Cognitive reframings

The following INEFFECTIVE prompts/questions usually lead my mind to generate oceans of silence:

• "Consider the implications."
• "What do you think?"
• "What did I do wrong?"
• "Why is (s)he unhappy?"
• …

By reframing the question, my mind can suddenly generate many answers.

EFFECTIVE REFRAMINGS:

• "What did I do wrong?" -> "What would I do differently, if I move back in time and try again?"
• "We don't have anything in common, what do I talk about with this friend?" -> "What if something has happened to him/her?" (this generates caring and then suddenly–)
• "I need to write about this topic but my mind draws a blank" -> "OK, what if I zoom in on [some tiny detail of it], what can I say about that?"

Avoid causing harm with your inner chatter🔗

• How to talk to someone with ADHD (also applies if you're the one with ADHD, talking to yourself)
• Don't "should" yourself; When you say "I should do X", you make it unpleasant both to do X and to not
• Don't think about something in a way that forms an ugh-field

A story about harmful inner chatter: Stuck in the Middle with Bruce. I think that story's more to do with impostor syndrome, Calvinism or aliefs rooted in the Law of Jante, than with #adhd, but it's a hell of a perspective.

Come to think, the concept of Bruce could be responsible for what I call Midas prioritization, in which case it's a huge part of (your) ADHD.

What links here

• Unlocking what the subconscious knows
• Rationality techniques
• How to be confused by fiction?
• Checklist for situation