11. Buttons

Page 1

[Panel 1] NARRATOR: “ADHD & Motivation”
[Panel 1] NARRATOR: “Part 1/3”
[Panel 1] NARRATOR: “You can explain ADHD motivation like a stove with retractable buttons:”

[Panel 2] NARRATOR: “The buttons are the “motivation” to start an action.”
[Panel 2] NARRATOR: “When the stove gets turned on, an action gets started.”

[Panel 3] SFX: “click”
[Panel 3] SFX: “Pop!”
[Panel 3] NARRATOR: “When people want to cook, they press the buttons and turn the stove on.”

[Panel 4] SFX: “click click click”
[Panel 4] ALIEN: “But for me, the buttons don’t appear, so I can’t start cooking.”

[Footer] SIGNATURE: “ADHD Alien”
[Footer] SIGNATURE: “Support me: STELLA-EMOTION.COM * PATREON”

Page 2

[Title] NARRATOR (ALIEN): “Problems with ADHD Buttons:”

[Panel 1] ALIEN: “Even when I want to cook, pleading won’t turn the stove on.”

[Panel 2] SIGN: “LATE FEE”
[Panel 2] SYMBOL (above stove): ”?”
[Panel 2] ALIEN: “Telling the stove about the consequences won’t magically turn it on, either.”

[Panel 3] SFX: “plop”
[Panel 3] ALIEN: “The buttons randomly appear sometimes but not other times, so I lose trust in myself.”

[Panel 4] ALIEN: “I procrastinate, hoping the deadline approaching will make the buttons appear.”

[Panel 5] ALIEN: “Being scolded just makes me think there is something wrong with ME, not the stove.”

[Panel 6] ALIEN: “I worry that while other people have been living their lives, I’m still stuck on basics.”

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[Footer] SIGNATURE: “support me: STELLA-EMOTION.COM * PATREON”

Page 3

[Panel 1] NARRATOR: “Problems with ADHD Buttons:”

[Panel 2] NARRATOR: “Understimulation”
[Panel 2] ALIEN: “Doing boring tasks can feel torturous, as I have to keep turning the buttons back on every few minutes.”

[Panel 3] NARRATOR: “Slow Momentum”
[Panel 3] ALIEN: “Sometimes starting is the hardest, as buttons seem to weigh a million tons.”

[Panel 4] NARRATOR: “Hyperfocus”
[Panel 4] ALIEN: “Sometimes I manage to turn the stove on but can’t regulate the heat and end up burning myself out.”

[Panel 5] NARRATOR: “Some tasks require more buttons than others.”

[Footer] SIGNATURE: “ADHD Alien”
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Page 4

[Panel 1] TITLE: “How to motivate yourself with ADHD”
[Panel 1] CAPTION: “Part 2 / 3”

[Panel 2] NARRATOR: “Recap of Part 1:”
[Panel 2] NARRATOR: “Imagine ADHD Motivation as a stove with retractable buttons.”
[Panel 2] NARRATOR: “The buttons are “motivation”.”

[Panel 3] NARRATOR: “How do I get buttons then?”
[Panel 3] NARRATOR: “Buttons aren’t something you can simply & reliably refill by resting.”
[Panel 3] NARRATOR: “It’s more of a timing-and-momentum thing, like pulling off a button combo on a console.”

[Footer] SIGNATURE: “Check my bio for more comics”
[Footer] SIGNATURE: “ADHD Alien”

Page 5

[Title] NARRATOR: “How to motivate yourself:”

[Panel 1] SIGN: “Color Laundry”
[Panel 1] SIGN: “Other Laundry”
[Panel 1] NARRATOR: “Randomize what task to start with”

[Panel 2] NARRATOR: “Start with the smallest possible effort like reading only one paragraph”

[Panel 3] NARRATOR: “Write down the steps you need to take and any questions you might have”

[Panel 4] NARRATOR: “Keep things you need for specific tasks in one, clean spot (avoid button cost for searching)”

[Panel 5] NARRATOR: “Instead of trying to clean everything at once, focus on one category”
[Panel 5] LABEL: “Laundry”
[Panel 5] LABEL: “Dishes”
[Panel 5] LABEL: “Paper”

[Footer] SIGNATURE: “Check my bio for more comics”
[Footer] SIGNATURE: “ADHD Alien”

Page 6

[Panel 1] NARRATOR: “How to motivate yourself:”

[Panel 2] PHONE SCREEN: “01:25hr — Until I have to get dressed”
[Panel 2] NARRATOR: “Avoid waiting-mode by using a timer to see the amount of time you can safely use before having to leave”

[Panel 3] NARRATOR: “Use a certain song, tea or scented candle to condition your brain for “focus time""

[Panel 4] NARRATOR: “Physical activity can help with motivation and focus”

[Panel 5] NARRATOR: “Give yourself a count-down: “In 5 seconds, I’ll get off the couch""
[Panel 5] ALIEN (handwritten): “5…4…3…2…1… HOPP!”

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Page 7

[Panel 1] TITLE: “How to motivate yourself:”

[Panel 2] SFX (timer): “BRRR”
[Panel 2] TIMER DIAL: “5 10 15”
[Panel 2] NARRATOR: “Challenge yourself: how much can you do in 15 minutes? Next time, beat it!”

[Panel 3] NARRATOR: “Praise yourself out loud!”
[Panel 3] NARRATOR: “(ADHD brains don’t reward us as much as other brains do.)”
[Panel 3] ALIEN: “I did that really well!”

[Panel 4] ALIEN (thought, marked with red ✗): “if I don’t do laundry, I’m lazy”
[Panel 4] ALIEN (thought, marked with green ✓): “if I do laundry, my clothes will smell nice”
[Panel 4] NARRATOR: “Reframe tasks from punishment to being beneficial for you”

[Panel 5] NARRATOR: “Do quiet work sessions of 30 minutes with your friends (body doubling)”

[Panel 6] NARRATOR: “Combine things that are fun with tasks that have a high button cost”
[Panel 6] ALIEN: ""we need to seal the demons away!""

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[Footer] SIGNATURE: “ADHD Alien”

Part of ADHD Alien comics.