ADHD Burnout and Authentic Productivity with Meredith Carter

Flashcards based on the lecture notes regarding ADHD, burnout, and productivity strategies provided by Meredith Carter.

Meredith Carter

An author and ADHD coach who runs the Instagram platform Hummingbird ADHD and wrote the book It All Makes Sense Now.

Hummingbird ADHD

The Instagram platform where Meredith Carter shares information and support regarding ADHD.

It All Makes Sense Now

The book written by Meredith Carter subtitled Embrace Your ADHD Brain to Live a Creative and Colorful Life.

ADHD Burnout

A state that results from chasing goals that do not matter and misalignment, rather than simply working too hard.

Rumination

The process where the brain deep dives into past events or perceived social mistakes, often triggered in ADHD brains during periods of physical stillness.

Over-delivering

A performance behavior born out of the fear of judgment, used to hide internal disorganization or perceived flaws from others.

Authenticity

Described as hardcore exposure where an individual shows their true colors, which can be either liberating or terrifying depending on the environment.

Zone of Tolerance

A level of emotional regulation that allows an individual to accept and tolerate the stress of being misperceived by others.

Body Doubling

The productivity strategy of getting tasks completed in the physical or virtual presence of other people.

Delusionship

A state where the brain creates an entire fantasy or romance out of nothing as a way to seek dopamine during periods of boredom or lack of novelty.

Shoulds vs. Musts

A boundary-setting framework used to distinguish between perceived societal obligations and actual personal requirements for effective functioning.

Zone of Genius

The specific time window, identified by Meredith Carter as being between $8\,\text{AM}$ and $1\,\text{PM}$, where focus and capacity are at their highest.

Zebra Herd

A community of people, both personal and professional, who understand neurodivergence and provide support without judgment.

Apathy

A psychological warning sign of burnout where projects that normally excite an individual begin to feel uninteresting or "blah."

Interest-based Bookending

A strategy for those in unfulfilling jobs to start and end their day with activities or hobbies that light up and activate the brain.

Gamifying Admin Tasks

A strategy for mundane work where one times themselves to see if they can beat a previous duration, such as when answering emails.

Sprinters vs. Marathoners

A metaphor for ADHD productivity where individuals work in high-intensity bursts of hyperfocus and require intentional recovery time.