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2023-03-06
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Hey there, I'm experiencing a bit of brain-fog when it comes to tech interviews lately. I haven't been able to get my ADHD medication for a couple of months due to some medical insurance complications here in the U.S. Anyone have any tips or experiences they wouldn't mind sharing with me? Thank you!
This might sound annoyingly basic, but statistically, not enough people have their sleep, micronutrient, water and exercise needs properly covered. For instance, nobody can ever say "I feel so low on magnesium!" but the average person will be deficient in those minerals. Without those lower-level basics you can experience all sorts of higher-level issues. Brain-fog and fatigue are endemic in our current society, even most teenagers are experiencing it. I think the reasons are the ones I hinted - they're basic, yet commonly deficient so why seek for a fancier hidden reason?
Anyway, one quicker tip specifically directed towards an interview would be to meditate right before. Personally I understand meditation as 'letting your mind rest', nothing fancier or spiritual. I use the FitMind app as an audio meditation guide.
Great advice above about sleep, nutrition, exercise etc. A few more general interview preparation tips that apply broadly: • Procrastination from a boring or seemingly pointless task is often a process of self soothing, but often this can leave you even more drained and demotivated (ie it hasn't helped). Another better way is just getting the task done - because you are capable of it and its worth it (easier said than done - but sometimes it's still worth hearing). • People who do practice interviews do significantly better in real interviews than those that don't. Going into the real interview is easier because you've done it before! The interesting thing is that practice interviews can be done entirely mentally (you play both roles!) - give it a try if you haven't before 🙂. • Keep nerves under control. A bit of adrenaline and excitement is fine, but if a person is feeling very high adrenaline spikes (fight/flight response), they should try to calm themselves down (yes it's possible) because they may not be able to access their full cognitive faculties in this state and it can also just be more awkward for the interviewer. One way to do this is to remind themselves that they are in a high demand industry with lots of opportunities and the current interview is not their only good option for them. Best of luck!
> why seek for a fancier hidden reason? Mmmmmmmm... no. @U45T93RA6 think better before shooting such an unvalidating answer.

Except what was added above If your brain fog is part of overthinking (or thinking about different subjects) - write your thoughts down (this can help to clear your head and you will have a feeling of the thinking process not being lost as you can come back to that later) For procrastination and quality of work try working with pomodoro - you have time for work - you have time to relax Try to establish routines, what hour you go to sleep what hours you work etc. Additionally what may be helpful is writing down your day. (8:00-8:30 I did that 8:30-9:00 I did other thing) This will help you with organising your time and seeing if you are missing e.g. walks. It will also help you to have overview of what's helping you and what not. And the most important, atomic habits. Don't add to much stuff at once, try to change one-two things and make it a habit before adding more load
Thanks, I do know a lot of those things anyway folks but the keyword here was ADHD, I fall under the neurodivergent umbrella, so it's a little more difficult for me, but I appreciate the help.
@U0281QDFE1X yeah the atomic habits, journals and prompts are great, I learned those things in CBT 🙂
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor ... blah ... blah ... Just some guy who has spent a lot of time researching a number of supplements and their proven, disproven, and speculative effects. You did not specify what medication you take. But assuming you normally take a stimulant, such as Adderal or Ritalin, you can probably get partial benefit from supplementing Tyrosine and/or Levadopa. The most important impacts of stimulants on ADHD are in supplementing the Dopamine/Epinephrine system. Tyrosine and Levadopa are both precursors to Dopamine and get converted by your body into Dopamine. Then Dopamine itself is the precursor to Epinephrine, so the increased Dopamine also tells your body to make more Epinephrine. So while it won't be as potent or as direct as stimulants, either or both these supplements can help fill some of the void. Tyrosine is generally sold simply as "L-Tyrosine". It comes in powder form or in capsules with that powder + some inactive filler powder (usually mostly magnesium stearate). For levadopa in supplement form (i.e. not a regulated medication you need a prescription for), you want a powdered extract of Mucuna pruriens (aka Fava bean). Again, you can buy as powder or a capsule with some filler. The best simple Amazon search term here would be "dopa mucuna". Make sure to look through the product images, so you can read the back of the bottle. Pick one that includes something along the lines of "min 15% L-Dopa" in the Supplement Facts panel. That indicates the manufacturer has processes in place to measure and attempt standardizing the potentially wild variations of levadopa content between extractions. For both supplements, capsules will be easier, and are a good place to start. Powder form lets you focus in on more precise dosages (weighing it yourself on a small scale). If you continue taking something for a long time, the powder will probably also save you money. In the short term, NOW Foods products are a good choice because they are relatively cheap with consistent quality across a large range of supplements. They are not the highest quality available, but they are a huge company that can afford to build systems that ensure a minimum level of consistency. If you find you are using any supplements consistently, then I suggest some research of your own to choose who to buy from. Bacopa Monnieri is another supplement that I think is likely to offer positive benefit, for totally different reasons I don't have time to get into right now. Though as soon as we quit talking about the Dopamine system you get much much wider variation between what does or does not help different people. So ymmv. And supplementing fish oil with high EPA content is a good suggestion for pretty much anybody, whether suffering from mental health issues or not.

@U90R0EPHA I was taking Adderall and Wellbutrin together 🙂 Heard some good things about Ashwaghanda for helping to reduce tension and stress, which could help with some more of the panic feeling that comes up now and then but I will look into your recommendations as well! Thanks a bunch!
Ashwagands has powerful effects on reducing Cortisol. So yeah, that can certainly help fight negative effects of high stress. If you go that route, avoid taking it in the morning, because a big spike of cortisol is vital for healthy regulation circadian rhythms.
Yeah and the last thing I need right now is more disruption with my circadian cycle! Had enough with just stress waking at 2-3am and having a hard time going back to bed.
Thank you so much!
I recently watched "What is ADHD?" on YouTube and was quite shocked that every little trait is totally about me, especially in middle-high school, first uni years. Later I understood that i wouldn't achieve anything without some building kind of "priorities and tasks management systems" for myself: almost everyday journaling at least and every-week planning on what are the priorities now and what and when exactly I need to to to achieve them. So I am feeling a better now about managing my life in general. But I was never diagnosed with it (by psychiatrist) seriously.
+(of course) fresh air, meditation, nature, "mindfulnes" stuf
You have to find yourself a place where you can enojoy and try to be valuable with the ability being hyperfocus sometimes and totally misunderstanding of the reality in other times. (presumably that's what you feel like) Try to use focus time as much as possible and plan it ahead
"plans newer work!". well you don't have to only plan "misery" (exhausting job when it's not more interesting and you can almost do it) for yourself emotionally. you have to include enjoying a good little things: time with family, a workout, talk with a friend, a walk in a park, book that you are reading, just a sunny day, etc.
Omg @U04R4718WAJ I'm so sorry, I didn't see your recommendations earlier, these are great, I'll most definitely take a look more into these here soon!