Brain fog. Low energy. Lack of focus. Fatigue. Forgetfulness.
If you have ADHD, you are likely well-versed in these states of being. This is just a typical day.
Read: 5 Tips to Handle Low Energy Days with ADHD
If you are going through peri-menopause, you might be getting to know these states.
(If you have both …. welcome to the double whammy. I spent 20 years creating strategies for working with my brain, only to find that everything changes with peri-menopause.)
Fluctuating hormones mean that energy states can be unpredictable. Medications — whether for ADHD or other conditions — may no longer seem to work the same way or have the same impact.
So what can you do when you find yourself in a low-energy or low-focus moment or day?
Assuming you already have a set of rituals that typically works for you to stimulate your attention and focus, what happens when your tried-and-true protocols no longer work?
The most important tip I can offer you is this: engage your self-compassion and acceptance.
Why Self-Compassion and Acceptance is Crucial
I can already hear your rumbling: you want an actual strategy. A hack or tip — something to DO that’s going to immediately ignite your energy. A workout. A process. Something.
I get it. Self-compassion and acceptance can feel a little … lazy. Passive.
Stick with me here.
Some days are just off. Sometimes, the workout doesn’t ignite your energy. The processes fail to stimulate you.
And the more you try to do something to overcome the brain fog and fatigue, the more they persist.
Sometimes, all you can do is accept that this is how it is right now, and have compassion for yourself and what you’re going through.
That compassion will help you regulate your nervous system so that other hacks and tips have a chance of working.
A Strategy to Get Something Done — Even With Low Energy
Once you have accepted the situation for what it is and engaged your self-compassion, you will be in a better position to do something.
Read: How to Maximize Your Productivity By Optimizing Your Low-Energy Days
My go-to strategy to help you keep moving on low-energy or low-focus days involves advanced planning:
When you sit down to make your to-do list and plan your activities, note the energy and focus level required for your various tasks. Rate each item as a low/medium/high energy task.
When you have a low energy or low-focus day, pull out your list and turn to those tasks that fit your energy and focus level.
Read: 3 Principles of Energy to Boost Your Productivity
Here are a examples of some of my low energy/low focus tasks — although your mileage my vary:
- editing video or writing (as opposed to creating from scratch)
- updating a draft of something previously started
- writing thank you notes
- reviewing notes and making lists for follow up
- making lists in general — without pressure to implement them yet
Some of these things don’t always feel like “meaningful progress” — which is why starting with self-compassion and acceptance is so crucial. When you start from a place of self-compassion and accepting what is, then anything you get done feels like a win. Instead of lamenting what you couldn’t get done, you can celebrate what you were able to do despite the conditions of your body and mind.
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...