[buzzwords]

This could not have been better timed for me. I was diagnosed with ADHD yesterday. Apparently for me, the working memory is a major issue. If anyone has any tips here I really appreciate it if you could comment your suggestions here.

[jabroni_salad]

My biggest technique is just making indented outlines. The most important thing is having low friction to getting started on them. All other parts of 'the system' basically do not matter and you dont need to spend any time on it.

I either use a sticky note (I keep a few loose ones in my wallet), or I activate onenote with win+n and can type on that immediately. Anything higher friction than that isn't gonna work, which is why I don't use a phone app. Getting to the writing screen in any notes app is too much.

I also like to take meeting minutes because I otherwise cannot focus on meetings at all.

[dublinben]

This is a very long article with lots of helpful information about ADHD and memory: https://add.org/adhd-memory-loss/

The highlights of their suggestions are:

* Break down complex tasks into smaller bits.

* Avoid multitasking.

* Create your own reminders, like setting alarms and reminders. Leave Post-It notes on areas you frequently look at.

* Habit stacking. If you constantly forget chores, you can stack them on top of something you regularly do. For example, you may put a load of laundry in while brewing your usual cup of coffee.

[tstrimple]

> * Avoid multitasking.

Yeah okay, and just don't breathe while you're at it.

[raindropm]

Recently I use the 'block' technique the author of this blog write about: https://www.raptitude.com/2023/08/how-to-inherit-a-fortune/

It's basically pomodoro, but with different way to visualize about it, and it somehow feels...better? At least for my ADHD brain. The author wrote blogs for years, and just diagnosed with ADHD a couple years ago, and somehow his lifelong struggle suddenly explainable(you know, like many of us ADHDer did) That aside, his blog is usually a joy to read.

[coldblues]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUZ9VATeF_4

This video has a lot of useful information. The straightforward answer is to externalize your memory and take notes.

[kayodelycaon]

This is me talking. I have more problems than just ADHD.

This is a long comment. If you just want a strategy for dealing with working memory inside your head, skip to the end and read 3.

For me increasing working memory was a dead end and I found it far more effective to optimize how do use what I have. The vast majority of my advice and strategies revolve around mental health. Mental and physical health alone can add one or two slots of working memory because your brain is working better.

Some advice:

- Do not limit yourself to doing daily things the normal or accepted way. Do not let yourself or other people tell you that you need to do things a certain way. If you can find a way to not lose your keys, it doesn't matter how crazy or stupid that way is because the end result is you don't lose your keys. (Please be considerate of other people.)

- Half measures are okay.

- Half done is usually better than not done. If you're stuck, walk away and get something else done. The feeling of accomplishment on a small task can recharge you. Then you can go back and finish the other task.

- Failing doesn't mean you need to fail completely. For example, if you're on diet and start annihilating a large number of small high-calorie snacks, that's not an excuse to finish the bag. :)

Strategies

1. Reduce your baseline cognitive load. That's basically what my advice is trying to do. The less you are fighting your own expectations and limitations, the more you can focus on getting things done. (Cognitive behavioral therapy is solution here.)

2. Remove stress or distractions. This is the same strategy as cognitive load, only applied to your environment. For me sometimes I just have to clean before I can get work done.

3. Map and reduce. This is involved and difficult to explain. I recommend using paper until you get good at this.

The goal is you need to do is take complex ideas that use multiple slots of working memory and make them take one or zero slots. There are several ways to do this.

Paper is the easiest method to explain. Write out what is in your memory and then rewrite it so that it compacts into one thing you understand. What you should be able to do is look at the paper and immediately understand what is going on without having to think about it. This frees up all your working memory to make connections to other things.

This can also be done with short term memory. You think about the problem and reduce it to a single idea or process. When you understand something well enough, you can hold a pointer to it in a slot of working memory.

Long-term memory is just regular learning. Programming languages and that embarrassing thing you said eight years ago are stored in long-term memory.