The pressure to be productive with ADHD (Dani Donovan’s story!)
Oct 3, 2023
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Dani Donovan, Creator of The Anti-Planner, talks about productivity with ADHD, self-criticism, analysis paralysis, rejection sensitivity, friendship, and the power of understanding neurodiversity.
The podcast emphasizes the need for productivity tools and options that are designed with individuals with ADHD in mind, highlighting the importance of creating solutions that cater to their specific needs.
The speaker shares her personal experiences of the challenges faced in friendships and relationships due to difficulties with social cues and misconceptions surrounding ADHD, emphasizing the importance of finding understanding and supportive friends.
Deep dives
The importance of creating solutions when existing options are not designed for you
The podcast episode highlights the need to create solutions when productivity tools and options are not designed with individuals with ADHD in mind. The host discusses her personal realization that many productivity aids were not made for people like her, leading to an aha moment where she realizes the importance of making things that cater to her needs.
The journey of self-discovery and diagnosis
The podcast delves into the speaker's personal journey of discovering and accepting her ADHD diagnosis. She shares how she didn't have a specific 'aha' moment where she suspected ADHD, but rather gradually came to realize the impact of ADHD on her life through her struggles with daily tasks and executive functioning. She reflects on the significance of receiving her diagnosis and the importance of finding support and understanding.
The impact of ADHD on friendships and relationships
The podcast explores how ADHD can affect friendships and relationships. The speaker discusses the challenges faced due to difficulties in picking up on social cues and maintaining connections. She shares personal experiences of being a target for gossip, feeling judged for ADHD symptoms, and misconceptions about ADHD leading to misunderstandings. She emphasizes the importance of finding friends who understand and relate to ADHD experiences.
Overcoming perfectionism and reframing productivity
The episode highlights the speaker's struggle with perfectionism and its impact on productivity. She shares her experience of getting caught up in analysis paralysis, striving for perfection, and feeling overwhelmed by productivity expectations. The speaker emphasizes the importance of reframing productivity and finding coping mechanisms that work for an individual's ADHD brain, such as using task management strategies and embracing imperfection.
People with ADHD know what it’s like to be called lazy. Is that because they don’t seem “productive”? Who better to talk about this with than the creator of The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t When You Don’t Feel Like It, Dani Donovan. Dani shares her ADHD “aha” moments and what drove her to create an activity book designed for procrastinators.
Dani and host Laura Key chat about what it means to be productive with ADHD. Dani shares how she would criticize herself intensely so that others wouldn’t. They also talk about analysis paralysis, rejection sensitivity, friendship, and how understanding neurodiversity can change the game.
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
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