Day 26: Did Cavemen Create Executive Dysfunction?

One of the most enlightening things I’ve realized since diagnosing myself with ADHD is that executive dysfunction and problems with task initiation can be traced back to ancestral human’s protection of energy.

Not sure where to attribute this information from but I learned that back in the caveman days, because tribes didn’t know when their next meal would come, they didn’t exert energy unless it was necessary.

The hunters would go out to find some meat and those around the camp fires would keep themselves busy with story telling, making weapons and clothes, and sometimes foraging for nuts and berries, and water. They would stay close to camp.

They were existing. Surviving. Not building and intentionally creating for the sake of it. Conserving energy while awaiting the return of food is what kept them alive.

Things are different now.

To ensure our survival most of us have a choice of grocery stores or restaurants within walking distance (by old timey standards) with a huge and wide variety of offerings. Maybe not all healthy choices, but at least things that can keep us from starving to death.

My brain is always going a thousand miles a minute. I have a constant narration happening about what is to come, what I’m doing, what needs to be done, processing what has recently happened, etc.

Because of the lack of dopamine popping off in my head, I am constantly physically fatigued. Diet has also likely contributed. I’m not the healthiest.

My brain is always spinning but my body sits still. This is because I want to come up with the exact right steps to get things done with the least amount of energy.

I used to think it was strategizing.

But after I learned about my cavemen ancestors I realized the two could be connected.

I’ve had to beat my brain into submission to stop overthinking each tiny task. Especially when it comes to my environment. “Marsh, there is no perfect way to get all the things off the stairs. Just. Start. By. Putting. One. Thing. Away.” The urge to delay because I could sort into piles and then move all at once is strong.

I used to get bitter too that all of this fell on me. That I lived with a handful of humans and pets that didn’t seem to mind the clutter and didn’t initiate cleaning on their own.

Deciding to no longer be a victim of my circumstance, and realizing that I want our home a certain way, I realized I needed to take care of things.

Sure the resentment kicks in every once in a while but I remind myself that these other warm bodies are all contributing to my positive mental health in other ways.

Do you have ADHD? Or executive dysfunction or task initiation issues? Do you think maybe your hesitation to start taking action is due to your cavemen ancestors?

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Day 25: Pause for Grace