Undiagnosed here, seeking some inspiration and will to not lose hope.

Had anyone successfully gotten in tune with your ever changing hyper fixations?

  • If so, how long do your fixation periods last?
  • Do you have a structure or benchmark after which you can effectively “close that chapter”?
  • What strategies do you have to nudge yourself towards topics which will be meaningful in the long run?

I tend to go from rabbit hole to rabbit hole but it never feels like I’m in control. These fixations never produce any meaningful outcomes and always have a cost which I pay for by neglecting other aspects of my life.

It is a superpower and a weakness as you all probably know. It’s great for expanding your interests and appreciating life through different perspectives. I don’t want to lose it and want to get into some harmony with it. Anyone had any success?

Thank you :)

  • Scratch@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    2·
    3 months ago

    I’ve stopped giving myself a hard time for having wandering interests and not finishing anything.

    I try to look at it more as I’m having fun researching and implementing things, that’s what hobbies are for.

    Trying to force myself to finish things really sucked the fun out of them. Now I have literal and figurative buckets for each project so I can easily put down and pick up projects.

    I find myself moving between fewer projects and putting more effort into them than I would have before.

    I do keep some buckets closer than others, so I’m more likely to pick those up when I have free time;

    Drawing

    Designing fidget toys

    Electronics project C

  • RQG@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    I can relate so much. My whole life has been dominated by hyper fixations.

    I can’t control them almost at all. Fighting them makes me depressed. If something remotely positive comes up I’ll jump in. It’s better than some of the more problematic ones.

    Some last a few weeks, some lasted as long as 2 to 3 years. And everything in between. I have one hobby that lasted almost my whole life since childhood but a few years ago was replaced. Video games. Just don’t interested anymore in my mid 30s from one day to the next. Been gaming since I’m 8. Some fixations come and leave.

    What helped me.

    • I stopped giving myself shit for quitting. Without the guilt I also found it easier to return to something.
    • endulge the positive and social ones. Like my chess one was fun, to play at local trounaments and such.
    • I got better but not by much at not overspending on every fixation. It’s still a bit much but the trend is positive.
    • I realized I have a ridiculous amount of superficial knowledge and okay skills at various topics and activities. People initially believe in bulshitting but I can back it up so that kinda cool.
    • I try to enjoy the time in between rabbit holes now. It’s tough, I used to feel aimless and sad and out of balance. But these days I try to embrace the calm before the storm.

    Time between fixations is usually only a week or so max. All other time of my life is spend in hyper fixated mode. It is a bit tiring and it does control my life quite a bit. Makes life harder.

    I don’t know how to close the chapter. Usually interest in the topic just is gone from 100 to 0 over night without warning.

  • MyNameIsIgglePiggle@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    3 months ago

    Nope, yesterday I was telling my wife how my pile is absolutely overflowing and I’m drowning and overwhelmed.

    Today I started a whole new business.

    • button_masher@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      Oof the urge can whelm… stay strong!

      Good luck with the business🤞 Maybe the external accountability helps keep the momentum going!

      • MyNameIsIgglePiggle@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        3 months ago

        Thanks! Yeah I already own a distillery now it looks like I’m also getting into personal health products.

        I’m a serial entrepreneur so this is just par for the course. There’s a feeling I get when it about to happen again, but this time I was like “not now I’m overwhelmed!!!” But you can’t do much to stop it.

        Ultimately because I have other things filling my cup I will have to do this differently, which might actually be a really good thing - instead of having the attitude “do it all myself” it’s gonna be “get help and outsource”