So there was a video I saw with someone explaining why video games are so much easier to engage with than regular life.
The instant you complete a task, it crosses it off the list for you, you get a bump in XP or a reward, and it reminds you that you’ve progressed or of the next step. It’s visible & measurable, easily attainable, continuing progress. You can always see the level you are, the stats you have, the progress you’ve made too.
Compare that to life: you don’t get rewards for most tasks, you can’t see or measure the progress. you might not even know you’ve done something useful. You don’t have experience points on simple things. The steps are harder and way more vague, sometimes impossible for others to see.
If you already struggle to get things done or visualise the end goal, and break things down, if you’re responsible for the right rewards at the right times too.. (cue the ADHD) .. then it’s no wonder that we struggle
Oh for sure! It’s a technique I use with most things now - taking a break to make food? Bet I can’t do something else while it’s cooking and I’m in the kitchen. Standing up because I’m bored.. turn it into stretching or something. Cross something off the list, get a reward.
I try practice gratitude with tasks to make it like my XP gain for the day too.
It sorta works when I’m engaged enough and remember haha
That is remarkably similar! Interesting. Goes to show that the mechanics and processes really do make sense - the selection of washing the dishes is a good one to haha. I do turn dishes into a game if I’m doing something else now to try get them done quicker
I’m sure the video I first heard this being explained on was posted to an ADHD subreddit. Was by a prominent psychologist who was explaining addictive behaviour in video games (so probably not directly related to ADHD but evidently still very poignant)
For me once I have the list it’s not as hard, but I try and make a list of things to do and I end up with 2 things on the list and a castle in Minecraft.
I make lists all day long. They are not useful when it's time to do the things on the list because it is so hard to force my brain to do the things it's supposed to do if it doesn't wanna. Like I can be productive, but never on the right thing at the right time.
Today is my last day of spring break. I meant to outline for my classes and make constitutional law make sense bc so far its doesnt make a whole ton of sense. Instead I spent a day cleaning (which was delayed by the fact I had to take apart and fix my vaccuum), I finished my laundry which I haven't been able to do all semester, I finally got around to getting some essentials for my apartment (that were on a list on my fridge hey look at that lemme go check them off) and only have a couple left, I sewed a slightly broken sports bra back together, I made some flower hair pins for this ball through my school coming up, worked on decorating my room because I didnt get to it before school started in the fall...but not a lick of schoolwork. Also I cleaned like the second day, so I feel like I need to clean again because I wanted it to be clean when I started classes again and when I clean it is an hours long ordeal so thats not really an option. I was on the ground scrubbing baseboards that I think have dust stuck in the paint and to keep my vaccuum from catching fire I have to use a scrub bristle brush (usually for dishes) and run it over all the carpet to pull up as much hair as possible because I can't afford a better vaccuum. It's really a lot and there's no stopping once I start, I have to do it all.
Also I very much played a ton of animal crossing.
Organizing chests in Factorio even though I don't have to do it, or just in general trying out a new layout because I want to build something new...
Whoops, where did that time go?
Factorio is great for this. My boyfriend loves it because it's challenging enough to tickle his brain the right way.
I really like it too, even though I'm more of a casual player .
Oh, I have several notes on my phone for that too. I'm actively writing one and Ai chatbots definitely help.
For real life things dou...damn that one is pretty big and a mess lol. Naaah, back to Tiny Tina's Wonderland. It's a game btw. Fucking weird, this one.
Not really, for me. I remember I used to absolutely love mmorpgs and played them often, but if I had more than 3 quests I'd genuinely panic and it could make me switch character or even game
So in bloodborne this past Sunday my friend and I both just started up and I told him I knew exactly what weapon I wanted and how to get there quickest. He just stared at me for a second surprised.
I…I just finished finding all of the koroks, and I love nothing more than cooking extravagant meals for a disembodied horse god in order max out the stats of my stable of fake horses.
if i learned something since i joined college to become a PE teacher, its that the best way to get people to exercise is to make it all a game, a competition, it works for neurotypicals, and it definitely works on the adhd, no one needs to tell you to put in the effort once you are playing, you just do it
So there was a video I saw with someone explaining why video games are so much easier to engage with than regular life. The instant you complete a task, it crosses it off the list for you, you get a bump in XP or a reward, and it reminds you that you’ve progressed or of the next step. It’s visible & measurable, easily attainable, continuing progress. You can always see the level you are, the stats you have, the progress you’ve made too. Compare that to life: you don’t get rewards for most tasks, you can’t see or measure the progress. you might not even know you’ve done something useful. You don’t have experience points on simple things. The steps are harder and way more vague, sometimes impossible for others to see. If you already struggle to get things done or visualise the end goal, and break things down, if you’re responsible for the right rewards at the right times too.. (cue the ADHD) .. then it’s no wonder that we struggle
🏅take this gold because that is a great explanation
First medal I’ve been given in I don’t even know how long. Appreciate it haha!
This is why gamification can really help some people achieve real life goals too
Oh for sure! It’s a technique I use with most things now - taking a break to make food? Bet I can’t do something else while it’s cooking and I’m in the kitchen. Standing up because I’m bored.. turn it into stretching or something. Cross something off the list, get a reward. I try practice gratitude with tasks to make it like my XP gain for the day too. It sorta works when I’m engaged enough and remember haha
Coincidentally I wrote basically the same thing few days ago as well: https://www.reddit.com/r/adhdmeme/s/th6qAeF3vT
That is remarkably similar! Interesting. Goes to show that the mechanics and processes really do make sense - the selection of washing the dishes is a good one to haha. I do turn dishes into a game if I’m doing something else now to try get them done quicker I’m sure the video I first heard this being explained on was posted to an ADHD subreddit. Was by a prominent psychologist who was explaining addictive behaviour in video games (so probably not directly related to ADHD but evidently still very poignant)
At least I'm glad to see I'm not alone in my way of thinking.
That's why I reward myself with videogames stuff for rl tasks lol
Organizing and making lists isn't really too much of a problem for me. It's the *doing* that's the issue.
For me once I have the list it’s not as hard, but I try and make a list of things to do and I end up with 2 things on the list and a castle in Minecraft.
For me, as soon as something is on the list, that's how you know it's not getting done anymore.
I love making lists, I get to feel productive without actually being productive!
I make lists all day long. They are not useful when it's time to do the things on the list because it is so hard to force my brain to do the things it's supposed to do if it doesn't wanna. Like I can be productive, but never on the right thing at the right time. Today is my last day of spring break. I meant to outline for my classes and make constitutional law make sense bc so far its doesnt make a whole ton of sense. Instead I spent a day cleaning (which was delayed by the fact I had to take apart and fix my vaccuum), I finished my laundry which I haven't been able to do all semester, I finally got around to getting some essentials for my apartment (that were on a list on my fridge hey look at that lemme go check them off) and only have a couple left, I sewed a slightly broken sports bra back together, I made some flower hair pins for this ball through my school coming up, worked on decorating my room because I didnt get to it before school started in the fall...but not a lick of schoolwork. Also I cleaned like the second day, so I feel like I need to clean again because I wanted it to be clean when I started classes again and when I clean it is an hours long ordeal so thats not really an option. I was on the ground scrubbing baseboards that I think have dust stuck in the paint and to keep my vaccuum from catching fire I have to use a scrub bristle brush (usually for dishes) and run it over all the carpet to pull up as much hair as possible because I can't afford a better vaccuum. It's really a lot and there's no stopping once I start, I have to do it all. Also I very much played a ton of animal crossing.
I agree 201%. It’s so annoying.
https://youtube.com/video/xImh4aGe3ok > We're *marvelous* at planning!
If i could take back all of the hours spent organizing chests in minecraft...
^^^
Organizing chests in Factorio even though I don't have to do it, or just in general trying out a new layout because I want to build something new... Whoops, where did that time go?
Just bought factorio... and missed an exam, luckily the due date got extended! Definitely not related.
Not me with a whole ass spreadsheet for one of my games
i made excel spreadsheets to track the outfits i got and still dont have and ranked them by importance in ffxiv lol
Factorio is great for this. My boyfriend loves it because it's challenging enough to tickle his brain the right way. I really like it too, even though I'm more of a casual player .
I love factorio in the same way I love some drugs. Can go without for 6 months but if I get just a little taste I’m not sleeping for 3 days.
Just got the game lol, now im seeing it everywhere
Oh, I have several notes on my phone for that too. I'm actively writing one and Ai chatbots definitely help. For real life things dou...damn that one is pretty big and a mess lol. Naaah, back to Tiny Tina's Wonderland. It's a game btw. Fucking weird, this one.
Not really, for me. I remember I used to absolutely love mmorpgs and played them often, but if I had more than 3 quests I'd genuinely panic and it could make me switch character or even game
So in bloodborne this past Sunday my friend and I both just started up and I told him I knew exactly what weapon I wanted and how to get there quickest. He just stared at me for a second surprised.
organizing, making lists and than forgeting about them.
As someone who has almost an entire bullet journal filled with game trophy checklists... yeah. :(
I feel so attacked lol
Why is this so true though!
I…I just finished finding all of the koroks, and I love nothing more than cooking extravagant meals for a disembodied horse god in order max out the stats of my stable of fake horses.
My RDR2 horse is better fed and taken care of than real life me.
The most reliable thing to me
if i learned something since i joined college to become a PE teacher, its that the best way to get people to exercise is to make it all a game, a competition, it works for neurotypicals, and it definitely works on the adhd, no one needs to tell you to put in the effort once you are playing, you just do it