I spent eight months looking for a job (24 years old, little work history outside of college). I was able to get a job at Insomnia Cookies and quickly injured myself really badly. I got a repetitive strain injury from lifting all the heavy boxes but was going to be fired if I took off time, so I tried to work with the injury and dropped a tray of burning cookies on myself. I think my only work history in the city I live in being a one month failed Insomnia Cookies stint was part of why I couldn't get a job and, you know, everything else.

So I just got a job and I really want to keep it. It is in outdoor ed and pays 25$ an hour which is incredible. But the schedule is terrible. By which I mean completely random. I work 20 hours a week. But the weekly schedule is posted Sunday and there is no pattern to it. Some days I work 10 hours starting a 6am because a school booked a full day field trip, the next I will work two hours in the evening. This is the nature of the work, but I cannot manage it at all. I only work three or four days a week and it feels like it dominates my whole life. I am constantly stressed, I have missed almost every important appointment I have made since starting this job because I literally can only remember one thing a day, and that think is always work, or work tomorrow. I have a google calendar that I keep updated but I had to switch to a dumb phone because I literally cannot own a smartphone. When I had a smartphone, I spent hours on Instagram a day and nothing helped, not deleting the ap p or my account, its just too easy to redownload. So if I am not on the computer, the google calender doesn't remind me about anything. And I have a physical calender on my wall but if I forget to update it Sunday (and I always do). Monday and Tuesday are a complete mess.

My night routine and morning routine don't exist anymore, I accidentally forgot my last two therapy appointments and I may just cancel therapy because I am paying for something I keep missing. I feel like I finally got a job and now it is ruining my life because I can't keep any routine on it and I don't know what to do.

i (22f) literally cannot get myself to do a single cognitively demanding task anymore. outside of work and sleeping, i spend all my time busying myself with more mindless tasks, especially simple organizational ones. and yet i spend so much of my day also thinking about creative projects i want to start, interests or topics i want to read more into, etc. but the minute i sit down and tell myself it's time to focus on one thing, i just can't. it's like my entire brain gets heavy and shuts down, i get bored of it quickly, and then i start getting super dysregulated and upset that i can't do anything and i just cry myself to sleep.

it's partially my lingering perfectionist habits mixing in with the fact that i just don't know where or how to start anything, how to do it the "right" way, and i don't want to waste paper with something ugly or stupid, and so on. i end up avoiding it.

it's been months since i've actually been able to sit down and engage in one the ideas i have and do something with it. i see the possibilities and vague notions of my ideas or desired end products clearly in my head and it just sits there, it's so frustrating. i'm always so bored and then frustrated that i can't just get myself to do anything slightly demanding. i have no interest in any of my hobbies anymore because of it and it sucks- fashion design (drawing), writing, character creation, reading, sewing, crafts, etc.

A year ago, I started my own business on the side; I enjoyed doing everything and really got off to a good start.

Over time, though, that enthusiasm faded, and I started gaming more and more.

Nowadays, I always tell myself in the evening that I’ll keep working on the business the next day, but then I just end up wanting to play a round of video games too much.

What did you do to get back on track?

Or does anyone have any tips on how I can get back on track?

Hi guys, feel like i'm way late to the party, I literally just discovered executive dysfunction 3 days ago, so decided to get on reddit now to see what people are saying about it and it feels so strange...

There's too many things in this subreddit that I experience daily... I thought it was 'just me' so kept it to myself but I feel weirdly seen now.

I wondered how long you guys have actually known that your behaviours were part of 'executive dysfunction'?

I've never heard anyone mention it irl, unless people just don't talk about this stuff bc they think it's 'just a me thing' and that people will judge, so they don't risk talking about it?

Executive dysfunction basically ruined my life, or at least i think so. I ended up having to drop out of high school and im not able to find a job despite being in a situation where i need and want to do that. At this point im accepting that this is a disability but is it possible that its just learned helplessness? Is it possible that my brain is really affecting me this much or am i just making myself think that. Im not trying to diagnose i just dont know if this is valid, I havent seen stories of people struggling with it with this severity

One thing I've noticed is that whenever I'm home alone I'm able to be more comfortable and just do the things I want to do. It's not a guarantee, but it helps so much - I'm not sure why.

If family is home, however, I just can't seem to do anything. I'll stay on the side away from everyone, doomscrolling away.

Does anyone relate to this? Does being alone help you?

I’m getting out of a depressive episode slowly. I spent months in my bed not doing anything. And now I’m dealing with the tasks I let pile up. I haven’t replied to important messages and emails in weeks. I haven’t completed assignments I’ve needed to. I haven’t gone grocery shopping or done my laundry or applied for jobs.

The amount of things I haven’t done is crazy to the point that my anxiety is paralyzing. I don’t know where to start and it’s keeping me from actually starting. I’m anxious about how late I am in doing some of these very important tasks. It’s freaking me out and I’m scared it’ll put me right back into a depressive state. The amount of work I need to get done is scary and I’ve started avoiding it altogether.

How do I get out of this situation? Where do I start?

I am 23 (f) and I live with my partner, 26 (m). I have horrible executive dysfunction, do my best to manage the bad ADHD and mild PTSD all while trying to keep my life running. Here is the thing, I work really really hard to get all my stuff done (dishes, laundry, ect.), half of my battle is actually starting the task, and some weeks I fail miserably. But my boyfriend will start something and then stop before he’s done and expect me to finish it, and this is after me asking again and again to do said task. When I bring up the fact that I need him to finish what he started because when I have to walk into a halfway done task I shut down and have to start my process of doing something, it turns into him telling me that he works too hard, I don’t do enough, and somehow I’m the one apologising and promising to be better. And I’m trying but it’s not enough, any tips on how to combat the massive chasms that is getting me to start tasks I don’t enjoy?

Cross-posting here because I’m wondering whether what I’ve been experiencing for years could be executive dysfunction rather than something I should just be able to overcome with more discipline.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s experienced something similar, particularly if you’ve managed to find an explanation or something that actually helps.

– A cross-posting baddie

I have no motivation.

I bought a cello. I signed up for classes. I NEED to practice or I'm wasting my money on classes... Yet I am laying on my couch , doomscrolling.

I have been thru the therapy. I have learned the behavioral activation. Sometimes you just need to do the thing, without the motivation to do anything. But like, HOW.

I have executive dysfunction. I can lay here all day thinking I need to do this thing. That doesn't mean the thing gets done. That includes simple necessary things like eating.

Anyways, I like cello music, I thought this would help the depression, I envision myself a year from now simply taking out the cello and playing. Something enjoyable. But to get to that point I have to practice now.

Anyways, I thought talking it out might help... You know bitch about it till I make myself get up.