Our brains are inundated with dopamine-producing-jbrain-junk-food from the moment we wake up, until we fall asleep. We stare at our phones for hours on end, even on the toilet! The dopamine this produces in the brain becomes so addicting, our brains lack the ability to recognize reward in less than desirable, but necessary activities- like reading.
Try this: Don't look at your phone right away when you wake up. Instead, get ready for the day, do your entire morning routine and don't look at your phone until you are at work- or ready to work. Allowing your brain the opportunity to attune with natural rewards- can help you realign your reward system and stop "chasing the dopamine" all day.
When working with anxiety based thought processes- similar to the overwhelm ADHDers feel when they have to begin a large task- it helps to focus on your breath and find things to "ground" your thinking. Instead of finding things around you, like the anxiety technique; ground your overwhelm in steps.
Working backwards with the task, ask yourself what the finished product or task looks like. Then work backwards down to the smallest effort it takes to get this done. For example: Task: Make Bed Finished: Bed is covered neatly with blankets, pillows, etc. Small Focus Tasks: 1. Pillows Fluff and move 2. Top Sheet 3. Bed Spread 4. Accent Items
You've likely searched for stimulation most of your life, so it's easy to have subsconscious habits like: needing background noise when you are working. Or wanting to use commute time to listen to an audiobook or podcast. But the truth of the matter is, we put too much strain on our brains ability to focus when we reach for stimulation while doing other tasks.
This all comes back to our never ending dopamine search. A task is boring, so you add music or something else to help make it seem LESS boring. But as adults, we don't need MORE stimulation- we need less. Between caring for kids, spouses, family, jobs, working, exercising, health etc. Our brain is no longer starved for stimulation- it's overrun by it.
Use your boring tasks to your benefit. Turn the radio off in the car and let it be silent. Focus on your breath. Drink your morning coffee, outside, with no sounds. Don't turn the TV on while you do the dishes, ;just do the dishes. It will feel difficult at first- because your brain needs to learn to be OK with LESS stimulation. But with practice, it will get easier.
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