As I’ve recently leaned more into teaching/coaching around content marketing for neurodiverse brains, I’ve had a lot of people ask me how to get themselves to actually sit down write/create their content regularly.
And that’s always a tough question to answer, because everyone’s neuroidentity is different.
What works for me may not work for you.
What works for you may not work for me.
And what works in one season of life may not work in another season.
So while I can make suggestions of different things to experiment with, based on my experiences and my research, I won’t ever say “Do this, it will work.”
Because that kind of prescriptive approach to working is not what I’m about.
But! I can give you a handful of go-to productivity tactics I use, that are particularly effective for ADHD brains (and can also work for anyone else), that help me get into get-shit-done mode when my brain might be making that a little hard.
Consider your headspace as you approach this
Before we get into the tactics themselves, I want to make sure we talk about the mindset that we’re approaching this with.
There’s a difference between “I want to get myself to do this thing” and “I want to do this thing, so how can I make that easier for myself?”
I know for me, Rebel that I am, approaching with a “getting myself to do the thing” mindset is a fast track to not doing the thing. (anyone else obsessed with Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies? 😆 )
For me, I have to really want to do the thing. So it’s more about remembering why I want to do the thing, and using that to fuel building the habit.
But for others, that kind of mental framing holds no issues.
So again, it’s all about understanding yourself and how your neuroidentity handles things like this.
Make sure you’re approaching this with a mindset that works with your personality to support the goal, rather than work against it.
And with that said, let’s get into some ADHD-friendly productivity tactics!
#1: Body doubling (aka coworking)
This is one of my all-time favorite tactics. It’s basically when just having another person sitting in the room with you (or on Zoom!) helps you to focus on the task in front of you.
They’re not helping you do it. They’re literally just sitting there with you. Kind of like study hall.
This strategy is particularly effective for ADHD brains, but no one really knows why.
I do this with my partner, who also works from home and has ADHD, when one of us is having trouble focusing. I also participate in several coworking groups of other online entrepreneurs.
#2: Brain.fm music
Brain.fm is a subscription service of music that helps you focus (or relax or fall asleep, etc). The cool thing is that it’s all scientifically designed to literally shift your neurons into focus mode.
It’s not binaural beats. It’s actual human-written music composed to generate rhythmic wave patterns to sync up the neural oscillations in your brain. They call it “neural-phase locking”.
Now, I’m not a neurologist, but I can say that this WORKS.
Brain.fm is literally the only way I could get anything done before I got ADHD meds, and it’s still a critical part of my daily get-shit-done arsenal.
Disclaimer: I’m an affiliate for Brain.fm, but only because I’d be recommending it even if I wasn’t
If you’re interested in trying it, use my link for 20% off!
#3: Lean into your natural energy rhythms
Instead of trying to force yourself to work 9-5 (which is industrial, corporate bullshit anyway), start paying attention to when you actually ~want~ to work.
You’ll probably notice a pattern day-to-day. And then start planning your day around those times!
For example, I tend to be more energized and clear headed in the morning, and that’s when I do my best creative work. So that’s when I plan to write emails or work on client content calendars.
Then around 3, I tend to get either really slumpy, or really distractible, and just need to not do work. Depending on how I’m feeling, I’ll usually veg in front of the TV, or work on a personal creative project, or do chores.
Then in the evening, after dinner, I tend to get a second wave of energy, but more chill than in the morning. So if I’m feeling it, I’ll occasionally do some light biz tasks in the evening that don’t require a lot of creative energy.
#4: Set a timer
Sometimes a task is so overwhelming or big or you’ve just got a block around it for some reason.
When that happens, sometimes I like to just set a timer and be like “I’ll just do this for 10 minutes, and then I can stop.”
If you get to the end of the 10 minutes and you can’t keep going, that’s okay, you achieved what you set out to.
But sometimes, the timer goes off and you’re in the flow and getting it done! It’s kind of a Jedi mind trick, but it works!
I got this one from the book The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success by Drs Peg Dawson and Richard Guare.
#5: Do something you’re excited about, even if it’s not the thing you’re “supposed” to be doing
Hear me out on this one.
When I’m in a slump around my to-do list and just want to cry or sleep or stick my head in the sand around it for whatever reason, the only thing that works to get me out of that slump is to work on something entirely different in my business that I’m actually excited about.
Sometimes that’s a paid live training. Or writing a new email series. Or creating IG content. Or organizing a collab with someone.
Whatever it is, give yourself permission to throw yourself into that instead of what you’re “supposed” to be doing.
Because you’re not doing that stuff anyway, and nothing is working to get you to do it.
So you might as well work on something you’re excited about instead.
It’ll get your energy up around your business and get some momentum going.
After you do that fun thing, you’ll probably notice the miasma of slumpiness is gone around everything else, and you can suddenly start doing the things you were avoiding!
So there you have it! Those are my top 5 productivity tips and tactics for ADHD entrepreneurs (and anyone else that might need that extra brain support to get into get-shit-done mode)
Leave a comment and let me know: were any of these tips extra “whoa I never thought of that!” AND/OR have you tried any of these before?