The lighter side of ADHD
Suddenly they are staring at you, waiting for a response. You start to replay what you think you heard back, on fast forward, in your head. Its too late though. The remnants of conversation slips from your mind like ketchup water from an unshaken bottle.
I can "look like I'm listening" or "actually try to listen", I can't do both.
It helps my listening if I doodle and I had to try to explain that same situation you describe when my boss told me I couldn't do that in meetings
All. Fucking. Day.
Every time I meet someone new I think to myself "Okay, now, this time remember their name! Alright? Focus! Remember their name!" and come back to reality to realize I've auto-piloted my way through them telling me their name.
Either that or I listen, say "huh", then my brain processes it and responds to it (at which point the other person already got frustrated by my initial response) 😵💫
Me trying to read instructions.
"I'm sorry, I completely zoned out. Can you repeat that"
Is the least problematic way to get the information again of you somewhere along the line realise that you probably should have been trying to listen.
Yeah but that only works once or twice per conversation until it becomes weird.
c/thanksimcured
The intent wasn't to "cure " but maybe provide a standard phrase that has worked well for me in the hopes that it might do so for others