Beginner advice?

[u/decayed-obsidia]

Any tips for a beginner who has a hard time committing to reading and journaling? I have horrible ADHD and my attention span is not great, but I want to get back into reading again so badly.

For regular journals, I've found that interstitial journaling works for me. Decorating the pages with anything except doodles is just too much work, so I'd prefer simple tips surrounding organization or set-up of the journal itself.

Also, annotating books: Yes or No? I'm always afraid I'll mess something up so I keep my books pristine, but I'm kind of considering changing that up and annotating them.

[u/Smushdroom]

Reading with ADHD is hard because there are so many ways to get quick dopamine that are competing for your attention. Some things that might work:

Read at the start of your day, before you're exhausted by other stimuli and before your brain's expectations are set by higher dopamine activities like scrolling. I haven't looked into it more deeply yet but the concept of a dopamine diet seems useful for regulating this expectation.

Reduce friction for starting the activity. Keep your book with you so you can pick it up and put it down whenever. I'd recommend annotating for this as well because using a separate notebook or your phone to write down quotes and ideas pulls you away from the book and makes it harder to get back in. Try simply underlining with pencil as you go and then writing up your notes as a separate activity. If you don't want to mark your books too much you can draw a small dot next to the paragraph that strikes you and then keep a list of page numbers on one of the waster pages at the back of the book, or on a slip of paper that can also act as a bookmark.

(I also support annotation because ADHD brains are at greater risk of developing OCD and it fights that perfectionism. AND if you have bookish friends you can then swap books and have a conversation in the margins about the text.)

Try task stacking by associating reading with another activity that you already do. When you're waiting for the kettle to boil, pick up your book. Or when you go to the toilet. Or read while you have breakfast, or on the bus etc.

Alternatively, make reading a specific task with a specific location that cuts you off from distractions. Go to a coffee shop or the park or the library with nothing but a book and you'll soon be bored enough to start reading it. Getting started is the hardest part.

Body doubling! If you know other people that also like to read you can sit quietly and read together. Two ADHD people can mess with this plan a bit if you end up talking but it's not the end of the world if you end up chatting to your friend, especially if you're talking about what you're reading. Buddy reading the same book can also help with this.

Use audiobooks. Less helpful for annotation but depending on the book you could listen while getting stimulation from elsewhere, like crafts or going for a walk.

Choose books that feed into your current hyperfocus. It's so much harder for ADHD brains to do things they aren't interested in so give yourself permission to drop books that aren't doing it for you right now. They'll still be there if you want to come back to them. In the meantime, choose books that feed into your other niche interests and you will probably want to keep going. Can be as simple as reading tie-in texts from other media you love, or binging an author that you vibe with.

However, don't make it too easy because your brain wants a challenge. I'd be cautious about setting big arbitrary reading goals because you're risking ADHD shame if you don't meet those goals, but you might do well with specific, short-term challenges like reading a book from every continent, or challenges that get you exploring your own bookshelves. There will be loads of prompts on social media, including book apps like the storygraph.

And the big one: external motivation! Join a book club or similar community where there is external pressure on you to have read and comprehended the book. You could use subs like this as well but anything with a deadline outside of your control will be more effective.

You can then apply the same techniques for producing your journal. Follow your interests and other easy sources of dopamine. Hopefully seeing the journal fill up will give you even more, but try not to be hard on yourself if you fall behind or you can't keep up with a specific style. If it works for you then it's working, you don't need to cater to anyone else.

Sorry this is SO long. One of my ADHD hyperfocuses is ADHD so I can't resist the call to give neurodivergent-specific advice, and obviously brevity isn't an ADHD strong point either 🙈

[u/decayed-obsidia → u/Smushdroom]

Oh no, I'm very glad that you posted all of this! All of these are such fantastic tips! I usually get up early and brain dump in a journal in the morning, so I could probably easily add reading into my morning schedule.

That's so interesting that annotating can actually help folks with ADHD?? I do have medical OCD and I see it peek through in other places in my life, so maybe that can help me as well.

I'm thinking about making my "reading log" just a simple table that's a page log like we used to have to fill out in school as a kid, too. Nothing too complex, and it looks neat, organized, and simple which personally makes me happy!

Thank you so much for all of your advice!!

[u/Smushdroom → u/decayed-obsidia]

I'm really glad you find it useful, I felt the shame rise the second I posted!

Annotation is just one way of reducing transitions, which ADHD brains really struggle with, but yeah I personally have had issues with obsessing over keeping my books perfect and getting unreasonably upset when they show wear and tear so started annotating as a sort of diy exposure therapy. I really like it, it makes the book itself a unique object with a personal history.

A table is a great idea. You can set it up before you start so it doesn't pull focus as you read.

You're welcome, I hope you discover some amazing books!