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Is anyone here with ADHD able to maintain a journal? My journal has little weeklong attempts every 6-10 months. Any secrets?

l33tbro 4y ago
I've not been diagnosed, but I think my problem with 'journalling' is that it is far too rigid and structural. When I put pen to paper in the morning, I am letting my absolute freak flag fly and engage in something that is much more akin to automatic writing. While journalling no doubt seems to work well for others, I get so much more out of unleashing a torrent of blab or blah and seeing what meaningful stuff pops up. It is just a guaranteed way for the fog to lift from my brain, as I quickly get to the heart of what's bothering me. The only thing is posterity. Once I'm done, that paper is pretty much burnt after reading - as nobody needs to see that shit. That means it's a little more difficult to track internal progression or regression. Meditation and qigong were great with slowing things right down as well - but not as immersive and long-lasting as brain purging.
qaid 4y ago
I’ve been journaling for 6 years and I was diagnosed a year ago (which I reflect on sometimes). I used to have multi-month gaps but am more consistent now despite having more responsibilities. My secrets: Set a time and place beforehand. Somewhere you know it’ll be quiet and you’LL have time and focus. Consistency is key also. For me, I do when I poop or when I commute. (Unsuccessful: with other people around, at night when tired, during workout) Also I have a physical notebook that I bring with me most places. I prefer this over a phone. Separation of concerns. Jotting down quick thoughts to journal about later helps with externalization (a useful keyword I learned when reading about our condition). And I can’t mysteriously start browsing the Internet from pulling out my notebook. Also, experiment. Find out what works for you or things you want to try. Habit tracker. Phone reminders. Recently I tried coupling journaling after meditation, another habit I’m picking up (my mind was blank but I still want to try that again)
steve_adams_86 4y ago
Yes, I stopped caring how much I wrote, how it was structured, if it was consistent, etc. My problem was that I wanted a good journal. I needed to do it properly. It became a disappointing chore. I write around 3 times per week now, which I’d like to improve still but is a lot better than 3 times per month or much worse. A few notes, not much detail, beats the hell out of nothing. Opening my journal feels so much better than it used to — like I do have the time, I’m not too preoccupied, and I’m not pressured to do it any certain way. You might be different, but if I feel I need to accomplish a specific goal or be able to ascertain some measure of success in what I’m doing, it becomes infinitely harder to initiate because I’m a perfectionist to a fault. By relieving expectations of myself I can actually let myself get things done.
coastflow 4y ago
This advice may not be helpful as I'm not a person with ADHD (though I've struggled with deep procrastination), but journalling (and most other regular tasks) can become more difficult if you see it as a task that you "must" do for self-betterment. I would focus on motivation to start (it can relieve the emotional pain from having negative thoughts cloud your mind all the time), commit to imperfection (just half a page is fine), and reduce small friction in the way (e.g. keep an open notebook in an easy-to-access place with a pen readily available). Also consider making the act of writing a pleasurable experience. This can be done with a nice pen, doesn't need to be fountain, and high-quality paper. You can also be honest with yourself about whether it's helpful in your experience; you can feel free to stop if it becomes something you dread, versus something you enjoy and look forward to (or at least feel neutral about in tougher times).

l33tbro 4y ago

I've not been diagnosed, but I think my problem with 'journalling' is that it is far too rigid and structural. When I put pen to paper in the morning, I am letting my absolute freak flag fly and engage in something that is much more akin to automatic writing. While journalling no doubt seems to work well for others, I get so much more out of unleashing a torrent of blab or blah and seeing what meaningful stuff pops up. It is just a guaranteed way for the fog to lift from my brain, as I quickly get to the heart of what's bothering me. The only thing is posterity. Once I'm done, that paper is pretty much burnt after reading - as nobody needs to see that shit. That means it's a little more difficult to track internal progression or regression. Meditation and qigong were great with slowing things right down as well - but not as immersive and long-lasting as brain purging.

qaid 4y ago

I’ve been journaling for 6 years and I was diagnosed a year ago (which I reflect on sometimes). I used to have multi-month gaps but am more consistent now despite having more responsibilities. My secrets: Set a time and place beforehand. Somewhere you know it’ll be quiet and you’LL have time and focus. Consistency is key also. For me, I do when I poop or when I commute. (Unsuccessful: with other people around, at night when tired, during workout) Also I have a physical notebook that I bring with me most places. I prefer this over a phone. Separation of concerns. Jotting down quick thoughts to journal about later helps with externalization (a useful keyword I learned when reading about our condition). And I can’t mysteriously start browsing the Internet from pulling out my notebook. Also, experiment. Find out what works for you or things you want to try. Habit tracker. Phone reminders. Recently I tried coupling journaling after meditation, another habit I’m picking up (my mind was blank but I still want to try that again)

steve_adams_86 4y ago

Yes, I stopped caring how much I wrote, how it was structured, if it was consistent, etc. My problem was that I wanted a good journal. I needed to do it properly. It became a disappointing chore. I write around 3 times per week now, which I’d like to improve still but is a lot better than 3 times per month or much worse. A few notes, not much detail, beats the hell out of nothing. Opening my journal feels so much better than it used to — like I do have the time, I’m not too preoccupied, and I’m not pressured to do it any certain way. You might be different, but if I feel I need to accomplish a specific goal or be able to ascertain some measure of success in what I’m doing, it becomes infinitely harder to initiate because I’m a perfectionist to a fault. By relieving expectations of myself I can actually let myself get things done.

coastflow 4y ago

This advice may not be helpful as I'm not a person with ADHD (though I've struggled with deep procrastination), but journalling (and most other regular tasks) can become more difficult if you see it as a task that you "must" do for self-betterment. I would focus on motivation to start (it can relieve the emotional pain from having negative thoughts cloud your mind all the time), commit to imperfection (just half a page is fine), and reduce small friction in the way (e.g. keep an open notebook in an easy-to-access place with a pen readily available). Also consider making the act of writing a pleasurable experience. This can be done with a nice pen, doesn't need to be fountain, and high-quality paper. You can also be honest with yourself about whether it's helpful in your experience; you can feel free to stop if it becomes something you dread, versus something you enjoy and look forward to (or at least feel neutral about in tougher times).