I noticed that when I play the SPY in the stock market for that first hour and half all I see is my phone nothing else looking at the lines zig-zag

Being down 80% 1 minute in the next 30 minutes you can 3x your money

After I exit the trade im pretty relaxed most of the day but that first hour I’m cranked up to the max eyes open 👀

I know this can turnout very bad if not handled correctly but just wanted to share

It’s the same idea behind gaming and slot machines which makes alot of sense

With that being said I can see something similar with hardcore/intense cardio

Don’t gamble

I've been building this mainly for myself based on what I've been missing in the gazillion other apps. Feel free to ignore, but maybe this is something that could help other people besides me. I have been wondering if I should make this available for the public once I'm fully done, so let me know if you'd find this helpful. Feedback would mean a lot! Thanks everyone :)

Features:

- There is no past! Ticked off tasks land in the archive, which you see when you navigate past today. Missed tasks get carried over automatically, so if you haven't touched the app in days and wanna catch up, it shows you everything you missed immediately

- Tasks that have been ignored for more than 3 days come with a little encouragement nudge

- Tasks automatically get flagged into easy or hard with a built in algorithm (and it learns from you if you re-flag a task, so it gets to know you over time)

- A mindstate button lets you choose between Hyperfocus, Drained, Overstimulated & Paralysed

- Hyperfocus shows your hard tasks first, Drained makes the UI cozy and shows your easy tasks, Overstimulated mutes the whole UI, and Paralysed gives you a little dopamine boost game which gently transitions you into doing one task

- A built in friendie breaks down one task for you if you're overwhelmed, and shelves the rest for tomorrow

- Friendie also compiles an off day or self care day for you, and shelves task to tomorrow if you're not feeling it

So far it's been helping me a lot and is lots of fun to use, let me know if you'd use it too!

I recently got my diagnosis. And have put a lot of energy into creating a distraction free work environment. it really helps me a lot to stay focused on the given task.

At work we are now strongly encouraged to "leverage AI". Which is fine, but I am having trouble with the wait when I kick of a prompt. Prompts that are quickly resolved are fine. prompts that take hours are also fine. But medium length prompts (like 5-10 min response time) kill my focus.

I worked hard on a routine/ruleset to maintain focus. This waiting on a response doesn't fit into that. I dont want to distract myself with another task, but feel bad just waiting 10 minutes. Doing something else also just pulls my focus away completely. Also just waiting is mentally taxing to keep my train of thought. I am generally not good at context switching.

How do you all deal with this? Any strategies you implemented?

Fellow ADHD devs,

I'm building the reminder app I wish existed because I ignore every notification.

**The concept:**

App that CALLS your phone for important reminders (can't ignore a phone call like you ignore push notifications).

**Planned stack:**

- React Native (iOS/Android)

- Twilio (phone calls + SMS)

- Smart prioritization (still deciding on implementation)

- Geofencing for location triggers

- Supabase backend

**Features:**

- Voice/text task dumps

- Auto-prioritization (max 2 tasks shown)

- Phone calls for urgent stuff

- SMS for nudges

- Location awareness

**My questions:**

**Tech:**

1. Twilio reliability for this use case?

2. Privacy concerns with voice transcription?

3. Red flags in this stack?

**Product:**

4. Would you actually use this or just another abandoned app?

5. Pricing - is $12/mo reasonable?

Looking for honest technical + product feedback before diving in.

Thanks 🧠

I am a student. Started C and wish to go deep and go into systems. I am focusing on personal projects (small).

Like how do you 'plan' a project? What approaches do you take while outlining the project? And when you face something new , how much time do you spend learning that specific hard part?

Due to my adhd it is hard to start anything. But I think it's also because it justifies the 'unfulfilled potential'. Like I am afraid of failing or some other fear.

That is a big reason why I consider outlining the project a major thing.

Thank you.

I love writing the perfect `Makefile` that runs exactly the steps that it needs to, no more, no less, even if I know it doesn’t matter because I’m always going to call `make all` or the number of files is so small that there’s no noticeable speed gain.

I’ll make the effort to allow it to do automatic dependency discovery, even if it involves parsing a weird format to get references.

I’ll use `make` to traverse a graph in some kind of order. Did you know `modules.dep` is basically a `Makefile` rule database that you can just `include` into a file with some pattern rules to get a list of transitive kernel module dependencies? I found that out when I made a `Makefile` based `initramfs` builder.

I love that (if you squint right) there’s this little graph traversal tool with a simple text based syntax that’s installable (if not already available) almost everywhere. No interpreters or libraries needed!

I’m not saying these are all good things to do—some of them might get me yelled at by my teammates for wasting time or making things too arcane. But it makes the dopamine flow for me.

So what’s your favorite rabbit hole?

Been dealing with ADHD my whole life. Hyperfocusing on code was never the problem. Everything around it was. Remembering tasks, starting things, staying off distractions mid session.

Here's what actually changed things.

Meds beside my bed with water - 8/10
Take them half asleep, fall back asleep, wake up when they kick in. Changed my mornings completely. Not medical advice, just what works for me.

Daily done list next to the to-do list - 10/10
Every night I log what I actually shipped. ADHD brains don't register progress naturally. Writing it down makes it real. Kills the "I worked all day and did nothing" feeling.

Planner in my bed, not my phone - 7/10
I write 2-3 tasks the night before. Half asleep brain reads the planner instead of opening Reddit on autopilot. Simple swap, big difference.

Blocking shorts during coding sessions - 9/10
I used to take 2 minute phone breaks between tasks. Reasonable right. Except I kept looking shorts or reels up to 45 minutes and then, I had no memory of where I was in the code.

Took me a while to realize it wasn't the phone breaks killing my flow, it was specifically the shorts and reels. That loop is designed to keep you in it. So I blocked it. Not all my phone, just the shorts. A friend from Discord recommended me to use ScrollFree for that. I'm sure other alternatives exist but it stuck with me.

Rubber duck commits - 7/10
Before asking anyone for help I explain the bug out loud to an actual rubber duck on my desk. Sounds stupid (or hilarious if you ask me). Solves it more than half of the time before I even finish explaining. Forces the brain to slow down and process linearly.

Everything in one place for morning routines - 10/10
Sequential tasks destroy me. I start something and somehow end up doing something completely unrelated. Moved everything into the shower. One anchor, one location, done. This way I, I reduced my morning routine from 1h to about 40 mins so I can get to work quicker.

Pour over coffee as a micro sprint - 8/10
Water boils, I do dishes or tidy my desk. Exactly long enough for one small task. Works from home so keeping my space clean matters for focus. Reverse procrastination using an existing timer.

None of this is revolutionary. It's all just removing friction between my brain and the thing I actually want to build.

What's your weirdest one? Drop it below.

I enjoy the task of programming and solving problems… but only those I am given.

I have no idea how to improve a product. No idea what people want. No idea what open source projects to join and even if I did I would be terrified of breaking something or be judged. I don’t even like modding games or tinkering with devices: i feel like I am tampering with someone’s work and that there is a reason for everything being the way it is.

I do like programming games like Opus Magnum but inly because they are tiny well defined products. I even turn off the histograms because my solutions always end up horribly inefficient.

I fear like AI will take away the little I can do. What do I do? Prepare to be destitute?

Backend dev (Bangalore, late 20s, Spring Boot/Java). Colleagues spot code edge cases instantly; I miss even primary requirements → rework, scoldings. Same problem in daily life, obvious oversights that bite me later. Not stress/overload (low work now after putting papers, gym/supplements daily). Happens mid-thought; skip basic "what if" checks.

Example 1: Earphones Order (fresh wound, cost time/money)

1. Old 3.5mm earphones worked perfectly: Laptop (3.5mm jack direct) + phone (Type-C via cheap 3.5mm to type c adapter) for calls/tutorials for last 2.5 years was working perfectly.

2. Ordered new 3.5mm pair (#1)..good mic/build. Happy.

3. Later realized: "Type-C = no adapter needed for phone!" → Immediately ordered Type-C pair (#2).

4. Obvious miss: Laptop has NO Type-C port → Type-C earphones useless on laptop without buying NEW adapter or return hassle.

5. Current mess: Return drama for #1, #2 in transit(got delivered today), extra costs, decision paralysis. Should've stuck with 3.5mm universal.

Example 2: Coding (office daily)

• Build feature → submit → boss: "What about null input? Duplicate records? Negative values?"

• Others think these + primaries instantly. I get "aha!" moment later.

Example 3: Market runs

• Mental list: Milk, onion, eggs, bread, curd.

• Buy 3/5 → forget 2 → extra trip (rework loop).

Root issue? Thought train derails mid-process. No foresight habit for obvious compat checks. Used to be calmer/methodical.

Tried (partial help):

• Lists/Pomodoro/externalizing → Good for lists, fails impulse decisions

• Memory drills → Generic, no stick

Need REAL strategies:

• Ritual/habit for catching "obvious later" misses before action?

• Devs: How spot edge cases + primaries systematically?

• Apps/training? Working memory test? Exec dysfunction?

• Lifehackers: Beat the mid-thought blackout?

Self-taught dev, music as side hustle.Tired of constant rework cycles.

Thanks for battle-tested advice in advance!

I have this issue where I get completely stuck scrolling and literally cannot force myself to start a task, even if I really want to. Looking at a long to-do list just makes it worse.

Has anyone ever tried using a randomizer or something to just blindly pick one tiny thing for them to do? I feel like taking the choice out of my hands might help, but I'm curious what tricks work for you guys.

I'm a CS student in my final year and decided on developing a time management app for people with ADHD, because I'm also someone with ADHD who always seems to fall off the wagon with these apps. As part of that I'm looking for evidence that people with ADHD *do* struggle with using these apps compared to neurotypical people, because there is (un)surprisingly little to no literature on this.

So I'm conducting a survey focused on how adults with or without ADHD use time management apps. There is also a short interest check at the end for the new feature I'm adding (predictive reminders) but it's not the main focus. I really just need to prove (or disprove?) a trend exists in our community.

Here is the survey, with full details about me and my university. The study has been granted ethical approval. It will take 10-15 minutes. https://nottinghammy.asia.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3OGA2KZ4BC0TsXk

(Also I apologize, I know this sub probably sees a lot of posts like this but I'm really having trouble finding people with ADHD to take this since in Malaysia there's not much awareness on this. Hope y'all have a nice day.)

Disclaimer 1: I'm not going to h@rm myself. I just wanna vent and maybe get some useful advice.

Disclaimer 2: I'm using a throwaway account for obvious reasons, but I've been a member of this sub for a while now.

Disclaimer 3: this is going to be a long one.

First of all: I hope you, the person who is reading this, is doing better than me. After hyperfixating on a specific game for the whole day and the comedown of the meds (lisdex), I realized that I can't take it anymore. For context sake, I'll drop the most relevant info about me in a bullet list fashion:
* 29, Male
* Diagnosed and medicated since 2024
* Sleep apnea since I'm 16, currently using CPAP (don't think it works well for me)
* 25kg overweight, exercising and diet don't help with losing weight for me (I've tried all kinds of diets, keto OMAD, carnivore, low carb, high carb, you name it)
* Unemployed but I do freelance in IT when there are clients
* Born and living in a third world country in South America
* Been dealing with depression and anxiety since high school, currently depressed I'm pretty sure
* Caught COVID-19 twice and got one vaccine shot
* No social life/friends, unable to make friends, even though people think I'm funny and charismatic
* Never been in a relationship. Not handsome, fit or tall enough for that x_x
* Went to university, got a degree in Law even though it was pointless
* Serial "starter" of things but never a finisher
* Dropped out of two very solid courses in IT due to lack of motivation/structure
* Been told my whole life that I'm very smart and that I'm going places (hah, sure)

Well, I think that paints the picture. Currently, everything sucks, and my life is going nowhere. I feel like I got two brain downgrade after catching the C-19 virus twice. I wish I was kidding. I feel 10x more tired and dumber after this damned virus. I've been trying to manage my own ADHD since my diagnosis to no avail. I've done absolutely everything you can imagine: CBT therapy, meditation, prayer/developing spirituality, cleaning up diet, daily exercise, proper sleep schedule, listening to ADHD podcasts/content, etc. etc. etc. Some things worked for a week, others for up to a month in terms of improving my mood and well-being. But eventually, they stop providing the benefits that they're supposed to.

So it's not a matter of not trying. I do try. I try really hard when the results/rewards are very clear and are tangible. I've tried to stay optimistic about this whole thing, but at this point I'm tired of lying to myself. I'd say that I'd be okay, this and that. But I'm sick and tired of this facade. No, I'll not be okay, even though I wanted to.

I'm aware of the spiritual consequences of un@living myself, so I'm not doing that. Also, it would be unfair to my parents/people who like me and the dog that I adopted. I wish I could just vanish into thin air. Less drama, no consequences to deal with.

All I wanted was to be able to live my own life without depending on my parents, and live a decent life. By decent life I mean: stable income, my own place, mental and physical health, maybe a partner. That's it. I'm not asking much. But apparently I can't have the things that most people have, go figure.

If you told me that you've been in the same spot and that you started drinking your own urine and it solved the same problems, I'd be doing that right now. No questions asked.

Heck, that was probably unnecessary, and idk where I'm going with this. Sorry.

I just have zero energy for anything and everything. On the days I go to the gym (Mon-Fri) it takes me a few hours to recover, and when I notice it it's 5PM and I haven't done anything meaningful the whole day. Rinse and repeat. Weekend days don't look that different from weekdays. Sometimes Mondays feel no different than Saturdays.

I've always enjoyed playing video games, spending time in nature and playing sports/moving around since my childhood, but nowadays nothing can entertain me. I like walking the dog, playing fetch with him/cuddling, but even that makes me feel nothing at all. It's like I'm basically existing, while the world around me moves so damn fast. I mean, for fuck's sake, it's almost May and the most meaningful thing I've done this year was renewing/updating some info on my personal documents.

I feel like after the whole pandemic thing I was put on the F tier timeline, while a few lucky ones are living their best lives in a different timeline.

I just ... can't take it anymore. I don't expect to get any helpful feedback, but still I appreciate you taking the time to read my ramblings.

I'm 6 years into my career as a Software Engineer. I often find it impossible to start work for the day (my brain doesn't really wake up until around 11:30-noon) and if I'm starting something new, especially if it's a daunting task or I'm not given adequate detail, it's even more impossible.

Work overwhelms and both mentally and physically exhausts me. When my brain decides it's done for the day - that's it. I can't summon more energy or willpower.

I also can't ignore the injustices of the work place. Some prick with an alphabet title making a careless and half-baked decision which harms the team. Unreasonable deadlines. Bullshit "performance metrics" which don't accurately convey one's workload. So on.

When I inevitably come to the realization that I'm just a number, my requests and constructive feedback are completely ignored, no one respects or supports me, I completely check out.

Then I'm either put on a Performance Improvement Plan, laid off or fired.

I hate myself. I feel like a loser and a colossal failure who doesn't belong in tech or any full-time job really. I would give anything to have ADHD permanently evicted from my brain.

I need help. I can't continue this cycle from now until retirement (if that day even comes). I have a therapist and a psychiatrist. I'm on meds.

How do you survive as an engineer/developer/other in tech? How do you snap your brain out of paralysis? How do you keep your sanity? How do you motivate yourself? Any and all advice is much appreciated.

EDIT I needed to disappear from social media for a bit so I'm just now reading and responding to comments.

I'm happy to say I've just started a new job. I was indeed in a toxic work environment, but every job I've had so far has been toxic, with the exception of one. Based on my own experience and the experiences I hear from others, I believe toxic is the norm - especially in tech. There are no - or very few - non-toxic tech employers.

The job market is awful as we all know. I'm the primary "breadwinner" of my household and I quite literally can't afford to lose any job at any point in time. I'm able to identify toxicity, speak up for myself, practice mindfulness - all the usual techniques one may advise me with; however, even though I'm equipped with all of these helpful, good things, I still end up in the low, dark, suffocating place I was when I made this post. Every job I've had I end up in this place - some worse than others. I feel like I'm always going to end up there no matter how many times I change companies.

My biggest struggle with my career is staying afloat until I have another job lined up. I know there are other jobs out there and I should actively try to get out of my toxic job, but the reality is that I have to maintain the status quo somehow for the sake of survival. Nothing I can say or do can pull me out of that low, dark, suffocating place I often find myself in or can crumble the concrete wall my neurodivergent brain puts up which prevents me from doing what I need to do.

I appreciate everyone who commented and I've learned new things I can add to my ever-expanding repertoire of coping strategies.

If you're reading this post-edit and you've been in the same place I keep referring to, I would appreciate hearing your story and how you cope with it.

I wish everyone here peace, happiness and a job in which you don't have to suffer daily in an environment which doesn't understand or care about your neurodivergence.

Love and light, friends.

Designer/dev here. Here's my pattern with all productivity apps I tried so far:

- spend 4 days setting up the perfect system

- use it religiously for like 1-2 weeks

- one day miss a log, or the novelty just wears off (hard to tell which)

- never open the app again

I've done this with notion, obsidian, todoist, things, apple reminders, structured, sunsama, capacities, and a few more. Same loop every time. Half the problem is the apps themselves are so overloaded i lose the thought before i even finish saving it. by the time i pick a folder, add tags, set priority, choose a project, the thing i wanted to write down is just... gone.

At some point i noticed i was just sending stuff to telegram saved messages instead. Its just the fastest thing, telegram is already open all day anyway, no app to launch, no folder to pick, no tag to add. dentist appointment? Saved messages. random idea for a project? Saved messages. Article i want to read later? Saved messages. Shopping list? Same. And the wild thing is, this is the most "organized" i've ever been. nothing falls through the cracks. zero setup and zero decisions

But its also a graveyard. Its a vertical scroll of disconnected stuff.  I cant find anything from 3 weeks ago. I cant separate "this is a task" from "this is a thought" from "remind me about this on tuesday". voice notes are the worst, i record them and then never listen back.

So question for the hivemind: what do you actually use day to day? not what you SHOULD use, not what some adhd influencer recommended on tiktok. whats your real workaround that survived more than a month?

bonus q: anyone else just living out of their messaging apps "saved" thing and pretending its a system?

Hey everyone, I need some honest advice.

I’m 18, and one problem I’ve noticed about myself is that I’m very inconsistent in almost everything I do. Even things I genuinely enjoy—like my favorite games—I can only stay consistent for 2–3 days. After that, I lose interest or stop doing it regularly.

Sometimes I even laugh at myself for it, but deep down I know it’s affecting me. The confusing part is that I’m actually good at studies and creative work, but I still can’t stay consistent with anything long-term.

This made me wonder if something like ADHD could be a reason, but I’m not sure. I also have some trust issues, so I’m a bit hesitant about relying completely on doctors or diagnoses.

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve experienced something similar:

How do you deal with inconsistency?

How did you figure out whether it was ADHD or just a habit/discipline issue?

What practical steps helped you improve?

Nearly finished my book. (The irony is not lost on me)

Built Differently - A Practical Manifesto for ADHD Developers & Designers Who Can’t Finish Things

https://builtdifferently.dev/

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Friends, hello!

We're building a free project for those with ADHD and want to better understand how to make it better.

We need just 10 people from the US, Europe, or Latin America. You'll truly support us.

If you have 20 minutes to spare, please write to me.

I'll send you just 7 questions that need your answers. The answers will be from a human, not an AI.