#now...while I'm remembering...it is trash day...i can take the trash out...just...get up...lol/ugh

[frogeyedape]

It took me until my twenties to build an actual tooth brushing habit. Years and years of parents hounding me to brush after breakfast & dinner, painful years having to also brush after lunch at school because braces (and mostly not doing it), years & years of 6 weeks managing each night then a long stretch of not brushing at all, years & years of frequent cavities...I had a years-long stretch of good brushing broken by one night being too exhausted to brush & just didn't brush at all for the longest while ever...

I could not tell you what exactly helped me transition, but I can tell you various pieces

I switched from trying to form a habit (which I feel stressed about doing and guilty if I don't do it or don't do it well) to trying a routine

Habit vs Routine: EG breakfast as a habit: make exact same meal each morning at same time regardless of hunger/activity/interest, feel bad about changing things up VS breakfast as a set of routines: cereal routine, get bowl, milk, cereal, spoon, pour, eat, take care of dishes; eggs routine: fry/scramble/whatever, eat, dishes; in a rush routine: grab 2 granola bars & a fruit & rush out

I bundled "habit" tootbrushing into the "going to bed" routine; routine is more flexible than habit & leaves room (and acceptance and no guilt) for adaptation

So like, standard I'm not exhausted just ordinary going to bed routine: go to bathroom, use toilet, wash hands, take out contacts, floss & brush teeth (thoroughly), put in retainer, then go to bed, lotion dry hands, turn out lights, sleep

Routine for when I'm dying of exhaustion: toilet, eyes/contacts, cursory brush, sleep

It took a long time, but eventually I wasn't having to remember to brush my teeth separately--I'd be tired and telling myself I'd let myself skip tooth brushing and initiate Goint To Bed and find myself brushing anyway because hey I'm in the bathroom there's the brush oh I'm just Going to Bed and brushing is a step of that

Call it a routine, call it task bundling, call it operative conditioning, whatever

I still don't *wash* dishes as a part of my Eat Meal routine which irks my housemates/parents but whatevs, 1 battle at a time

I want to close on a certain note, which is a How to ADHD book by a psych professional living with ADHD, and which I actually found helpful, but I am having trouble finding the title even searching back through all my reading history on 2 apps so....bear with me and I will either edit this post or reblog again. It was a book I heard about from @thebibliosphere first so I dunno maybe I'll chance the tumblr search function

Edit, March 2025! Thanks for the reminder, Joy! The book is KC Davis, How to Keep House While Drowning: a gentle approach to cleaning and organizing, the most helpful ADHD how to guide I've ever read that somehow inexplicably doesn't have ADHD in the title XD

yep.

[surveystodestressme]

3.

Are you cold, warm, or just right at the moment?:

i right in the middle right now

Are you watching anything?:

a youtube video

Who was the last person to txt you?:

jack

How about the last person to comment you?:

i don;t know

What was the last movie you watched at home?:

It

Are you mad/frustrated at anyone right now?:

nope

What’s for dinner tonight?:

i have no idea

Are any of your parents on your IM messenger(s)?:

yes

Do you feel like you need to brush your teeth at the moment?:

probably

When was the last time you took a shower?:

a few hours ago

What have you done today?:

Well, i woke up. Then i took a shower. I had some coffee and then i started watching some youtube videos

Where are your pets right now?:

all around the house

Who was the last person you talked to in person?:

my dad

Do you miss anyone at the moment?:

yeah

Have you ever felt like you found the “one”?:

i'm with him right now

What was the last piece of candy you ate?:

a reeses i think

Are you thirsty?:

ehhh

Does that person that you last kissed mean anything to you?:

absolutely

Who was the last person to IM you?:

some girl i'm trying to buy stuff from

What is todays date?:

september 23rd

Don’t you hate it when your body parts fall asleep?:

ugh yes

Do you take any medication on a daily basis?:

birth control

What was the best moment of your life?:

when i met jack

Are you single, taken, or is it complicated?:

taken

How old is the computer your on?:

not too old, i'm not for sure though

Did you ever wet the bed when you were younger?:

i think so

How much cash do you have on you?:

$20

Who is always able to cheer you up when you’re sad?:

my boyfriend or my sister

What is your blood-type?:

i have no idea

Have you ever faked sick?:

yep

The last time you were in the fridge, what were you looking for?:

some milk

What type of day are you having?:

pretty solid so far

In your opinion, what’s the best way for someone to die?:

peacefully

How do you handle stress?:

depends

Anything good happening tomorrow?:

not really

Do you like clowns?:

hell no

Has anyone ever under-estimated your intelligence?:

oh yeah

Has anyone ever borrowed something from you and never returned it?:

so many times lol

Do you twitch when your falling asleep?:

yeah sometimes

In winter, would you rather wear jackets or hoodies?:

hoodies

If you could pack up and leave your life now to move away, would you?:

yes, absolutely. i can;t stand the town that i live in

Do you have an innie or an outtie bellybutton?:

innie

Do you scrunch or fold your toilet paper?:

scrunch lol

Do you have a good relationship with your family?:

i think so

Can you crack your neck?:

yep

Have you ever been dared to do something you totally regretted?:

nope

Have you ever blocked someone on MySpace before?:

lol i'm sure

Do you feel you have a purpose or calling in life?:

i don't think so

Is your room painted or wallpapered?:

painted.

Do you lick your lollipops or suck them?:

suck on 'em

Has someone checked you out in a grocery store before?:

i don't know, maybe

What is the best kind of pizza in your opinion?:

good ol' pepperoni

List three of your fears:

clowns, dying, and losing the ones i love

Is there something that someone has done to you that you cannot forgive?:

i don't really hold grudges

Have you ever felt stupid after saying something?:

occasionally

Who was the last person to make you smile?:

my dad

What color is your underwear?:

white with flowers

Do you believe people who live in trailer parks are trash?:

no, i used to live in a trailer park. it's just a cheaper option if you don't have a lot of money to buy a nicer place

Have you ever cried so hard that you threw up?:

i don't think so

Look to your right, what is the first thing that catches your eye?:

the wall

What color is your tongue?:

the normal tongue color????

Do you find body hair sexy?:

i mean, my boyfriend has body hair and i like it. so i guess so

Do you have freckles?:

not on my face

Do you put on deodorant on every day?:

yep

When was the last time you yelled/felt like yelling at someone?:

probably recently at the dogs because they bark at everything

What was the last compliment you received?:

my boyfriend told me i was beautiful

Is there anyone who won’t leave you alone right now that you wish would?:

nah

Do you scream at scary parts in a horror flick?:

sometimes

Have you ever felt like life was unfair to you?:

i'm sure i have before

What do you spend most of your time doing?:

being lazy as fuck honestly

Who was the last person in your bed other then yourself?:

my cat

Do you really care what’s going on in celebrities lives?:

not really.

Have you ever broke a plate/bowl?:

yes, i actually broke a plate on my toe before and broke my toe almost lol

Does your house have air conditioning?:

we actually just got it fixed

When was the last time you felt like you didn’t have a care in the world?:

i don't know

What was the last family get together you went to?:

it's been a while

What is your favorite restaurant?:

avantis is good

Has anyone ever drunk called/txted you?:

yeah

Do you know anyone who has a homosexual parent?:

not off the top of my head

Have you ever moved? If so, how many times?:

only once that i remember

What is your current myspace song?:

that shit is old as hell man

What kind of color eyes do you like best?:

it doesn't matter to me

Do you fake and bake or get a tan naturally?:

i don't get tan

Do hate it when people are hypocritical?:

i mean, i'm not a fan

What was the last website you visited other than myspace?:

tumblr right now lol

Have you ever tweeze your eyebrows?:

nope

Can you do a backwards london bridges?:

i don't even know what that is

What type of music could this world live without?:

rap

Do you have a job? If so, where do you work?:

at a shoe store

What smiley do you use the most on the computer?:

i don't really use smileys

Are any of your pets “overweight”?:

most of my cats are lol

Do you find it romantic when a guy/girl whispers in your ear?:

sure?? lol

Who can you go to anytime of the day for anything no matter what?:

my boyfriend

What color is the shirt you’re wearing?:

pink

Name three things around you:

my phone, a cake tin, and my coffee maker

Do you believe you are a nice person?:

yeah i think so

Are you hungry right now?:

kind of

Has anyone ever bought you a ring?:

yeah, my ex did

Name three of your favorite colors:

navy, pale pink, and dark green

Don’t you just hate that morning mouth taste?:

yeah, i always wake up with a dry throat and mouth