Mindset & Growth

🔗  감정 회복 루틴 gpt 바로가기

Why do we feel so afraid and doubtful when starting something new? This article introduces the philosophy that "failure is part of the process" and how to create a recovery routine for those challenging unfamiliar paths like development, entrepreneurship, or study. Discover a mindset that turns failure into opportunity and build your own recovery strategy together.

🌱 1. It's perfectly normal to fear the beginning

Why does starting something new feel so daunting and complicated? Facing
unfamiliar paths like development, entrepreneurship, or studying, these thoughts often surface
: "Can I really pull this off?" "What if I start
this and fail?" "Is this choice I'm making
even the right one?"

When trying something new, it's perfectly natural to feel excitement mixed with anxiety, tension, and self-doubt.
Especially in unfamiliar fields, you might experience an emotional rollercoaster—shaken confidence, confusion, and
even frustration. Those feelings that make you wonder, "Am I the only one?" are actually part of a process most people go through.

But this is a "natural flow." In
fact, if you don't feel these emotions, you might not have truly started yet.

But here's the crucial point: feeling
these emotions is proof that you're genuinely challenging yourself with something new right now.
If you feel no emotional waves at all, that might actually mean you haven't truly started.

🧩. Failure is natural. It's your first time.

None of us are good at things from the very start.

At first, nobody knows.
Failure is natural. Because it's the first time. You fail because you don't know, and failing makes you learn again.

Failure isn't a mistake.
It's more like a friendly system message saying, "You're currently learning." Just
like how the first few attempts in a game's tutorial are deliberately designed for you to fail, life is structured around that same process.

Failure isn't wrong; it's a friendly signal telling you, "I'm learning."

I was the same. When I first started studying development, I was bursting with enthusiasm.

I wrote code line by line, convinced, "I
can do this!" But soon, errors poured out, unfamiliar terms appeared everywhere,
I couldn't understand anything, problems grew more complex, and eventually, frustration washed over me daily.

Then one day, it suddenly hit me:

"Ah, I'm failing because I don't know yet, and this is all part of the learning process."
"It's not that I'm lacking; I'm just still learning."

This realization alone made my heart feel much lighter. And from that moment on, rather than fearing failure, I began to accept it as, "Ah, this is just a section I haven't learned yet."

In other words, failure isn't bad; it's a 'process'.
Furthermore, you must create the process of getting back up after this failure yourself. That's exactly what a "recovery routine" is.

You can fail. But those who have a routine ready to recover themselves from that point can restart much faster and more solidly.

You, too, needn't fear failure. Because it's not a 'wrong outcome' but simply a 'process in progress'. The emotions, confusion, and mental
breakdown you feel right now are all okay.
You are learning.

And this learning will undoubtedly take you to a better place.

🧘 3. A cluttered mind needs a recovery routine

Honestly, for the past three months, I've been planning and developing for about 12 hours a day.

When I first started
learning development, I began with pure passion and a "I can do this!" mindset, but reality was different.

What kept coming back was

• Endless code errors
• Complex concepts I couldn't grasp
• technical terms I'd never heard before

Hitting these three walls left me mentally drained every day. Day after day, I hit a wall, felt overwhelmed, and ended up asking myself:

My mind grew cluttered, and I started questioning, "Why am I even doing this?"

What saved me then was "my own recovery routine."

My personal recovery routine involved reading a declaration statement imbued with my own philosophy—once in the morning and once in the evening. In my personal
life, I wrote a declaration stating, "Just as I failed, I will create a service to help someone else recover."

Reading this declaration each time allowed me to recalibrate my inner compass—remembering why I started and where I was headed.

🚫 4. What's truly scary isn't 'failure' but 'not starting' No one isn't afraid of failure.
I was, and countless others are too.

At first, everyone thinks like this:

"What if it doesn't work out this time?" "What if I start something only
to fail again…"

I too experienced multiple business failures.
At first, I challenged myself thinking, 'This time, I'll really do it right,' but
when it came to actually executing, memories of failure flooded my mind.

Once, twice… As I hesitated
like that, a month had slipped by before I knew it. I had prepared something
, but in the end, I hadn't actually started anything, and
time just kept passing.

Then one day, I spoke
these words to myself:

"Yeah, I might fail again.
But at least this time, I can try to change something."

That's when it started
.Once I accepted the premise that "failure is inevitable,"
the next question arose.

"So, what can I learn from this failure, and what can I do differently?"

Just this one question gradually
lightened the heavy weight on my heart, reducing the burden to a
manageable level where action became possible.

That's when small successes started to accumulate.
Of course, it still wasn't perfect, but today's me was one step forward
compared to yesterday's me who did absolutely nothing.

When you think about it, failure is often beyond our control.
Market conditions, timing, luck, people… No matter
how well I prepare, there are always elements that can lead to failure.

But there's one thing that's solely my choice:
whether to start or not.

The moment we choose not to start,
we've already opted for 'stagnation' rather than 'failure'.

The most precious time in your life is **
"the time you wasted doing nothing because you hesitated."**

That time hurts more than failure, and
the regret lingers deeper.

So, start small. It's okay
if it's imperfect, lacking, or clumsy.

Only those who start learn, only those
who learn dare to try again, and
only those who dare ultimately prevail.

And then one day, that thing
that seemed impossible…

"Huh? It works?"

…creates that moment.

That small beginning of change ultimately stems from **'the
courage to choose to start'**.

📈 5. The learning curve is a sign of growth.

Just when you start to feel a little more comfortable, there comes a day when everything suddenly feels unfamiliar and complicated. Things you thought you understood
start to get confusing, and the stride you were confidently running with feels like it's come to a halt.

• Knowledge becomes jumbled and tangled,
• your mind feels completely blocked, leaving you breathless,
• and you find yourself wandering, having lost your sense of direction.

And then, at some point, this thought crosses your mind:

"Is this the right path?" "
Does what I'm doing even matter?"

At times like this, most people doubt themselves, blame their lack of skill, and give up.

But I want to tell you this:

"Right now, you're right in the middle of the learning curve—the curve of growth."

The learning curve isn't just a simple curve. It's a time of confusion, a time of realignment
, a precursor to deep insight—a phase we must go through to truly master and internalize something.

I've been through that phase many times myself.
At first, things gradually become familiar, but then one day, suddenly, everything feels like it's about to explode with complexity.

You thought you understood the code, but it stopped working; you thought the plan was finalized, but you hesitated again; you thought your thoughts were organized, but they became more chaotic…

"What the hell am I even doing?" "Have I regressed compared to yesterday
?"

These thoughts filled my head. At times like that, I felt pathetic

and sometimes even hated myself for starting anything at all.

But as I passed through this phase, I realized one thing: Growth isn't a straight line, but a series of curves.

The learning curve is structured to gradually climb higher by repeatedly going up and down.

In other words, it becomes familiar → then feels unfamiliar again → new insights emerge. This cycle repeats, making it truly my own.

And how you navigate this chaotic phase is truly crucial. Whenever that
happened, I didn't force myself to endure; I paused for a moment.

• I'd close my eyes and take a nap,
• I'd step outside into the sunlight for a walk,
• stretch my body fully,
• or put on music and sway to the rhythm.

These are very small actions, but surprisingly, during that time, something slowly sorted itself out in my mind.

Psychology calls this phenomenon

"Cognitive Harmony."

It's the process where, the moment consciousness pauses, the unconscious mind takes over and organizes things for me.

After a little while passes,
it becomes clear again. Things that seemed utterly impossible to untangle suddenly start connecting, and a broader picture begins to come into view.

And after repeating that process many times, I finally understood the "language" of that subject and became someone who could digest it at my own pace.

The learning curve is uncomfortable and confusing, but as we cross that curve several times, we gradually change.

Six months, a year, three years… If you persevere
through that stretch without giving up, what once felt overwhelming to you might become something others seek to learn, and you yourself could end up being the 'expert' in that field.

The learning curve is

not a "reason it won't work," but a "sign it will soon."

If you feel disoriented on that curve, you are undoubtedly growing right now.

So don't waste this moment; take a short break, but don't stop.

You're already on your way to the top of the curve.

🚀 6. Failure → Analysis → Retry = A routine stronger than genius

Elon Musk's SpaceX started later than NASA but has far surpassed it in technological capability.

Why?

Because they rapidly and consistently repeated the routine
: "Failure → Cause Analysis → Reattempt."

They didn't avoid failure; they shortened their learning
cycle through failure.

By rapidly repeating the developer process of "experimentation followed by analysis," they drastically shortened the learning cycle time for team members involved in the business.

Launch → Explode → Analyze → Launch again. Through
this repetition, they ultimately increased their success probability.

📌 In summary: Failure is your practice ground

Failure isn't a sign of incompetence; it's a signal that your skills are 'still building'.

📌 If you're failing now, you're 'in the process of learning'. Keep going
just a little further.
And remember:

"Only those who aren't afraid of failure ultimately succeed." Even if things don't go well at first, those who aren't afraid of failure are the ones who ultimately succeed.

• Failure isn't something to be ashamed of—I'm learning right now.
• My declaration will lift me up again.
• The learning curve is the heart of growth. It's okay to take a break.
• The real fear is me not starting anything at all.

🍊 Start putting it into action today: Create your own emotional recovery routine

"How's your mental health holding up today?"

Our emotions ebb and flow every day.
But with just a small routine to record and recover from those waves,
life becomes much more resilient and predictable.

Starting now, create your *"personal emotional recovery routine"* step by step. Just 5 minutes
a day is enough.

✅ Routine Examples & Recommended Tools

Routine	Example	Tool
Declaration Routine	Daily Morning Reading	Notion, Google Keep
Failure Log Routine	3 Lines on What I Learned Today	Emotional Journal App
Recovery Routine	Walking·Stretching·Music	YouTube, Movement App
Shared Routine	"Today I failed at this…"	Blog, Community, SNS

💡 Ready to start right now?

If you want to organize your own emotional routine with AI, try the custom assistant
prepared by GPT. It's the
easiest way to record your emotions and design a recovery routine.

🔗  감정 회복 루틴 gpt 바로가기

🎁 We recommend the Emotional Recovery Routine GPT for people like this

• Those whose emotions take a backseat to busy days
• Those who feel crushed daily yet manage to get back up
• Those wanting to establish even a small routine
• Those who want to understand themselves better

Emotions aren't something to control, but to care for. Starting today, try building the habit of checking in with your emotions a little each day.

"Right now is the starting point for your routine."

Did you click this article because you're staying up all night dwelling on things that have already happened, or because you're ruining today worrying about things that might happen in the future? You have mountains of work to do, yet your mind is stuck in the past and future, and you can't even focus for ten minutes before beating yourself up?

It's okay. It's not because your will is weak, nor because you're lazy. It's simply your brain sending you an urgent 'signal'.

Today, we'll chart a journey of hope together—from the root experiences of anxiety and panic, to how they disrupt our 'flow of concentration,' and finally, to practical coping methods discovered through real-life experience.

Symptoms of anxiety and panic disorders experienced firsthand

Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

• Difficulty focusing on tasks: Even when sitting down to work or study, your mind keeps wandering elsewhere
• Difficulty sitting for extended periods: Struggling to stay seated at a desk for even 30 minutes
• Breathing issues: Inability to take deep breaths properly; shallow breathing causes constant tension in shoulder and neck muscles, leading to rapid fatigue
• Sleep disturbances: An overwhelming flood of thoughts before bed prevents restful sleep, leading to only 2-4 hours of sleep per night; some days involve no sleep for two days straight
• Memory issues: Severe forgetfulness

Panic disorder symptoms

• Fear of public places: Feeling dizzy and having trouble breathing when visiting crowded daytime locations (Seongsu-dong, department stores).
• Visual Disturbance: The more crowded the place, the harder it is to focus on one spot; my gaze keeps shifting with every movement, making me feel overwhelmed
• Physical symptoms: Nausea, shortness of breath when lying down at night, cold sweats

Vicious Cycle and Complex Symptoms

Anxiety disorders and panic disorders often co-occur. Extreme stress eventually makes work difficult, leading to self-blame for poor performance and the onset of depression, creating a continuous vicious cycle. This manifests in the following pattern:

Increased stress → Decreased concentration → Lower work/academic performance → Self-blame and depression → Greater anxiety → Worsening panic symptoms → Increased avoidance behavior → Social isolation → Increased stress

The Journey to Recovery Part 1. Why Did My Mind's Alarm System Break Down? (Root Cause Analysis)

🚨 Three Root Causes of Anxiety Disorders and Panic Disorders (Core Causes): Anxiety disorders and panic disorders often stem from the following psychological patterns.

Cause	Emotional Functioning	Impact on Concentration
1. Rumination	Continuously dwelling on past events → Repeated self-blame	Consumes energy meant for concentration on 'regret'
2. Uncontrollable Future	Anxiety about upcoming events → Obsessive need to predict	Wasting energy on 'what ifs' instead of 'the present'
3. Suppressing emotions	Suppressing sadness, anger, disappointment, etc.	Emotional stagnation → Manifestation as physical symptoms (headaches, fatigue, restlessness, etc.)

A remote with a broken 'rewind' button (rumination = fixation on the past): Continuously replaying past events that are already over in one's mind. Repeating "Why did I do that then?" or "I shouldn't have said that…" Regret and self-blame consume the energy meant for the present. Even though it's already over and can't be changed, constantly replaying it drains all your energy to the ghosts of the past.

Anxiety about the uncontrollable future (future anxiety): You worry prematurely about things that haven't happened yet, and may never happen. 'What if I mess up that important presentation?', 'What if people dislike me?' Trying to control things beyond our power only drags us into a swamp of helplessness and anxiety. In other words, it's anxiety stemming from the feeling of having no control over what will happen next.

Suppression of Emotions and Difficulty Expressing Them: When feeling emotions like sadness, anger, or disappointment, we tell ourselves, 'I shouldn't feel this way,' or 'I mustn't appear weak,' and instead of honestly expressing and resolving these feelings, we tightly suppress them inside. These emotions don't disappear; they build up internal pressure like a pressure cooker until, at some point, they explode 'boom!' over a minor trigger. This can manifest as panic attacks or extreme anxiety. As my philosophy states, "Self-awareness is the starting point of all emotions," ignoring my feelings was the root of all problems. Emotions accumulate internally, eventually erupting as anxiety or panic.

It's precisely this rumination, worrying about the future, and suppressing emotions that chronically overheat our brain's 'danger detection system' (the amygdala). Since the brain cannot distinguish between real threats and imagined ones, it keeps sounding the alarm, maintaining a constant 'fight-or-flight mode'.

Ultimately, the 'CEO of the brain' (prefrontal cortex), responsible for rational judgment, shuts down. Our concentration resources are completely drained processing these unnecessary alarms. This process can be summarized as the easy-to-remember pattern: 'Anxiety. Distraction.'

Easy-to-remember pattern: 'Anxiety. Distraction.'

Remember why you can't focus when anxious as 'Anx.y. Dist.rac.tion':

• Anxiety switch ON → Safety mode activated → Executive function impaired → Scattered actions

You are the excellent 'Guard Captain (me)' protecting the castle. But one day, the castle's 'anxiety switch' malfunctioned. Even though no enemy approached, the entire castle entered a state of emergency—'safety mode'. The wise 'castle lord (reason, prefrontal cortex)', who devises strategies and plans, became trapped in an underground bunker, unable to issue any commands.

As the Guard Captain, you have no choice but to run frantically up and down the castle walls, reacting to every minor sound in a chaotic, scattered manner. Crucial tasks like reinforcing the castle gates or stockpiling food are completely neglected.

The Journey to Recovery Part 2. A Reality-Proven Guide to Overcoming Challenges

So, I'll share my genuine experience and concrete action tips that proved effective through about 8 months of effort to change medication and lifestyle habits—efforts aimed at turning off this faulty switch and restoring the flow of daily life.

📅 Actual Treatment Experience and Recovery Process: 6-Month Recovery Journey (Real Case)

• Diagnosis and Treatment: Initially unaware it was depression, but after visiting a psychiatrist, diagnosed with 'high anxiety and depression levels'. After consistently undergoing medication treatment for about 8 months, from September 2024 to around May 2025, I improved to a degree that surprised even myself, enabling me to focus on work again.
• Morning and Daily Routine Creation: No smartphones immediately after waking. Start the day with activities focused on 'today'—exercise, household chores, writing a to-do list.
• Optimizing medication: Taking anxiety medication (morning/lunch) and panic medication (before bed) separately to regulate daily condition.
• Relationship restructuring: Minimized social interactions during treatment. A deliberate choice to reduce the worry (rumination) and stress that arose after meeting people.

Initially unaware it was depression, I underwent depression scale testing after starting psychiatric care. My anxiety + depression scores were high. I doubted medication would make a difference, but after taking it for about 6 months (September 2023 to May 2024), I improved significantly and regained focus at work.

Building a Morning Routine To avoid checking my phone immediately after waking up, I would go exercise or do housework as soon as I opened my eyes. If I felt groggy (the panic disorder medication from the night before made me drowsy), I would think about what needed to be done and jot down about three tasks for the day as they came to mind.

While the panic disorder medication reduced my thoughts, taking it during work made my mind feel foggy. Taking it in the morning or at lunch made me sluggish and reduced work efficiency, so I took it at night to help me sleep soundly.

During the social relationship regulation therapy period, I minimized the number of people I met. I reduced social time because meeting people often led to worries or stress afterward, and I kept feeling stressed even during leisure time. I had this feeling that 'this isn't the time to be having fun'.

Why was it necessary to temporarily reduce social interactions?

1. The need to conserve energy: During treatment, limited energy must be focused on recovery. Socializing is also an activity that requires significant energy.

2. Securing time for self-observation: Time alone is necessary to sort through my emotions and thoughts. Constantly socializing makes it difficult to grasp my true state.

3. Minimizing external stimuli: When anxious, even minor stimuli feel amplified. Reducing additional stress from social interactions is crucial.

Summary of the Recovery Process for Burnout

Stage	Change Details
🔍 Awareness	Recognizing: 'I'm not lazy; my emotions just aren't flowing.'
🧑‍⚕️ Diagnosis	Psychiatric visit → Diagnosis of anxiety/panic → Medication + routine adjustments
✂️ Relationship Restriction	Minimized social interactions + Started emotional journaling
🔄 Routine Reset	Morning affirmation + 3 To-Do items + Smartphone ban
💊 Medication Strategy	Adjust medication routine: Focus pills during the day, panic relief pills at night

In addition to the above case, I propose an action toolkit to directly turn off the three anxiety triggers mentioned earlier.

Routine Name	Description	Execution Tips
Brain Dump	Release rumination from your mind	5 minutes every morning, freely writing down emotions/thoughts/worries
Worry Time	Gather worries in one place	Schedule worries for 7 PM; postpone them during other times
Senses 5-4-3-2-1	Training to return to the present	When anxious, feel one sense at a time to align emotions

1. Releasing the 'Emotional Pressure Cooker': Brain Dump
   • How-to: When your mind is cluttered, pour all worries and emotions onto a notebook. The key is to simply release them without judgment like 'This thought is silly.' It's the most effective way to safely express suppressed emotions and break the cycle of constant rumination.
2. 'Future Worry' Pause: Worry Time
   • How-to: Set aside exactly 15 minutes a day as 'Worry Time'. If worries about the uncontrollable future pop up outside this time, promise yourself, "Ah, I'll properly worry about this at 7 o'clock!" and postpone it. This way, you regain control over your worries instead of being dragged around by them.
3. Returning to the 'Present' from Past and Future: 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
   • How-to: When anxiety overwhelms you, focus intensely on the senses around you right now—what you see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. This practice acts as a powerful anchor, forcibly bringing your consciousness—which may have been stuck in the past (rumination) or future (worry)—back to this very moment, right here.

Q&A for a Deeper Understanding of Anxiety Disorders and Panic Disorder

For those wanting to delve deeper into anxiety and concentration, we've clarified some easily confused concepts.

Avoidance and Hyperfocus

Some people, when anxious, may instead become intensely absorbed in one activity, like gaming or cleaning. Does this contradict the 'decreased concentration' symptom of anxiety disorders? Actually, it doesn't.
This can be seen as 'avoidant hyperfocus'. It involves intentionally pouring all mental energy into a simple, clear goal
that can be controlled right now, as a way to escape from the overwhelming, anxious thoughts.

The Complexity of Medication: ADHD medications regulate dopamine to enhance focus.

So, can someone with both an anxiety disorder and ADHD achieve the 'two birds with one stone' effect of improving focus and reducing anxiety by taking this medication? Anxiety may actually worsen.
ADHD medication (stimulants) activates the brain's sympathetic nervous system, increasing alertness and focus.
However, anxiety disorders already involve an overactive sympathetic nervous system.
Adding stimulants can accelerate heart rate, intensify chest tightness, and worsen physical anxiety symptoms, potentially triggering panic attacks.

The Paradox of Meditation

Meditation is often touted as beneficial for reducing anxiety and improving focus.
Yet, when you actually try to meditate and close your eyes, you might find all sorts of anxious thoughts surfacing more vividly, making you feel even more distressed. Is
this proof that meditation doesn't work? Rather, it could signal that meditation has 'started working'.
Normally, we avoid or suppress anxious thoughts, failing to even properly recognize them.
Like dust piled up in a dark room. Meditation is the act of turning on the 'light of awareness' in that room. Just as you might be startled by the sight of a dust-filled room when you first turn on the light, the thoughts you've been ignoring suddenly become visible all at once.

---

In closing: It's about flow, not speed.

Concentration issues stemming from anxiety and panic disorders aren't a matter of willpower. They're a physiological phenomenon where the brain's survival system overactivates. They also result from a complex interplay of psychological patterns like rumination about the past, uncontrollable anxiety about the future, and emotional suppression.

When I first experienced anxiety and panic disorders, I couldn't accept it, thinking "Panic disorder? Me?"—I always thought I was healthy. But once I acknowledged, "Oh, I'm just in a painful state right now," and started going to the hospital, I realized, "Just accepting this is important too."

Therefore, don't blame yourself. Seek professional help and create your own routine; you will definitely improve. As
my approximately 8-month treatment experience shows, with appropriate therapy and lifestyle adjustments, significant improvement is possible. The key is not to endure it alone, but to find your own recovery pattern with professional support.

A lack of focus isn't a sign of your inability; it's a signal from your mind, born of regrets about the past, anxieties about the future, and unexpressed emotions. Just as flow is
crucial in relationships and work, prioritize tending to the flow of your own emotions first. When you let
go of the past, trust the future, and acknowledge your present feelings, your focus will naturally return to you.

Don't suffer alone in silence. Starting today, begin with even one small step. I sincerely cheer you on in your journey to reclaim your peaceful flow.

Have you ever been working and suddenly lost focus, or stopped writing an email to open the fridge? Have you ever forgotten where you put your phone and stood there blankly thinking, "Wait, what was I just going to do?" If you've ever caught yourself wondering, "Could I have ADHD?" while observing moments like these…

ADHD isn't a broken brain. It's just a differently tuned brain.

Everyone's talents, emotions, and flaws are unique, right? The ADHD brain is no different. Behind the distractions lie monsters of focus and creativity. Harnessing that rhythm can transform your life in astonishing ways.

"The brain is not designed. The brain adapts."
– Lisa Feldman Barrett, How Emotions Are Made

Now, let's explore the 5 amazing strengths of the ADHD brain and 6 successful individuals who possess it.

You can check out the immersion routine and dopamine reset method to maximize your ADHD brain's potential by 200%.

ADHD 탈출을 위한 최선의 몰입 방법 : 집중력 터지는 시간은 따로 있다?

🧠 5 Amazing Advantages of the ADHD Brain

Advantage 1. 🔥 Hyperfocus

Once immersed, they focus with frightening intensity. When working on something they love or a topic that interests them, they lose track of time.

While ADHD is often associated with distractibility and poor focus,
the reality is that when you get hooked on something you care about, you enter a state of intense immersion.

When in this state, the concept of time disappears, and you become so deeply immersed that surrounding sounds fade away.
This isn't mere concentration; it's the brain's dopamine circuitry fully activated.
In that moment, the prefrontal cortex and the brain's motivation system work in perfect sync, maximizing creativity, processing speed, and problem-solving abilities.

For example,

• a college student stays up all night making a presentation PPT for an interesting class without feeling tired,
• while an office worker becomes so engrossed in a project proposal they've long wanted to lead that their boss compliments them, "You've really got the hang of things lately, huh?"
• while Gen Zers create video edits without noticing hours flying by.

This deep immersion naturally leads to a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem, creating a virtuous cycle of immersion where the dopamine reward itself fuels an even greater desire to immerse further.

📌  “ADHD는 ‘멀티 관심형’, 하지만 한 번 꽂히면 핵몰입형” 이 말, 진짜 찐입니다.

Advantage 2. 💡 Creativity and Idea Explosion

• Quickly solving unexpected problems
• Thinking in diverse ways to generate creative ideas

The ADHD brain makes rapid mental 'jumps'.

Rather than thinking sequentially like A → B → C, it follows a leaping, free-flowing association pattern like A → Z → G → M.

This thinking style is the source of creativity.

ADHD tendencies offer tremendous advantages, especially in thinking that breaks traditional frameworks, in ingenious ideas, and in planning concepts. Even in problematic situations, the mindset of "Why must it be done this way?" can spark entirely different solutions.

Moreover, this creativity doesn't just stay in the mind; it connects to ADHD's strong drive to act. Many people with ADHD, sensing "This could work!", immediately try making it or experimenting – they are highly action-oriented.

Indeed, figures known to have ADHD traits—Steve Jobs, Jim Carrey, Michael Phelps—all expressed this creativity and uniqueness to the world in their own distinct ways. (See below for more detailed stories about individuals with ADHD.)

📌 ADHD 가진 창의성은 ‘정해진 생각을 잘 따라가는 능력’이 아니라, ‘틀을 깨고 자기만의 흐름을 만들어내는 능력’이에요.

Strength 3. ⚡ Heightened intuition and sensory awareness

• Quick to pick up on the atmosphere around them and people's moods
• Strong emotional empathy matched by rapid emotional shifts
• This is also why they excel at intuitive decision-making

People with ADHD tendencies typically have highly sensitive sensory receptivity. They quickly pick up on subtle shifts in the surrounding atmosphere, people's expressions or tone of voice, and even the slightest tremors of emotion. That's why they're often said to have a "strong emotional radar."

While this sensitivity may feel like a disadvantage, it connects to two major strengths: 'empathy' and 'intuitive judgment'. Because their own emotional fluctuations are significant, they possess a deep capacity to empathize with others' feelings.

Moreover, decisions made based on 'feel' rather than logic are often more accurate.

This is because the ADHD brain actually has higher activity in the intuition circuit (right brain) than in traditional thought circuits. For example, a gut feeling like, "Somehow, this project feels like it's going to bomb," often turns out to be surprisingly accurate.

📌  ADHD 만의 이런 예민한 감각은 상담, 예술, 브랜딩, UX 기획, 퍼실리테이터 같은 직업에서 엄청난 장점으로 발휘됩니다.

Strength 4. 🌀 Multidimensional, Multi-Interest

• High curiosity across diverse topics
• A brain that can connect multiple fields
• Particularly strong in content planning and startup ideas

ADHD is closer to a 'multi-interest brain' than single-focus. While sustaining long-term concentration on one thing is difficult, they excel at simultaneously jumping between and thinking about multiple things.

"I'm studying, then suddenly I'm curious about a recipe, and while cooking, I'm analyzing a designer's portfolio…" This way, interests connect multidimensionally, often sparking unexpected connections and creative combinations.

This trait becomes a tremendous advantage in content planning, marketing, entrepreneurship, and creative activities. It's specialized at connecting diverse fields to create something new.

It shines when unpacking brand messages through storytelling or generating service ideas that fuse different fields.

🎨 Remember: "
My ability to connect things is the source of my creativity," not "People like me who are interested in everything can't do anything."

Strength 5. 🚀 Risk-Taking and Adventurous Spirit

• Unconstrained by conventions, unafraid of challenges and experimentation
• Why many entrepreneurs have ADHD traits

The ADHD brain is strongly drawn to novelty. It responds more quickly to words like
change, challenge, and adventure than to routine tasks.

This isn't mere distraction; it stems from a desire for challenge and an instinct to experiment.
That's why people with ADHD traits are disproportionately represented among startup founders, solo content creators, and creators.

When a new idea strikes, they act immediately, thinking, "This could work!" Even if they fail
, they bounce back quickly, saying, "Then let's try this next time," and swiftly pivot to a different direction.
This resilience is often advantageous in rapidly changing environments.

📌 리스크 감수 능력은 단지 “무모함”이 아니라, “아직 아무도 가보지 않은 길을 먼저 걸어보는 용기”로 볼 수도 있어요.

🙇 6 Representative Figures with ADHD

Name	Field	ADHD Trait Characteristics	One-Line Summary
Steve Jobs	Apple Founder	Out-of-the-box thinking, relentless focus	"Innovation comes from discomfort"
Jim Carrey	Actor·Comedian	Emotional rollercoaster · Explosive energy	"Distraction is a weapon. On stage, it becomes talent."
Michael Phelps	Swimming Gold Medalist	Focus that stays sharp even during repetitive training	"My mind is calmest when I'm moving."
Richard Branson	Founder of Virgin Group	Spirit of challenge·Risk-taking	“I think differently, and that’s my weapon.”
Simone Biles	Olympic Gold Medalist in Gymnastics	Sensory Focus During High-Difficulty Moves	“ADHD didn’t make me weak. It made me strong.”
Will.i.am	Musician (Black Eyed Peas)	Explosive creativity · Idea-driven	“ADHD lets me imagine musically.”

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, drove innovation through relentless questioning and thinking outside the box. He distilled essence into simplicity and created world-changing products through obsessive focus. Jobs said:

"Innovation comes from discomfort." – Steve Jobs
True to his words, his ADHD tendencies became a force for changing the world.

Jim Carrey, an actor and comedian, harnessed his overflowing energy and emotional fluctuations as powerful weapons on stage. He made the world laugh with absurdly exaggerated expressions and actions, and thanks to his ADHD, he possessed richer expressiveness.

"Distraction is a weapon. On stage, it becomes talent." – Jim Carrey

Michael Phelps, the swimmer with the most Olympic gold medals in history, maintained incredible focus even during repetitive training. Diagnosed with ADHD, he unleashed his concentration within the routine of swimming, saying:

"My brain is most calm when I'm moving." – Michael Phelps

Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, leveraged his ADHD tendencies to fearlessly challenge new industries. An icon of entrepreneurship and adventure, he proudly embraces his 'difference':

"I think differently, and that's my weapon." – Richard Branson

Simone Biles, a gymnastics legend and Olympic gold medalist, was diagnosed with ADHD yet astonished the world by maintaining focus during high-difficulty routines. She embraces her traits without shame, stating:

"ADHD didn't make me weak. It made me strong." – Simone Biles

Will.i.am, member of the Black Eyed Peas and producer, confesses that his ADHD-fueled imagination and creativity enabled him to create original music.

"ADHD allows me to imagine musically." – Will.i.am

✅ In closing

Advantages	Tips for Utilization	Points to note
Hyperfocus	Start with the most interesting tasks	Routinize Boring Tasks
Creativity	Use an idea note app	Need to organize to avoid excessive dispersion
Intuition	Exercise intuition in teamwork and collaboration	Recommend keeping an emotion journal to avoid being swayed by feelings
Adventurous Spirit	Shines in planning new challenges	Too many attempts lower execution rate

• ADHD isn't about lacking focus, but having explosive, interest-driven concentration
• A brain with tremendous strengths in creativity, sensory perception, and a spirit of challenge
• The core strategy is 'enhancing strengths' through environmental and routine design

Many people mistakenly believe ADHD is a 'state of lacking focus,' but the reality can be the opposite. ADHD isn't a brain that can't focus; it's a brain that 'explodes with focus when interested.'

In other words, it possesses the ability to immerse itself far more deeply, longer, and more intensely than the average person in tasks it finds interesting, wants to do, or perceives as meaningful. Therefore, it's more accurate to understand it not simply as distractibility or deficiency, but as an 'interest-based hyper-immersive brain'.

The ADHD brain demonstrates tremendous strengths, particularly in creativity, sensory sensitivity, and a spirit of challenge. Thanks to its ability to shift thoughts rapidly and make associations, it generates ingenious ideas easily and can approach artistic expression or problem-solving in novel ways.

This brain, sensitive to subtle changes in its surroundings and emotions, also excels in empathy and intuition. Its lower fear of new attempts or adventures often leads to remarkable achievements in fields like entrepreneurship or content planning.

However, to leverage these strengths, the power of 'environment' and 'routine' is absolutely essential. Since the ADHD brain is sensitive to external stimuli, designing an environment that regulates stimulation and promotes focus is key.

For instance, strategies like a morning focus routine during the golden hour, rest methods that deplete and then replenish dopamine, and single-task approaches can maximize ADHD strengths by 200%. In other words, when there's a 'customized routine' that controls weaknesses and nurtures strengths, the ADHD brain can achieve results more powerful than anyone else's.

The Best Immersion Methods for ADHD Escape: There’s a Time for Focus Bursts

Every time I'd think to myself, "Why can't I focus like this?" I started learning a little about ADHD. Then, on some social media channel, I happened to see a method called "The Best Way to Immerse Yourself" and decided to try it.

Especially for those with ADHD tendencies or easily distracted attention, the word "immersion" might feel like a distant dream. But don't worry. Our brains can transform into immersion monsters if we just get the 'timing' and 'routine' right.

I'm genuinely easily distracted and have ADHD tendencies, so I've always been prone to jumping from one thing to another. But using the optimal immersion method routine chart described in this article has boosted my work efficiency.

I'm amazed that I saw results in just three days of implementation, with a dramatic increase in work efficiency. You can explore the brain science behind it, the execution routines, and how to implement them, all based on my personal experience.

🧬 Brain Science-Based Focus Timing

When are you most focused? While it varies by person, neuroscience strongly emphasizes one point:

The first 3 hours after waking up: "The Golden Time for Immersion"

Professor Andrew Huberman, a renowned neuroscientist at Stanford University, states, "The first 1 to 3 hours after waking are a time when arousal hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine surge, making it a period of high concentration."

What if you fail to utilize this period of heightened focus driven by surging arousal hormones?

• Your brain falls into a stimulation addiction loop, becoming even more distracted
• SNS → Shorts → Messenger → Staring blankly… = Focus depletion

This situation causes the morning's 3-hour window—the prime time for deep focus—to evaporate. It evaporates.

🛠️ The Ultimate Immersion Routine for ADHD Brains (It really works)

Initially, I thought focusing mornings on daily must-dos (content creation), afternoons on one-off tasks (outsourcing, client consultations), and consistent growth activities (development study, coding, reading) would be too complex. But after creating a routine chart and reviewing it once in the morning and once in the evening, my routine started to solidify within just three days.

I think this could be somewhat effective not just for ADHD, but also for anyone wanting to boost their work efficiency.

My actual routine chart

Time Slot	Things to do	Description	ADHD Brain Care Points
The night before	Write a 3-line plan for tomorrow	Keep it simple, not overly detailed	Complex plans lower execution rates
0-3 hours after waking	Focused work without distractions	Frontal lobe focus peak period🗓️	No phones! Prevent dopamine overload
3 hours later	Cold shower, cleaning, walking, etc. – 'Action Meditation'	Sensory Reorganization + Reawakening	TV and YouTube have no reset effect
Before/after lunch	Boring rest (meditation, nap, zoning out)	Dopamine boost + Brain fatigue recovery	Stimulating content actually causes exhaustion
Afternoon to evening	Short task refocus + wrap up plans	Utilize focus one more time	After meals, reset with light movement

The most crucial elements of the ultimate immersion routine are "organizing tasks the night before" and "executing those tasks in the morning"—whether you can or cannot do this is paramount.

📌 Key: Grind through the tasks you organized the night before immediately after waking up

• My current routine:
  • Before bed: Plan tomorrow's content in advance and list 3 tasks
  • Morning: Produce content
  • Afternoon: Outsourced work & content creation if no outsourced work
  • Evening: Development, study & reading

Before bed: Plan tomorrow's content creation -> Organize 3 tasks for tomorrow -> Morning: Content creation -> Exercise after creation -> Light meal -> Start afternoon work -> After dinner -> Development, study, reading (used for content creation) -> Briefly plan tomorrow's content + organize 3 tasks

Following this sequence exactly led to a sudden, surprising boost in focus and work efficiency within just 3 days.

Previously, my mind was disorganized, so while writing, I'd end up searching for information, scrolling through threads, or watching Instagram shorts. It was hard to even finish one article or one thread post per day. But following this routine, I could write two articles and two threads in the morning, do development work in the afternoon, and even study development in the evening.

💡 Practical Tips for Deep Focus That an ADHD Brain Loves

ADHD brains are easily distracted, yet capable of intense focus on one thing.

• "Lower the starting threshold": If you start by saying "just 5 minutes," you'll go 30 minutes.
• "Write tasks as a manual": Decide how to do it to boost execution
• "Ban multitasking": When focus is scattered, dopamine reserves go negative
• "Practice intentional boredom": Challenge yourself to just sit still while waiting for the bus
• "SNS only after lunch": If you burn through all your dopamine in the morning, you're screwed lol

🧠 Flow Routine for Optimized Immersion

1. Design the next day the night before

• Why? To avoid wasting the golden morning hours.
• How? Before sleeping, jot down just 1-3 'core tasks' you must do. (e.g., write a proposal, draft code, write an article)
• Why: Reduces decision fatigue. Allows you to enter a state of immersion immediately in the morning without hesitation.

2. Focus intensely for 1-3 hours immediately after waking

• Why? Because your brain is most clear and there are fewer distractions.
• Conditions: No checking smartphones, no conversations, no social media/news.
• Method: Sit at your desk immediately upon waking and immerse yourself in the 'single task' you set the previous day. Using a timer (e.g., 90 minutes) is recommended.

3. Post-Immersion 'Reboot Routine'

• Goal: Physically and mentally reset for the next task.
• Example execution routine :
  • Cold shower → Simple breakfast → Light cleaning → 20-minute run
  • Meditation, stretching, listening to favorite music

⚡ Dopamine Recovery and Focus Maintenance

To sustain focus, consciously deplete → recover → recharge your brain's dopamine through a routine.

1. Take boring breaks

• Why? SNS/short-form content is a stimulating dopamine bomb. It doesn't rest your brain; it actually tires it out.
• How to practice :
  • Close your eyes and do absolutely nothing for 10 minutes
  • Sit quietly and gaze out the window, water plants, or do light meditation
  • Simple actions like taking a walk, napping, or organizing belongings

2. Stay in the present

• Why? Focusing on the present helps your brain break free from dopamine addiction and restore balance.
• How?
  • Stand quietly without looking at your phone while waiting for the bus or subway
  • Stare blankly at your surroundings when arriving somewhere early
  • Focus on your breathing / Add 'mindful concentration' to daily routines like washing hands or eating

3. Follow the single-activity principle

• No multitasking! → It overstimulates the dopamine system and distracts the brain.
• The formula for immersion: Eat only when eating → Talk only when talking → Work only when working → Rest properly when resting

3 Tips to Boost Your Brain's Immersion

1. "Write down your tasks as a manual": Your brain feels less burdened when you decide "how to do it" in advance.
2. "Dopamine surges from anticipation, not craving": Immersion finds those who endure boredom.
3. "If you mess up your morning focus, you can recover with an 'afternoon reboot routine'."

While meditating

• The first 2-3 hours after waking = Don't miss the golden time for focus
• Review yesterday's mission → Work immediately after waking → Maintain the reboot routine
• Turn boring breaks → dopamine reset → into a concentration explosion
• No multitasking, focus on single tasks

Immersion is the art of arranging the brain's clearest moments and the body's rhythm with 'appropriate stimulation and rest'. Reduce dopamine, gather focus, awaken the body, and quiet the mind. This is 'the best daily design for immersion'.

Why You Shouldn't Bottle Up Your Emotions

• Emotions are energy. Suppress them and they stagnate; express them and they become propulsion.
• When you turn yourself into a story, experience becomes resonance, not just information.
• Documenting loss creates your own narrative, and that narrative becomes your brand asset.

"Because of you, a whole world was born." A single line can become your life's mission statement.

Loss is not the end. If the one who sprinkled color has left, we who remain become the palette." Turn
sorrow into creation, regret into service, longing into ideas that change the world, and pain into seeds of endurance.

Methods for materializing emotions into creation

1. 72 hours after the shock: Capture and record raw emotions using a memo app or voice recorder.
2. Week 2: Extract core keywords from the raw material and store them as 'content seeds'.
3. Month 3: Develop the seeds into concrete service/project concepts. (e.g., **ting, hub, flow, t*v*)

The process of turning emotion into a service

Stage	Observable Object	State Variables	Execution Tip
① Record	Emotion Source (Text·Voice)	raw_feeling	Short-form recording using the "one-line advice" method
② Structuring	Keywords·Metadata	feeling_tag, intensity	Labeled with 8 emotions and intensity levels
③ Reinterpretation	Service Concept	idea_status	Link to User Personas → MVP Design

Concretize emotions by version
, like code Sadness v1 → Insight v2 → Service v3

 Things that concretize the emotions I felt

Emotion	Transformed	April 21, 2026 Result Forecast (Happiness Circuit)
Challenge	Vlog release one year later	"Storytelling that ages with time" experiment
Excitement, Regret	One Line Up	SNS Reach Rate Increased by 220%
Excitement, fear, not knowing what to do,	Service MVP	Monthly active users surpass 3,000
Annoyance	Service MVP	Monthly users sharing the same thoughts

When did I truly learn, and what broke me? : I am learning immersion.

1. The learning curve is not a straight line

No one is good at something from the start.
But many people 'want to be good at it right away'. That's where
the problem begins.
We mistakenly believe the process of learning something 선형적We believe that if
we understand, practice, and repeat, our skills will gradually improve.
But the actual learning curve stays flat for a long time, then suddenly spikes upward.

Most people get tired during that flat section and give up
.They conclude, "This
isn't for me." But the truth is, the curve just hasn't turned yet.

2. The Illusion of the 'Learning Wall'

Beginners most often face two emotions:
anxiety and doubt. At
some point during learning, your mind stops keeping up. You understand
the concept, but your hands won't move. You seem slower
than others, as if you've stalled.

People call this a 'wall'.
But it's not actually a wall; it's the plateau before reaching the high ground. If
you quit there, the curve simply ends as a straight line.
But if you endure that plateau,
your thoughts and actions suddenly align and break through.

3. The sensation when the learning curve breaks

A moment arrives. Code that was
incomprehensible yesterday now types itself. A presentation delivered
trembling a week ago is now delivered with
emotion.

The moment the learning curve bends into a steep ascent isn't slow.
Rather, it's abrupt.
It's not a state of 'knowing,' but one 'engraved in the body.' It's also the
moment input and output connect.
Then, without even realizing it, you solve problems of higher difficulty.

4. The crucial thing is knowing the curve exists

The cruelest aspect of the learning curve is that the moment right
before the ascent is when you most want to give up. When
the accumulated time feels ambiguous, results seem absent, and self-esteem hits rock bottom.

Yet, those who know that curve exists
endure even that plateau.
It's not about emotion; it's about awareness.
The learning curve begins not with skill, but with attitude.

"It hasn't broken yet; it's not over." Those who
remember this sentence endure.
And eventually, they climb.

5. The learning curve builds character, not just skill

Learning isn't about accumulating skills. It's about
assembling your own endurance, interpretive power, emotional control, and immersion system.
That's the true purpose of the learning curve.

Why do some people persist long-term while others quit midway when learning the same tools?
It's not about intelligence, but whether they discovered their own rhythm.
Learning is ultimately a laboratory for self-discovery.
The learning curve is not a score, but a curve of self.

6. You can't feel the learning curve unless you look back

While you're in the process, you don't really know.
You don't know if you're doing well, or if
you're truly improving; you
only have the sense that you're moving forward.

But one day, suddenly,
looking back at myself a month ago, I'm
amazed. "I did this?"
This is a privilege only those who look back can enjoy.
Learning walks forward, but the sense of growth comes from behind.

7. The curve repeats

Does it end after the first bend?
Absolutely not.
The learning curve isn't a single hill; it's a mountain range. Cross
one, and another awaits. Pass
one curve, and another flat stretch unfolds.
Then it repeats.

Now this is what matters
: "When it flattens out again, will I stop or keep going?" The masters of
the learning curve are those who know this curve repeats.
They don't fret about not bending.
They know how to 'wait' for the bend.

8. Living the Learning Curve

The learning curve isn't just a curve of learning.
It's an attitude toward life, a principle of self-expansion.

In this era where the world moves too fast,
comparison has become easy,
and
questions like "Why are you still there?" abound, those who trust the learning curve are people who walk at their own pace.

They don't learn for show.
They keep going even when they don't break.
And in the end,
they grasp the most solid form of growth.