ADHD Chatter Podcast12 Unhinged ADHD Hacks That ACTUALLY Work (don't judge til you try)
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:08
Why these “unhinged” hacks exist: Alex’s ADHD + business systems mindset
Alex frames the episode as a collection of real-world workarounds he developed during a decade building global media brands (UniLad, LADbible) and later refined while running the podcast. The focus is on simple, no-cost strategies that bypass common ADHD challenges like procrastination, disorganization, and motivation dips.
- •Alex’s background: building UniLad and LADbible before diagnosis
- •Reflecting on conscious vs. subconscious coping strategies
- •Promise: practical, simple hacks with no financial barrier
- •Theme: “outside-the-box” problem solving as an ADHD strength
- 2:08 – 4:12
Hack #12 — “Pinch your thoughts”: training attention like a muscle
Alex describes a quick focusing drill: hold an object in front of you and deliberately notice its details to squeeze out distractions. He compares it to a “bicep curl” for attention, building the ability to tunnel vision when it matters.
- •Use a nearby object (e.g., pen) as a focus anchor
- •Observe small details (color, texture, light) to crowd out distractions
- •Attention can be trained intentionally, like physical fitness
- •Useful for building the habit of controlled focus
- 4:12 – 7:26
Hack #11 — Start with “No”: prevent overcommitment and shame spirals
This strategy flips the default response to requests from “yes” to “no,” reducing double-booking and time-blindness fallout. Alex emphasizes that it’s easier to convert a “no” into a “yes” later than to retract a “yes” after reality hits.
- •ADHD + novelty seeking can trigger impulsive “yes” decisions
- •Overcommitting leads to overwhelm, avoidance, ghosting, and shame
- •Defaulting to “no” protects finite energy and attention
- •Boundary-setting reduces downstream anxiety and social friction
- 7:26 – 10:36
Hack #10 — Build a “Dopamine Menu” (starters, mains, sides, desserts)
Alex shares a structured list of activities that reliably generate dopamine, serving as a visual reminder of healthy options beyond doomscrolling. The menu format helps with object permanence challenges and makes it easier to choose energizing actions intentionally.
- •Dopamine menu = personal list of joy/dopamine activities
- •Four categories: starters (<15 min), mains (30+ min), sides (pair with boring tasks), desserts (less healthy dopamine)
- •Counters defaulting to doomscrolling/online shopping
- •Helps clarify identity/interests when masking or feeling disconnected
- 10:36 – 13:05
Hack #9 — Leave your laptop charger at home: manufacture a deadline
To increase urgency and follow-through, Alex suggests working away from home without a charger so battery life becomes a hard time limit. The artificial constraint boosts adrenaline and can intensify productive focus while preventing endless overworking.
- •Use battery life as a built-in deadline (4–5 hours typical)
- •Creates urgency that combats low-accountability procrastination
- •Can amplify hyperfocus during the available window
- •Requires remembering to charge beforehand (their humorous caveat)
- 13:05 – 14:20
Hack #8 — Finish a small task before your favorite song ends
This hack gamifies dreaded micro-chores by pairing them with a timeboxed song-length sprint. The deadline plus positive stimulation helps push past the “starting hump” that blocks action.
- •Use a favorite song (~3–4 minutes) as a countdown timer
- •Targets low-dopamine chores (dishwasher, hoovering, clothes)
- •Gamification + music makes starting easier and more fun
- •Leverages adrenaline and momentum to overcome procrastination
- 14:20 – 16:26
Hack #7 — To-do list vs. backlog: keep the active list to three items
Alex separates ‘everything I must remember’ (backlog) from ‘what I will do now’ (to-do). Limiting the to-do list to three items reduces overwhelm and helps initiate tasks instead of freezing and escaping into distraction.
- •Backlog captures all tasks without pressure to do them immediately
- •To-do list should never exceed three items
- •Large to-do lists trigger overwhelm, paralysis, and avoidance
- •Move items from backlog to to-do only after completing one
- 16:26 – 20:08
Hack #6 — Slower mornings, not earlier mornings: dopamine ramp-up
Alex rejects the “wake up earlier to be productive” advice as a mismatch for ADHD brains. He argues mornings should be slower and built around incremental, easy wins that stack dopamine until harder tasks become possible.
- •ADHD mornings often involve fog and low dopamine regardless of wake time
- •Start with tiny tasks (make bed, brush teeth) to build momentum
- •Use the dopamine menu to plan a gentle “dopamine runway”
- •Critique of extreme productivity routines (5am, ice baths, guru culture)
- 20:08 – 21:13
Sponsor break — Tiimo planning app (neurodivergent-friendly scheduling)
A quick ad segment introduces Tiimo as a planning tool built by and for neurodivergent users. Alex highlights features like an AI planning assistant and voice transcription, plus a limited discount note about web-only applicability.
- •Tiimo positioned as neurodivergent-designed planning support
- •Focus on productivity, organization, and punctuality goals
- •Mentions AI planning assistant and voice transcription
- •Discount detail: code applies on web browser, not smartphone
- 21:13 – 23:49
Hack #5 — “Just one dish”: shrink the task until it’s startable
To break avoidance, Alex recommends committing to the smallest possible first step—like removing one plate from the dishwasher without even putting it away. That tiny action often triggers “all-or-nothing” momentum and leads to completing the whole job.
- •Reduce the task to an absurdly small first action
- •Lower the mental barrier by removing ‘finish it’ pressure
- •Often flips into full completion once started
- •Applies broadly beyond dishes to any avoided task
- 23:49 – 25:28
Hack #4 — “Scary hour”: one daily hour for zero-dopamine admin tasks
Alex suggests scheduling a dedicated hour each day for tasks you dread (insurance, fines, paperwork). When the hour ends, you stop—unfinished work rolls over—making scary tasks more manageable and less emotionally explosive.
- •Define “scary tasks” as boring, anxiety-provoking, low-reward admin
- •Commit to one hour per day; stop when the hour ends
- •Reduces avoidance by making the discomfort time-limited
- •Creates steady progress without requiring same-day completion
- 25:28 – 30:36
Hack #3 — RSD bracelet: portable reminders of your strengths
For rejection sensitivity dysphoria triggers, Alex recommends carrying a list (or wearing a bracelet with symbolic charms) that represents your positive qualities. The visual cue interrupts catastrophizing and counters “success amnesia” and low self-esteem.
- •RSD triggers rapid assumptions of rejection from small cues
- •Use a written strengths list for quick emotional grounding
- •Bracelet charms act as discreet, always-available reminders
- •Addresses object permanence applied to achievements (“success amnesia”)
- 30:36 – 31:36
Hack #2 — Blink fast for one minute: a surprising sleep switch
Alex shares emerging research claiming that rapid blinking for a minute can fatigue eye muscles and signal the nervous system toward sleep mode. It’s framed as a simple, weird-but-possible tool for ADHD restlessness at bedtime.
- •Many ADHDers struggle to fall asleep due to restlessness
- •Rapid blinking may trick the body into “ready for sleep” signals
- •Mechanism described: eye muscle fatigue → brain chemical shift
- •Presented as a low-effort experiment to try in bed
- 31:36 – 36:51
Hack #1 — Check your tribe: your circle shapes self-belief and outcomes
Alex closes the list with a social/environmental ‘hack’: regularly evaluate whether your inner circle energizes or drains you. Supportive people reinforce self-belief and healthier choices; dismissive or toxic dynamics can keep you masking and stuck.
- •Self-belief strongly predicts success; environment influences self-belief
- •Audit whether friends/colleagues encourage or undermine your goals
- •Notice where you feel pressured to mask or expect eye-rolls
- •Outgrowing relationships is normal; align with people who help you evolve
- 36:51 – 39:36
Wrap-up: which hack matters most + boundary-setting practice tips
They reflect on the list and identify “start with no” as the most impactful strategy in Alex’s life and career. The conversation expands into how people-pleasing invites repeated demands, and how delaying responses can help you build the ‘no’ muscle.
- •Alex names “start with no” as his top long-term game changer
- •Suggestion: use a buffer (“I’ll let you know tomorrow”) as training wheels
- •People-pleasing leads to burnout and ‘waiting mode’ around unwanted plans
- •Call to action: viewers share their own ADHD hacks in comments
