main motivators for neurodivergent people, we can start using these to be creative with how we stay productive. But, what we haven't talked about is what to do when we just don't have the energy, in other words, when we're experiencing burnout. We know that whilst neurodivergent people can have these rushes of energy and hyperfocus, we can also quickly become burnt out and the only cure is rest and recovery.
This can be challenging because what happens if you experience burn out regularly or it's ongoing? You still want to be able to do the things that you want or need to do, but maybe it just doesn't feel manageable.
For the longest time I had this very all or nothing approach. Either I would have energy to do things and I would rush about trying to tick off every goal and do everything to the best of my ability. When this energy ran out and I could no longer do everything perfectly and exactly how I wanted, I would simply give up and do nothing instead.
There have been so many times I've gone out and purchased all of the necessary products for an intricate skincare routine. For the first few days I have followed this routine rigidly, making sure not to leave anything out and applying each product with time and care.
It feels great to be able to take care of myself in that way and I feel so proud that I'm finally doing something good for myself. Then I'll have a low energy day and thinking of that routine makes me feel totally exhausted, so instead I don't bother. In fact, many times I have just gone to bed with my makeup on because it all feels like too much.
This black and white thinking is so common with the autistic brain, that we don't often realise that a grey area does actually exist and that's where we can find sanctuary. If you've ever heard the expression "Something is better than nothing", that strongly applies here.
Rather than telling ourselves that we have to follow these routines and we have to be meeting our goals perfectly every day, why not break things down into levels?
I know that I can have a really lovely skincare routine with fancy products and a lot of pampering if I'm in the mood for it. But if I'm feeling low energy and the thought of that routine makes me go blurgh, I tell myself that at the very least, I can take my makeup off with a wipe. Sometimes I even take my makeup off in bed with a wipe and leave the wipe on my bedside table to put in the bin in the morning. I do whatever it takes to make sure that I have done something good for my skin and that makes me feel accomplished and stops those horrible thoughts about being a failure.
You can apply this to anything. If the thought of going to the gym feels awful, don't force yourself straight into an intense workout. Just show up and then go home, walk on the treadmill for a while, do some stretching. Yes, you might not have completed that dream workout that you envisaged in your mind, but at least you've left the house and maybe moved your body a bit. That's really all it takes.
More important than any of these tips, we need to learn to be compassionate with ourselves. So often we as neurodivergent people criticise ourselves and much of our mental dialogue involves scolding our dopamine goblin like a parent yelling at their child. The fact is, we can't help that our brain works like this and there is nothing wrong with working in a slightly different way. The more that we learn to understand ourselves, learn to compromise and accept that we can't always do everything perfectly and we don't have to, the happier we will feel and that is always the priority.
I hope these tips help and don't blame your dopamine goblin, they're doing their best!
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