ADHD Chatter Podcast12 Unhinged ADHD Hacks That ACTUALLY Work (don't judge til you try)
CHAPTERS
- 2:10 – 4:17
Hack #12: “Pinch your thoughts” (micro-training your attention)
They describe a focus exercise: hold an object in front of you and intensely notice its details. The goal is to squeeze out competing distractions and strengthen attention like a “mental bicep curl.”
- •Pick a nearby object and deliberately study color, texture, reflections, shape
- •Intentional single-point focus reduces mental noise and distraction pull
- •Practiced regularly, it can strengthen the ability to “tunnel vision” when needed
- •A humorous aside about over-focusing and missing stops leads into later hacks
- 4:17 – 7:26
Hack #11: Start with “No” (protecting time, energy, and commitments)
Alex argues ADHD people often default to “yes” due to stimulation-seeking and fear of letting others down, leading to double-booking and shame spirals. The solution is making “no” the default, with the option to upgrade to “yes” later.
- •Saying yes too quickly often creates time-blindness-driven scheduling collisions
- •Over-commitment leads to avoidance, ghosting, anxiety, and shame
- •It’s easier to change no → yes later than yes → no later
- •Boundary-setting protects finite ADHD energy (with humorous caveats about real obligations)
- 7:26 – 10:34
Hack #10: The dopamine menu (healthier choices than doomscrolling)
They introduce a “dopamine menu” as a visible list of activities that reliably produce joy and motivation. It’s organized like a restaurant menu—starters, mains, sides, desserts—to help choose healthy stimulation intentionally rather than defaulting to low-value dopamine.
- •Starters (≤15 min): quick boosts like stretching, a song, doodling, coffee
- •Mains (30+ min): deeper refuels like friends, instruments, exercise, journaling
- •Sides: background supports during boring tasks (podcasts, white noise, candle, fidgets, gamifying)
- •Desserts: fun-but-risky dopamine (doomscrolling, shopping, binge TV) used sparingly
- •Helps with object permanence and masking: remember what you actually enjoy
- 10:34 – 13:06
Hack #9: Leave your laptop charger at home (manufacture a deadline)
For tasks like writing, Alex uses a café setting plus limited battery life to create urgency. The artificial deadline boosts adrenaline and focus, constraining time so work gets done before power runs out.
- •No charger = real time limit (often 4–5 hours) that triggers urgency
- •Works especially well outside the home where accountability feels higher
- •Amplifies hyperfocus by adding stakes and scarcity
- •Warning: only works if you actually charge your laptop beforehand (they joke about the loophole)
- 13:06 – 14:23
Hack #8: The task-finisher song (beat the clock with a favorite track)
They recommend pairing small dreaded chores with one song and racing to finish before it ends. The music plus timer-like constraint gamifies starting and helps push through the initial procrastination hump.
- •Choose a favorite song (~3–4 minutes) and start the chore immediately
- •Turns a vague task into a short sprint with a clear finish line
- •Combines positive emotion (music) with urgency (countdown)
- •Works well for micro-chores: dishwasher, tidying, picking clothes up, vacuuming
- 14:23 – 16:40
Hack #7: “To-do list” vs. backlog (three-item rule to prevent overwhelm)
They separate the idea of a dumping ground (backlog) from a true action list (to-do). The to-do list must contain no more than three items to keep it visually manageable and reduce paralysis.
- •Backlog = everything that pops into your head; it can be long and messy
- •To-do list = the only actionable list, capped at three items
- •Large lists create overwhelm, avoidance, and doomscrolling defaults
- •As you finish one item, pull the next priority over from the backlog
- 16:40 – 21:24
Hack #6: Slower mornings, not earlier mornings (dopamine runway)
Alex critiques the “wake up at 5am” productivity narrative as especially unhelpful for ADHD brains that start dopamine-depleted. Instead, he advocates slow, small, sequential tasks that gently stack dopamine and momentum.
- •ADHD mornings often involve fog/sluggishness regardless of wake time
- •Build dopamine incrementally with tiny tasks (make bed → brush teeth → coffee)
- •Use dopamine-menu ideas to plan an easy start sequence
- •Reject guru routines (ice baths/cold plunges) if they create shame or rigidity
- 21:24 – 23:54
Hack #5: “Just one dish” (the smallest possible start)
To beat task dread, Alex recommends reducing the commitment to a single micro-action—like taking one plate out of the dishwasher—without requiring completion. Starting often triggers all-or-nothing momentum, making the rest feel easier.
- •Overwhelm is often about the perceived whole task, not the first step
- •Commit only to one tiny action (remove one plate; even just place it aside)
- •The micro-start creates dopamine and lowers resistance, often leading to completion
- •They riff on “dishwashers as storage” and the idea of a “shame shed” for abandoned hobbies
- 23:54 – 25:32
Hack #4: Scary hour (contain the dread, don’t marathon it)
They propose dedicating one hour a day to boring, anxiety-inducing admin tasks. When the hour ends, you stop—unfinished work rolls over—reducing avoidance by making scary tasks bounded and predictable.
- •Identify “scary” low-dopamine tasks (insurance, tickets, admin)
- •Schedule one hour daily; work only within that container
- •Stop when time’s up to prevent burnout and dread overload
- •Rolling progress beats waiting for a mythical motivation surge
- 25:32 – 30:43
Hack #3: RSD bracelet (portable reminders of your strengths)
Addressing rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD), Alex suggests carrying a physical reminder of your positive qualities for moments you feel triggered and catastrophize social cues. A bracelet with symbolic charms can discreetly cue self-worth and reduce emotional spirals.
- •RSD triggers: tone shifts, ambiguous messages, “quick chat” requests, cancellations
- •Write a list of strengths/positives to read when dysregulated
- •If a paper list is hard, use a bracelet with charms symbolizing strengths
- •Counters “success amnesia” and object permanence issues around achievements
- •Links to Alex’s RSD-focused book and the theme of soothing shame responses
- 30:43 – 31:39
Hack #2: Blink for one minute (a sleep-onset nervous system trick)
The most “bizarre” hack is rapid blinking for one minute to help initiate sleep. They cite emerging research/claims that tiring the eye muscles signals readiness for sleep and can help restless ADHD sleepers shift into sleep mode.
- •Intended for bedtime restlessness and difficulty falling asleep
- •Fast blinking for ~60 seconds may fatigue eye muscles and cue sleep chemicals
- •Presented as a nervous-system “hack” that tricks the body into sleep readiness
- •Framed as surprising-but-reportedly effective by many people
- 31:39
Hack #1: Check your tribe (environment shapes self-belief and outcomes)
The final “hack” is broader life advice: periodically audit who you spend time with to ensure they build you up rather than drain you. Because self-belief predicts outcomes, your inner circle’s messaging can either reinforce growth or keep you stuck masking and doubting yourself.
- •Notice whether friends/colleagues encourage ideas or dismiss them with eye-rolls
- •Avoid relationships that drain energy, confidence, and authenticity
- •It’s okay to outgrow long-term friendships if values and growth diverge
- •Especially relevant for boundaries (e.g., sobriety/health goals)
- •Be the supportive friend you’d want in return; groups form around shared evolution
Why these “unhinged” ADHD hacks exist (and why they’re practical)
Alex frames the episode as a curated set of strategies he developed consciously and subconsciously before his diagnosis while building large media brands. The promise: simple, free, try-today experiments that help bypass procrastination, disorganization, and low motivation.
- •Hacks emerged from real-world business/podcast experience, not theory alone
- •ADHD brains can “think outside the box” to create effective workarounds
- •No-cost, low-friction ideas meant to be implemented immediately
- •The list runs #12 to #1, getting “weirder” but more impactful
Sponsor break: Tiimo planning app (ND-designed scheduling support)
A short ad spot promotes Tiimo as a neurodivergent-friendly planning app with flexible routines and an AI planning assistant. The pitch emphasizes reduced lateness, easier organization, and a discount via a web-only code.
- •Tiimo positioned as “designed by neurodivergent brains for neurodivergent brains”
- •Highlights: flexibility, gentle guidance, AI planning assistant, voice transcription
- •Mentions “app of the year” claim and 30% discount via link
- •Note: discount code applies on web browser, not smartphone
