What ADHD Feels Like for Me: A Day Inside My Brain

The Chaos, the Creativity, and the Constant Re-Routing

By Lindsay Metternich

There’s this idea out there that ADHD just means someone is distracted or hyper. Like we’re all either bouncing off walls or forgetting our keys every day.

But living with ADHD is so much more complicated—and honestly, so much more exhausting.

This is what ADHD feels like for me. It’s not a medical definition or a textbook diagnosis—it’s my reality. And if you’re someone who lives this too, I see you. If you’re someone trying to understand a loved one with ADHD, welcome in.

Here’s what a typical day inside my brain actually feels like.

☀️ Morning: The Alarm Goes Off… and So Does My Brain

Before I even open my eyes, I’m thinking about 17 things:

• Did I reply to that email?

• I should really drink more water today.

• Where’s my favorite hoodie?

• I forgot to start the dishwasher.

• Was that dream a sign?

• Oh no—was today picture day?

By the time I’m fully awake, I’m already overwhelmed. My brain doesn’t ease into the day—it catapults.

I know I need to follow my routine: get dressed, eat something, start the day gently. But my brain wants to jump from scrolling to spiraling. Some mornings, I win. Some mornings, the dishes do.

🧃 Mid-Morning: Let’s Do Everything—All at Once

Once I get going, the energy kicks in. I feel inspired! Motivated! I start a load of laundry, reply to three texts, open my laptop, and start reorganizing a shelf I haven’t thought about in months.

But here’s the thing with ADHD: I don’t finish those things.I forget the laundry mid-cycle. I leave the shelf half-unpacked. I get a text reply halfway written.

Then suddenly: crash. Like my battery died without warning. And I can’t explain why. I just know I’m tired, frustrated, and surrounded by 10 unfinished projects and a foggy brain that’s begging me to scroll or nap.

🧠 The ADHD Thought Spiral (aka My Constant Background Music)

Living with ADHD feels like tabs open. All the time. Too many. Some playing music. Some glitching.

Here’s an example of what one train of thought might sound like:

“I need to send that email. Wait, where’s my charger? Oh, the mail’s here. I should start that return. Didn’t I order something else? I should meal prep. I’m out of foil. Where do I even buy foil anymore? What was I doing again? Oh right… the email.”

Imagine trying to concentrate while that’s going on underneath everything else. Now imagine it doesn’t turn off.

🍝 Afternoon: Productivity… Or Paralysis

If I get into a groove (what we call hyperfocus), I can do amazing things. Write for hours. Organize an entire closet. Paint a room without stopping to eat.

But if I can’t get into that groove? I can stare at a single task for 45 minutes, paralyzed. The guilt starts to build, and the harder I try to “just get started,” the more impossible it feels.

It’s not laziness. It’s like my brain’s gears are jammed, and I don’t have the right tool to get them moving again.

📅 Evening: Shame, Scrambling, and Second Winds

Evenings are a mixed bag. Sometimes I get a random burst of motivation and deep-clean the house at 8 PM. Sometimes I crash under the weight of everything I didn’t finish.

ADHD doesn’t shut off at night. It often brings shame spirals:

• “Why can’t I just get it together?”

• “Why is this easy for everyone else?”

• “What’s wrong with me?”

The truth? Nothing is wrong with me. My brain just works differently. It’s not broken—it’s just wired for curiosity, not consistency.

❤️ What Helps (and What Doesn’t)

Here’s what actually helps me function and feel like myself:

• Body doubling (working near someone else—even virtually)

• Visual checklists and timers

• Giving myself permission to do things out of order

• Noise-canceling headphones

• People who get it without judgment

• Routines over schedules

• Understanding that rest is productive too

Here’s what doesn’t help:

• “Just try harder.”

• “You need to focus.”

• “Maybe make a to-do list.” (Trust me, I have 12. In 3 locations.)

• “Everyone’s a little ADHD these days.”

• “You’re just being lazy.”

🌙 Final Thoughts: What ADHD Really Feels Like

ADHD isn’t always visible. It doesn’t always look like bouncing knees or scattered thoughts. Sometimes it looks like:

• Avoiding a task I want to do

• Crying over a simple decision

• Forgetting something important… again

• Feeling like I’m “too much” and “not enough” at the same time

• Doing everything at once, or nothing at all

But it also looks like deep creativity. Like passion that lights up a room. Like noticing beauty in chaos and connecting dots others don’t see.

Living with ADHD can be overwhelming—but it also makes me, me.

And if you live with it too? You’re not broken. You’re just a brilliant mind navigating a noisy world. And you’re not alone in it.