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DO THIS FIRST:HOW TO USE THIS SPREADSHEET: This isn't directly editable unless you duplicate it, so please don't request edit access — I won't give it to you. :)

1. To edit this spreadsheet, go to FILE > MAKE A COPY to save it to your own Google account (you'll need to be logged into your Google/Gmail account for this work). Once you do that, you can delete this entire first row!
2. To download it directly to your computer to edit in Excel, go to FILE > DOWNLOAD. (Delete this fugly first row of instructions once you do that.)
3. For a black & white version (for printing and for Haters of Color), go to Sheet2 at the bottom of the screen.		To share this spreadsheet, use the link bit.ly/adhdspreadsheet

Questions? Comments? Big feelings? Little feelings?
Feel free to email me: jesseefish@gmail.com

Polish translation is available here: http://bit.ly/adhdspreadsheetpl — courtesy of the lovely Maciej Bliziński. If you're willing/able to translate this spreadsheet into any other languages, PLEASE please reach out. Would love to have this accessible to as many folks as possible!
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SYMPTOMEXPRESSION/EXAMPLECOPING/MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
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WARPED/INACCCURATE PERCEPTION OF TIME

(struggles to calculate time correctly, show up on time to things, or estimate how long a task might take)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

• regularly late to appointments and meetings, even if they're very important (like job interviews or doctor's appts)
• borderline incapable of planning/correctly strategizing my day
• playing video games / reading / watching TV til 2/3/4am on weeknights, despite the knowledge that i’ll be miserable the next day
Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

• I ask my partner to remind me when we need to leave and usually plan things with buffer times
• I set multiple alarms for everything (this doesn't work as well as I'd like it to)
• if there's anything I need to remember, it goes immediately into my calendar
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FORGETFULNESS

(frequently misplaces/loses things, forgets dates/appointments or conversations, etc)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

• it's become a running joke with my friends and family how forgetful and spacey I am
• I lose my wallet or keys on a monthly basis
• I can't carry cash cus I'll literally just lose it
Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):


- I’ve created a mantra for myself anytime i leave the house, get out of the car, or leave the office (“phone, wallet, keys, leash”) to make sure i have everything i need
- I make sure to make multiple passes and checks anytime i’m leaving a place or traveling
- I dont carry a purse, because the risk of losing my purse (and thus losing everything inside it at one time) is too big. i instead keep my things in pockets, which sometimes makes it harder to keep track of them, but it does make it so that if i do lose my wallet, i don't end up ALSO losing my keys and my phone
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INTEREST-BASED NERVOUS SYSTEM

(inability to find motivation to complete a task based on a task’s importance, rewards, and consequences; abandons projects or tasks halfway though)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

• very very hard to make it through any tasks without picking up my phone and scrolling through random shit for like 10-15 minutes if I'm doing something that isn't holding my interest (like brushing my teeth or finishing a paper or email)
• doing basic household chores — i know i should just do little tasks every day, but that feels impossible, so i tend to wait until it’s really impeding my life before i deal with it (e.g. piles of clothing by my side of the bed usually go ignored until i have to do laundry, or piles of dishes til i run out of silverware) but by that point, it becomes a multi-step chore, and it’s a thousand times more difficult
Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):


- I’ve tried meditation to try and train my focus, but it feels like pulling teeth
- When I'm doing a boring household task, I'll pop up a show or movie or podcast to stay engaged
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DIFFICULTY WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AND MULTI-STEP TASKS/CHORES

(difficulty completing mundane daily tasks • decision fatigue • task avoidance • feeling overwhelmed when confronted with a task or project that has many steps)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

• I put off a DMV appointment for weeks, to the point of driving without a registration
• last year i put off paying a parking ticket up until i got a letter stating my license would be suspended; previously forgot to renew my license
• straight up didn't do my taxes last year and will have to do both years this year
• takes me forever to shower cus of all the steps required
• cooking is a daunting task for me and i resort to meal plans or ordering in		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):


- One strategy I use when getting ready in the morning/at night is to take a time-lapse recording of myself — it forces me to stay off my phone, puts me in a performative mode that encourages me to focus on the task, and the video at the end is like a ~reward~
- I sporadically use a planner. Haven't had much luck though
- Two words — dish. washer.
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IMPULSIVITY

(doing or saying things without much thought beforehand • feeling frequently impatient • temper outbursts • interrupting people)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

• Sometimes too blunt or casual in professional settings
• Sometimes I catch myself seeking out fights or starting unnecessary arguments
• Impulsive purchases/shopping problem		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):


- Been trying to spend a LOT of time thinking about a thing before I say it (but this has also made me a little paranoid and makes me second-guess what's appropriate and what's not)
- I greatly prefer to text or email or communicate over written forms, because it allows me to review and edit and think about what I'm saying before it comes out of my face-hole
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EMOTIONAL HYPERAROUSAL

(regular mood swings • emotional reactivity • disproportionate responses to small issues or setbacks • rejection sensitive dysphoria • affective lability)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

• Feel like I'm constantly battling my emotions, like they control me much more than I control them
• Regularly spiral into a sad, combative, isolated state after being rejected or having an argument
• Strong feelings of self-hatred, disappointment, strong inclination to isolate or shut down in the face of these big emotions
• Little things either thrill me or put me in a pit of despair for days (e.g. a shitty internet comment or one of my plants dying)
• Have received feedback from parents and partners — "You react too strongly to things. Why are you so aggressive out of the blue?"		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):


- CBT therapy!
- Reading books like Non-Violent Communication and The Four Agreements
- Journaling
- Focusing on creative output/expression
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HYPERFOCUS

(the tendency to intensely zero in on a task for many hours at a time • trouble switching from this task to another task • reactivity when you're interrupted or forced to stop working on that task)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

if i’m working on a task i’m enjoying, i can easily focus on that task for hours with no awareness of time passing by. seems to go hand in hand with losing track of time and being late to things. this often happens when i’m avoiding a different task. Examples include —

• Playing video games
• watching TV
• art projects
• reading books for DAYS (a tendency I had as a kid)
• going above and beyond on homework assignments that interested me and totally ignoring the ones that didn't		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):


Don't have a coping strategy for this, actually. :/ I rely on my parents or partner to help me snap out of these modes (e.g. reminding me to eat dinner, or encouraging me to go to bed)
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PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

(this can present in many ways depending on the type)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

• Teeth grinding and jaw problems
• Body-focused repetitive behaviors (cuticle picking, lip biting, chewing the insides of your cheeks, pulling hair, restless leg/foot tapping)
• Difficulty with consistent eye contact
• Difficulty sitting in one position without putting your legs up on the chair or leaning back or crossing legs, etc
• Trouble focusing unless you're doodling or sketching		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):


– Have used many mouthguards that failed me
– Weed helps
– Sketch pads, fidget toys
– Regular exercise (lol never heard of her)
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MISC. SYMPTOMS

(things you suspect might have to do with your ADHD but don't necessarily fall into the diagnostic criteria)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):

• constantly saving projects and images and articles to refer to later (on instagram, online, on pinterest, in folders and stacks and piles). Most of those things NEVER get looked at again.
• Usually have around 50+ tabs in my browser
• constantly feeling like i’m not living up to my full potential
• daydreaming about my Ideal Self, all the things and projects i would do/will do “once i get my shit together”
• delayed circadian rhythm / delayed sleep phase disorder — this has been an issue for me since i was a kid
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CHILDHOOD SYMPTOMS/EXPERIENCE

(this is a great place to get feedback from siblings, parents, childhood friends, reflect on the frustrations you experienced growing up that may be markers of ADHD)		Hypothetical examples (replace with your own!):


- highly passionate and emotional from a young age
- mood swings and aggression/defensiveness
- behavior resembling oppositional defiant disorder
- very bright and engaged in school, but struggled with grades
- thrived in a less structured homeschooling setting, and started struggling once i was put in a private school in 4th grade
- major issues with organization — perpetually incomplete homework, missing permission slips, missed deadlines (an extremely common report card note from my teachers was “very talented and a joy to have in class when she commits herself, but she frequently struggles to turn in homework on time or complete assignments”)
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