I’m a mother with a full-time job, and I’m an energetic creator. I even have ADHD. That mixture of things could make getting stuff achieved… sophisticated.
However with the assistance of (many) helpful programs, ways, and instruments, I really feel as if I’ve made juggling all that with my neurodivergent mind a complete lot smoother. It’s definitely not simple, but it surely’s very, very doable.
I’ve been actively rising an viewers on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok for just a few years now. I’ve round 20K followers throughout all platforms, and I’ve even been in a position to monetize my work.
Now, constantly creating content material when it’s not your full-time gig can take a variety of time, power, and focus for most people.
Including a layer of neurodivergence into the combination could make it rather less simple.
I’ve needed to construct programs that stream with me, reasonably than making an attempt to squish my excitable ADHD mind right into a inflexible, run-of-the-mill productiveness system.
Earlier than we dig in, a fast observe: I’m not a medical skilled, and it’s at all times finest to hunt assist from a professional should you’re actually struggling. Actually, I extremely suggest it.
Additionally, this isn’t a groundbreaking productiveness masterclass. These ways assist me transfer from “this can be a nice content material concept — oh, I’ve to scrub the oven — did I keep in mind to ship that e-mail?” to truly hitting publish.
When you’re a creator with ADHD, I hope this offers you just a few instruments to strive. Or perhaps even the boldness to take step one.
My (ADHD) origin story
To elucidate my course of, I believed it might be useful to share extra about my particular model of ADHD, too. There actually is a spectrum in relation to the best way it presents, and no two ADHDers suppose or behave the identical means.
Like many ladies, my ADHD flew below the radar for years. I used to be recognized at round 17. It occurred when my mother and father, very eager for me to observe a extra conventional profession path, took me to a psychiatrist for psychometric testing.
Other than confirming that, no, I used to be not an incredible match for a profession in accounting (thanks, doc), he recognized me with ADHD.
I keep in mind him being fairly shocked I’d not been recognized earlier than — and that I had a fairly good tutorial file.
On the time, I believed he will need to have misdiagnosed me. My reference level for ADHD was, like most individuals’s, the hyperactive boy in main college who often derailed the category.
How might I, the straight-A drama child who had actually by no means been despatched to detention, have the identical factor as him?
Positive, I handled focus points, impulsivity, perfectionism, and hyper-fixations — however don’t all teenage ladies?
Properly, it’s been (cough) nearly 20 years since then, and I’ve realized so much about my neurodivergence. Most significantly:
- The psychiatrist was proper.
- It is perhaps the identical on paper, however I don’t actually have the identical situation because the hyperactive child in my grade 7 homeroom class. My ADHD, like most girls’s, manifests fairly otherwise.
- My tutorial file — very like working life immediately — was simply effective as a result of I leaned closely on programs.
(I’ve so much to say about #2, however I’m going to place a pin in that for now — that’s not why you clicked on this text, is it? If you wish to chat, severely, come discover me on Threads!)
#3 is what I wish to get into on this article. The programs I’ve come to acknowledge and refine over time have helped me work nicely in my 9-to-5 (largely!) and even construct and nurture an viewers on social media.
Right here’s what works for me.
My ADHD-approved creator system
1. ‘Achieved is best than good’
ADHD and perfectionism usually go hand in hand.
We see one million methods one thing might be higher, so we hold tinkering… and tinkering… Or we abandon our work utterly as a result of it’s not good, so what’s the level, even?
To keep away from spiralling down both of those paths, I stay by the mantra, ‘Achieved is best than good.’
That may manifest in actual life in many alternative methods. Typically, it means setting a time restrict on how lengthy I’ll spend modifying a video or rewriting a textual content submit. Different instances, it’s hitting “publish” even after I really feel just like the content material is ‘effective’ reasonably than distinctive.
An enormous turning level for me was truly this video by Ali Abdaal about his high suggestions for beginning on YouTube. (I’ve discovered a lot of it applies to any type of content material creation.)
I discovered that my want for perfection in my content material was largely what individuals who already knew me have been going to consider it — my associates, my household, previous classmates. If my content material was not good, absolutely they might discover me ridiculous? What enterprise did I’ve being a creator if my content material wasn’t as distinctive as, nicely, somebody like Ali?
However Ali spoke on to this concern of judgment within the video. “Nobody cares,” he says. “After I began on YouTube, I used to be afraid folks have been going to say dangerous issues about it, that individuals have been going to guage me.”
“After which I began making movies, and I spotted nobody cares. Persons are busy with their very own lives, they’re doing their very own stuff, they don’t give a flying toss whether or not or not I’ve a YouTube channel.”
Whenever you actually give it some thought, that’s true. And isn’t it fairly liberating?
One other reality that helps me hold that want for absolute perfection with each submit at bay: you’re not going to get higher till you get suggestions out of your viewers. Which means likes, feedback, views, shares — and to get these, you’ve obtained to hit publish. Perfection isn’t the aim — publishing is.
So, in some ways, chasing perfection truly requires placing issues out into the world that aren’t ‘good.’
2. Write all the pieces down the second inspiration strikes
Let me let you know one thing about ADHD of us — we’re wonderful at arising with new concepts.
Genius strikes us usually, and it’s often within the oddest of locations. My pingpong ball mind tends to be most energetic within the gymnasium, on walks, whereas working errands, and cooking dinner.
If I don’t seize these concepts instantly, they’re gone.
That’s the place Buffer’s Create House is available in. I’ve the app on my cellphone, and a tab can be open on my desktop browser. I’ve constructed the behavior of getting all the pieces down as quickly because it pops into my head.
This is a peek at my Create House in Buffer:
I set up my concepts and posts into Kanban boards based mostly on their standing.
Typically it’s a totally fleshed-out idea. Others, it’s a three-word phrase. Both means, it will get a Create House card, and I’ll come again to it when I’ve the time to truly sit with it.
Which brings me to my subsequent level.
3. Mind dump now, create later
It’s all very nicely jotting down concepts as quickly as they pop up. However typically it’s finest simply to set them down and stroll away.
I discover stepping away when inspiration isn’t flowing simply as vital for ADHDers.
“There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein,” Ernest Hemingway supposedly as soon as mentioned. (It’s probably a misattributed quote, however I find it irresistible anyway.)
That is precisely what it looks like when I attempt to power creativity. And I don’t wish to ‘bleed’ for my content material.
Prior to now, I’ve spent hours on ideas, opening the vein repeatedly. But it surely’s a waste of my time after I’m not in the best headspace for it. I’m a fairly time-strapped particular person and will spend these treasured hours elsewhere.
Positive, I don’t have the posh of having the ability to do that with all my work, however I at all times take this method with my very own content material. It’s not my full-time work, and I’ve the area to be versatile there. Attempting to power myself into that headspace is a surefire recipe for placing me off creating content material utterly.
This doesn’t simply apply to the second I save the thought, both. I’ll often have time blocked out to create content material (extra on this under) and sit all the way down to work on a selected concept and… crickets. Typically leaping to a different submit concept works. Typically I’ve to step away fully.
And that’s completely effective.
4. Batch content material creation with themed time blocks
I touched on the thought of getting content material creation time blocked out in my calendar — groundbreaking, I do know. However there’s extra!
I wish to ‘theme’ these blocks, so I’m not leaping between writing, filming, and modifying. Switching between duties is likely one of the quickest methods for me to lose focus. For instance, I’ll find yourself leaping straight into filming earlier than having correctly scripted one thing, solely to understand I didn’t fairly say what I meant to say… and need to restart the method from scratch.
So after I’m in “creation mode,” I do one kind of content material at a time. One time block is perhaps for writing LinkedIn posts. One other = filming movies. Subsequent week’s block = modifying.
Right here’s a take a look at how I’ve mapped out some duties for this week:
4. Use instruments to assist me keep organized (and get a dopamine hit)
When you’ve spent greater than half-hour in my firm, I’ve little doubt informed you about my new favourite productiveness software. I really like them, and they’re a HUGE motive I’m comparatively organized and get stuff achieved. (Right here’s a listing of my favourite productiveness instruments, by the best way!)
For me, there are two causes they work so nicely.
- They assist me clear my mind of all of the important stuff, lowering the sensation of overwhelm and stopping me from forgetting these duties. My mind is for creativity and problem-solving — it’s not for long-term storage.
- They gamify my productiveness.
Let me elaborate. Folks with ADHD usually have decrease ranges of dopamine or variations in how dopamine features within the mind.
Duties which can be boring or repetitive can really feel impossibly arduous. They don’t set off sufficient of a dopamine reward to carry consideration — which is the place my software stack is available in.
I take a look at a great deal of instruments, however I’ve discovered those that stick are people who give me a bit sense of satisfaction for finishing a job. My favorites proper now are:
- Todoist: My normal catch-all for duties. All the pieces from ‘E-book dentist’ to ‘Write ADHD creator article’ goes right here, first. Todoist has a ‘Karma’ factors system, earned once you full duties.
- Akiflow: My job consolidator. It connects my work and private calendars, together with flagged emails, Slack messages, and extra. I can color-code completely all the pieces, which I discover important for making sense of issues.
- Buffer: My content material second mind and cheerleader. Together with storing and scheduling all my content material, Buffer’s Streaks function retains monitor of what number of weeks I’ve shared posts on social media. I’m on week 38 now! And there may be completely no means I’m going to lose that streak.
5. Use focus timers to get into stream
Talking of visually interesting instruments — have you ever ever tried a spotlight timer?
Whether or not it’s a YouTube video, an app, and even an egg timer, setting a timer for a selected job is a superb solution to reduce distractions.
I’ve discovered that utilizing timers like this creates a little bit of a boundary to maintain me from switching. “I’ve set 45 minutes for this merchandise. The timer is working, I can’t do anything.”
After all, my choice is to make use of apps for this — there are a great deal of tremendous visually interesting ones which can be sensible at gamifying your work. My favorites proper now are:
- Focus Traveller: Turns Pomodoros into a bit RPG journey (you actually go on a digital mountaineering journey whilst you work).
- Bento Focus: An app designed explicitly for ADHDers that forces you to cut back your endless job checklist to a few objects per day. From there, you enter estimated instances for every merchandise and begin the timer.
My ADHD mind loves novelty and visible suggestions, and these apps give me each.
Even a fundamental timer works should you don’t need the bells and whistles. The hot button is making a container for deep focus. It’s a reminder that you simply don’t must do all the pieces without delay.
6. I’ve a working atmosphere set for my senses
Working in a relaxed, clear atmosphere is a non-negotiable for me to get something achieved. I realized early on in my ADHD journey that having area like this, one devoted to work, is likely one of the best methods to cue my mind that “that is focus time now.”
When all the pieces round me feels calm and intentional, it helps me lock in.
Lately (thanks, distant work!) I’ve been in a position to take this a step additional, tapping into particular senses to assist me activate ‘work’ mode.
- Sight: The clear, cozy atmosphere.
- Sound: I really like lo-fi or ambient sounds on YouTube or the main target music app, mind.fm.
- Odor: I exploit a diffuser and important oils in my workplace that I activate at any time when I must get into deep focus mode. There’s no science behind which scents I exploit, although — I’ve chosen a few smells I like, and have these on repeat.
- Contact: My mechanical keyboard is the best possible for creating text-based content material. The suggestions from the keys, together with the pebbly sound, makes me really feel like I’m creating one thing tangible, reasonably than simply phrases on a display.
- Style: Espresso? (OK, that’s extra concerning the caffeine and fewer concerning the sense, however even simply the odor of espresso helps!).
7. Separate “creation mode” from “consumption mode”
One of many largest boundaries to truly making content material is the social media platforms themselves.
I’ll open TikTok to seize a trending audio, discover inspiration for a reel, or truly submit content material — and instantly, two hours have handed, and I’ve nothing to point out for my time.
I do know this isn’t a uniquely ADHD factor, although ADHD positively amplifies it. The dopamine surge of ‘subsequent submit, subsequent video’ is hard to tug away from.
To guard my focus, I mentally break up my time into “creation mode” and “consumption mode.”
- Creation mode = Occurs in Buffer. I don’t even must open Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok to create a submit. I can write captions, schedule posts, and evaluation analytics with out having to open Instagram or TikTok in any respect — which implies I’m not unintentionally getting sucked into the feed after I meant to be productive.
- Consumption mode = It is a free-time exercise that I attempt to be actually intentional about. As a creator, that is one thing I must do to remain on high of tendencies and discover inspiration, so it’s not one thing I really feel responsible about. But it surely actually helps to enter the scroll with this mindset.
What actually helps is utilizing Buffer as a separate area for content material creation. It’s a small shift, but it surely makes an enormous distinction in how a lot I truly create vs. simply fascinated with creating.
The half the place I let you know you’re doing simply effective
Hey. 👋 From one ADHDer to a different — you don’t want to vary your mind to be productive and profitable.
Whether or not that’s creating content material or one thing else, the truth that you’re actively making an attempt means you’re doing greater than most.
As you possibly can probably inform from the entire above, my ADHD technique is leaning in reasonably than combating towards. Creating content material with ADHD isn’t about forcing your self to be hyper-productive or disciplined.
It’s about designing programs that work for a way your mind naturally operates — and letting go of the concept you might want to be completely constant, targeted, or polished.
I’ve discovered that a bit construction and a variety of self-compassion go a great distance.
And should you’re studying this whereas procrastinating in your subsequent submit? Take this as your signal to open up your Create House and jot one thing down — even when it’s messy.
