Hi Reader,
Over the last two and a half years, I’ve been saying I want to start making courses. Each of the 20 workbooks I’ve created could easily be crafted into a course, but I've wrestled with a lot of ADHD-related procrastination and difficulty getting started. But finally this week I started doing it. Declaring my intention to create these courses and putting it on the schedule for the Learning Nook ignited a sense of urgency — which, it turns out, is what I ultimately needed to get through my procrastination and mental blocks. Which is actually one of the ideas covered in the course — creating a sense of urgency is one way to tap into an interest-based nervous system.
The first course will focus on ADHD, specifically covering the Interest-Based Nervous System. So naturally, this week, I’ve been thinking about the ADHD interest-based nervous system while tinkering with video editing and course formatting. The novelty and the challenge of learning new things have sparked my motivation. The urgency to get everything done by the timeline I created also helps. While I don’t love seeing myself on video (editing involves a lot of that, it turns out), it’s been fun to learn a new skill. And these also, like creating urgency, are strategies for working with an interest-based nervous system. In a very meta way, I am interest-based nervous system-ing my way through building this course on the Interest-Based Nervous System.
More importantly, I’ve been reflecting on the complexities of living with this ADHD system. Specifically, I’ve been contemplating the shadow side of ADHD—the painful, soul-sucking restlessness and dysphoria that boredom brings. Dr. Bill Dodson describes it best when he talks about the Interest-Based Nervous System being a “package deal”:
"Your nervous system is a package deal. People with ADHD, when they are bored, have no energy at all. They’re irritable. They are very negative. They don’t like themselves. They don’t like you. The future holds nothing that they want any part of. People with ADHD will do almost anything to relieve this. They’ll use drugs. They’ll be risk-taking. They’ll pick a fight with someone just to get out of the doldrums."
(Source: ADDitude Webinar with Dr. Dodson)
Boredom causes deep-seated restlessness. When we are in this state, we crave stimulation, and when we can’t find it in healthy ways, we often seek it in unfortunate ways. Managing an interest-based nervous system isn’t just about asking, “How do I get myself engaged?” but also, “How do I scratch the boredom itch in ways that are helpful and not harmful?” How do I address this dysphoria in ways that are value-aligned?
If I’m being honest, I’ve struggled with this tension in big and small ways, in more ways than I care to publicly admit. It’s no surprise that ADHD is associated with several risky and often destructive behaviors, including higher rates of substance abuse. While impulsivity and emotional dysregulation certainly tie into this and are often cited as core reasons we tend to struggle with destructive habits, I believe an underrated factor is this urgent need to escape boredom.
Coping with Boredom: A Work in Progress
While I’m sure I’ll develop my thoughts more fully as I go through the course with my community, here’s my current thinking on some ways we can work with this shadow side of the Interest-Based Nervous System:
Step 1: Identify When You’re Bored or Understimulated
- Recognize the Signs: Notice irritability, restlessness, or negative thoughts.
- Determine the Type of Understimulation: Is it intellectual, emotional, relational, or sensory?
Step 2: Slow Down and Check In
- Ask Yourself: “What is it that I need right now?” Taking a moment to pause and reflect can help you identify the specific need that boredom is signaling.
Step 3: Use Your Senses
- Stimulate Your Senses: Engaging your senses can be a quick and powerful way to intervene and break the cycle of under-stimulation / boredom.
Step 4: Plan Ahead
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Create a List of Sensory Stimulators: These should be quick and easy activities that can provide immediate sensory input. Here are some examples I use:
- A sparkly, cold drink or spicy food (gustatory stimulators)
- Vigorous walk or other physical activities that involve proprioceptive input
- Listening to intense music
- Prepare a List of Stimulating Music/Videos/Distractions: Because decisions are hard when in this state it can be helpful to have a selection of pre-made playlists or videos that are engaging and stimulating.
Personal Insights
One problem I’ve personally experienced is that boredom and doldrums often hit when I’m exhausted, making it even more likely to seek out cheap stimuli (like an alcoholic drink or other short-term fixes that aren’t aligned with my long-term values).
Many destructive habits and behaviors in ADHDers can be more fully understood through this desperate attempt to escape boredom. Side note: I also think this is why I’m a terrible sick / chronic fatigue person — because boredom often accompanies low energy, making me a rather miserable person to myself and those around me.
For this reason, I’ve been experimenting with planning ahead for these moments of doldrums. By having a list of “stimulators” and a pre-made music/video list, I’m better equipped to handle these challenging moments.
So, as I continue on this journey of course creation, I’m not only adding ways to incorporate PINCH (Passion, Interest, Novelty, Competition and Hurry) to help me stay engaged, but I’m also considering practices I can implement to help me when I’m in the throes of boredom.
Here's to embracing the journey, finding our way through the restlessness, and creating something meaningful along the way.
Warmly,
Dr. Neff
P.S. For those in the community, the course starts tomorrow and new lessons will be released each Monday over the next six weeks. If you’ve been considering joining the Learning Nook, now may be a great time to do it (we still have July slots open).
Additionally, I’ve created a way for people to purchase the course, if you’re not yet ready to join the Nook or unsure about the Nook but want to take this course. You will also get access to the material over the next six weeks, but just without the community forum aspect of the course.
★彡 Neurodivergent Insight Weekly Roundup ★彡
New On the Podcast
This week on the podcast, we answer listener questions. We address questions about our personal experience hosting this podcast, autism diagnosis, and more.
New On the Blog
I received several requests for links to my past two newsletters, so I decided to compile those ideas into a blog post. Now, these ideas are easier to share!
Learning Nook Update
The six-week Interest-Based Nervous System Course starts tomorrow. For community members there will be weekly live events for collective debrief and brainstorming, along with interaction via the community forum.
For those with the resource-only membership, you will also have access to the course materials, just without the live events and community features. And for those who would like to purchase the course separately you can work through the material on your own.
📩 Pass It On
If you're finding value in these weekly resources, you can share this newsletter with friends and colleagues. You can just forward this email or send them here to sign up.
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Stay Kind. Stay Curious.
Dr. Neff
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