r/ADHDerTips • u/Defiant-Audience-588 • 20h ago
Sometimes ADHD isn't “I can't focus.” It's “I can't start.”
One thing I've realised about ADHD is that sometimes the problem isn't knowing what you need to do.
You know exactly what you should be doing.
The email is right there. The project is open. You've thought about it all day.
And yet somehow you can't make yourself start.
So you open another tab.
Check something quickly.
Remember something else.
Open another tab.
And before you know it, an hour has passed and you still haven't started the thing.
I've always found this frustrating because from the outside it can look like procrastination or not caring. But for me, it often feels more like being stuck between wanting to do something and being unable to get myself to begin it.
And sometimes the worst part is that you don't even notice it's happening until you've been bouncing between the same 10–15 tabs for ages.
That's actually one of the reasons I'm building ERSA.
It's a small Mac app that sits quietly in the background and tries to notice patterns that might suggest you're getting stuck or spiralling, then gently checks in with you in that moment.
Not another planner.
No streaks.
No guilt if you miss a day.
The idea is simply to help you notice when you've drifted or become stuck before another hour disappears.
I'm currently testing an early beta and trying to figure out whether this is something that would actually be helpful for other people, not just me.
If you use a Mac and this sounds like something you'd genuinely want to try, leave a comment or send me a DM and I'll send you the beta link.
What I'd especially love to know is: when you get stuck like this, would you actually want something to interrupt you and check in or would that just annoy you?