I have a problem that i cant focus on my tasks for a long time. I cant do my work for long time per day, neither do it periodically every day.

I know that to develop habits of doing certain work every day, i need twenty one days, but i lose interest to doing my work and just becoming bored of it in two weeks maximum, which is not enough time to develop habits.

Another thing that my lazyness does to me, is that i cant keep my focus on one big task for long time, like several hours. I can keep working on this task for half of hour or a one hour at most, until i just get bored of it, and dont want to do it until next day.

This problem apllies to any tasks i need or want to do, like doing sports, home work, programming and other work, and this is what keeps me from getting a job, because i just cant work full work day every day, especially if i cant even develop a small program for home work for more than two hours.

Which advise can you recommend to get rid of the lazyness, and actually keep focus on the work and develop new habits?

  • traches@sh.itjust.works
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    15 hours ago

    Aside from getting treatment, what’s helped me:

    • know that you’re incapable of forming habits. You have to choose to do the thing every time.
    • Trick yourself into hyperfixation if you can. It’s a superpower, if you can aim it in a useful direction. Find something gratifying or satisfying about the task to focus on. Sometimes watching the todo list get smaller or the inbox get cleared out does it for me.
    • This one’s hard to describe, but sometimes you have to realize that the hyperfixation easy-mode motivation isn’t coming and you’ll have to draw motivation from somewhere else inside yourself. Sometimes just getting over the initial jump of starting a task makes the rest of it flow naturally.
    • Break big problems into little problems.
    • Simplify your life as much as possible. You only have so many executive function tokens every day, don’t waste them.
    • have a todo list. Don’t make it complicated. If possible, just do the thing immediately instead of putting it on the list.
    • Get enough sleep. This is not optional.
    • Exercise, specifically some kind of cardio. 30 minutes above about 120bpm, 3 times per week. There are studies, it makes a big difference in a million ways.
    • Give yourself grace. You’re playing on hard mode, don’t compare yourself to neurotypical people.

    Edit: also it’s not laziness, not really. Lazy people are comfortable with it.

    • kubica@fedia.io
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      9 hours ago

      If possible, just do the thing immediately instead of putting it on the list.

      I’d put this one a bit in question. Maybe it is not something to put on the todo list, but worth it to put on a post-it just in case you find troubles along the way. I guess it depends on the task and the situation, but if you know that there might be bumps in the road it can be worth to have the reminder.

    • gegil@sopuli.xyzOP
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      14 hours ago

      This comment is good, but i have several questions. I cant get treatment, because after getting to psychiatrist and taking a psychology test, they said that they did not indentified adhd in me. Thats why i asked my question here, because there is no “laziness” community where i could ask it, and this community is the most related to the situation i have. And lastly, if it is not the laziness and not adhd, than what is it?

      • shneancy@lemmy.world
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        14 hours ago

        it took me 3 different doctors to finally get a diagnosis. first two were neurotypical, the last one also had adhd himself. adhd is often misunderstood, and the metrics for diagnosing it completely ignore individuals that have figured out their own coping mechanisms or are more intelligent than most.

        for example a big part of the diagnosis is a binary - did you have trouble at school? if you answer “well no i didn’t, but i also never studied or did homework, everything was just kind of easy. the subjects i disliked went very poorly though. i still passed but my range of grades went from highest to lowest yet still passing. i had some trouble with higher education when i was expected to study on my own though, i got my degree but seemed to struggle much more than my peers” all the non-neurodivergent doctor (or god forbid, a test) will hear will be “well no”

        obviously i don’t know you personally, nor do i know what test you took or what doctor you went to. but if you still suspect you have adhd despite being told “nah” by one doctor, then i’d encourage you to seek a second opinion, ideally with a doctor who has adhd themself, so the diagnosis is a simple vibe check instead of mind numbing tests that only account for “well duh” kind of adhd