Method

Ride the energy wave (catch the window, don't force the start)

When even breaking the task down doesn't help, the bottleneck is initiation, not size. Don't force the start with willpower: on no-energy days let it go ('today's not the day'), but the moment energy shows up — act IMMEDIATELY, don't delay and don't wait for 'more' to come.

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With ADHD, motivation and dopamine are unpredictable and usually arrive AFTER you start, not before. Forcing work on an ‘against the current’ day costs disproportionate energy — like pushing a rock uphill. Catching the energy window is the opposite: it’s rolling the rock downhill.

Two rules: (1) on no-energy days accept it without shame — ‘today’s not the day’ — instead of fighting and losing; (2) the moment you feel you CAN open the laptop or start that email, do it right then. Don’t put it off ‘until I’m ready’, don’t wait for a bigger surge. Take what you’ve got, because the window can be short.

This also lifts shame: not working on a no-wave day isn’t laziness — it’s accurately reading your own state.

Helps with

Resources & links

1 source

ADHD Chatter
- 13:09 10 Rules That Traumatise ADHD & Autistic Brains (ride the wave — don't delay when energy is there)

What the research says

Scientific grade verified against the literature. No entries = no direct studies (graded from mechanism/experience).

What the grade means

A A — strongest evidence: meta-analyses or RCTs directly confirm it works (or, for diagnostic tools, strong validation of accuracy).

B B — good evidence: a single RCT, or a strong mechanism with supporting studies.

C C — weak / preliminary: a plausible mechanism, but few direct, controlled tests.

D D — no evidence: theory or isolated anecdotes, no studies.

Applies to: ADHD Autism AuDHD