In parts of Europe, Modafinil has a decent ratio of “easy to get” / “helpful with executive dysfunction”. It’s schedule IV in the USA; not sure if a GP can and will prescribe it, especially when intended for off-label use. Safety is also not great compared to real ADHD meds, but it helps pretty well.

Here’s what really worked in my 20 year battle against this. Not perfect, but a balance of powers, and still enough got done to stay afloat:

• Replacement ideas, and have them ready and in reach. E. g. I try to have an ever-lasting inflow of new comic books and graphic novels, so there is no excuse to doomscroll in bed or at the desk, even when it is a “deserved break”. It’s not easy though to compete with something that has been designed for addiction, to milk your dopamine.
• soft and / or hard block. E. g. a browser plugin that makes sites like this black&white after 30 minutes. Then I know that as of now, it’s clearly not a “deserved treat”, but bad for my health.
• for a start, don’t even try to stop it, but observe thought and start an inner dialogue, such as: “what do I gain from this?”
• have clear rules, and log violations in a journal
• when you catch yourself, it’s hard to stop immediately. set a 10 minute timer instead, stop when it goes off. The wonderful thing about it: For those 10 minutes, it’s completely legal and guilt-free.

This is the way. I’ve been freelancing for a long time, but they changed the laws in Germany, making it risky for corporations to hire a freelancer. So I was forced to accept employment in 2 out of 3 jobs over the past 5 years. Supposedly to protect the freelancer / employee …

Yes, I’ll be a bitter old man for sure.

Good suggestion, thanks. My plan: I’ll keep doing it for a couple more weeks, then offer to do a whole week in office during school vacation, but also say that I can only occasionally come in otherwise. I feel like the situation is that it would build trust to do it for a while before asking for something.

Wouldn’t play along with that nonsense, but the pay is good, the benefits are very good.

same struggles … great that it worked out for you!

thanks, it helps to see that so many are like this

Engineered staple foods, such as Jimmy Joy, yfood, Huel, … are a big help. They take the pressure off by providing a somewhat healthy full-meal fallback alternative, thus freeing time and nerves for real cooking. I can then do it in a relaxed, optional manner. Also great when going somewhere, because we don’t tend to have all ingredients for even a sandwich available, which can spoil a whole trip. E. g. you have lettuce, butter, ham, but the remaining 3 slices of bread are moldy. What now?

Also, focus on quick and healthy meals. Have 1 “special” appliance, like hot air fryer or rice cooker. Example: Frozen salmon from the hot air fryer plus frozen vegetables in butter or cream. That is surprisingly healthy, fast, tasty and classy, when well made. Again, these options, always ready in the freezer, free time and nerves for more complex meals. Freezer is essential to compensate for poor planning.

Taste is horrible, better take the powder in a capsule, or mix it with a protein shake. But the effect is very even over several hours.

It works better, as it is more evenly distributed. But eventually the same problem, and guarana does the same job better.

I used to have the quick exhaust problem, too, but the reason was much different in my case: I needed to take breaks, eat and drink as if I were not on meds, even though I don’t feel like I need it. Very counter-intuitive, like I’m in a great streak on a task and just want to continue, but I have to sit / lie down without being tired, eat without being hungry etc. That keeps me going.

Also, when just starting, a very very low dose gave me a brief kick that felt great.

It’s almost funny how I procrastinated on getting a dishwasher! I had the “idea” in 1999.

But then, I could not get it into a clear sequence of steps. It was always mind-chaos like: Really need a dishwasher, can I even set it up here, how about the washing machine, y-split for water or keep switching, where would I put it, can I do it or do I need someone to set it up, maybe order from a service that sets it up for you, they don’t to complex things though, just attach the water …

Eventually 23 years (!) after this got a simple one where you just pour water in, no setup required. When that one broke, I had meds and could easily just order a regular one, break down the steps to install it (wasn’t even easy, the professionals failed, but step by step), and execute them one by one over a few days.

It doesn’t solve all problems, but it is so much less mental effort now …

Yes, that is actually a good example of something that is limited in how you can break it up.

Two things, actually field-tested, help me with this:

1. Can still break it up in two tasks: A: Get everything ready, packed, logistics figured out B: go
2. Don’t try to force it with willpower and draw from a limited resource. Only imagine in your head how it would feel like to get ready and be on the way there. Only the simulation is “mandatory”. Go only if it feels appealing and works without willpower afterwards, otherwise treat yourself to some slack with no regrets.

Some infections give me the best possible sleep. It feels like …

60 minutes for a task? That might be the main deterrent! You have to try to break up such tasks, when possible. Such as: 1. getting everything ready to start, 2. do the first 5 Minutes. Not always possible, e. g. picking up furniture.

Just make Lapacho tea according to instructions. Over the day, it seems to start working well when covering about 40 % of your water intake with it, but I do 90 % sometimes.

Big problem for many of us.

A few things that helped me, not to a complete cure, but a massive improvement nonetheless:

• When I realise that I should stop, instead set a 5 or 10 minute timer and stop when it goes off.
• I have a front desk bell that the “good” part of my mind presses when it catches the “bad” part doing this again.
• Start an inner dialogue, e. g. like: “What do I gain from this? Why am I doing this?” Don’t consider it implicit pressure to stop, just an open, honest dialogue. The goal is not to stop right away, but to keep learning about yourself for a couple of weeks while you still do it. But for some people, they feel caught by themselves in the action and might stop right away; that is also okay.
• Make a deal with yourself to do something productive, and then continue the thing guilt-free. That feels much sweeter! The productive thing can be as little as to write a list, or to think about the tasks on the existing list and what it would feel like to do them.
• Technical solution, such as Leechblock NG browser plugin to limit usage of some websites. Could have a time limit, or time of day limit, and can do a hard block or “soft” block by going black/white.

But the biggest game changer for me was a light alarm clock. Combine with a super-loud one far away (or good old vacuum cleaner on a timer!) in such a way that I can barely make it on time, so just a last resort.

It was so long ago, the link in my Amazon order from back then is dead now.

Interesting that modafinil shows no clear dose-effect pattern. When I tried it, I took 1/4 of a pill, and that was always enough. The nice thing about it is that it’s easier to get than stims in many countries. I used the effect of mine to set up diagnostic and prescription of something better in the first place.