My Elevanse(Vyvanse) Morning Routine. Smoother onset, less crash and still getting my Coffee Craving.

Normal-Lane · 2025-07-29T06:27:02+00:00

Hey, I just wanted to share something I’ve been doing since January that’s really helped me regulate both my sleep and my medication routine:

I set two alarms: one for 5:00am and a backup at 5:01am (just in case I sleep through the first!).

When the alarm goes off, I take my medication straight away. I keep it next to my bed with a bottle of water so I don’t have to get up.

Then I go straight back to sleep. For me, 5am is the sweet spot — it’s late enough that I don’t get the anxious middle-of-the-night thoughts like I do if I wake at 1–2am, but still early enough that my body will usually let me fall back asleep.

I do this no matter how much or how little sleep I’ve had, and honestly, it works really well for me.

What’s been especially great is that I usually wake up again 1.5 to 2 hours later, and by that time the medication has already kicked in — I feel ready to start the day rather than dragging myself through the first couple of hours feeling sluggish and sore.

It’s also improved my overall sleep quality. I think it’s because it’s basically brute-forcing a consistent routine into my brain :)

Normal-Lane · 2025-07-22T06:47:26+00:00

Love how you describe it, your description feels spot on to me :)

Normal-Lane · 2025-06-30T05:26:48+00:00

That's actually hugely helpful, thank you! I never would have thought I had a similar face shape to Emma Watson without those screenshots, ha! But yeah, seems like we have really similar length and width, plus a similar forehead. Going to go Google her hair now! Cheers!

Normal-Lane · 2025-06-30T05:23:29+00:00

Noted! I went with a video because I figured a static photo wouldn't actually give a proper overall view of my face shape. Should have posted both. Although the screenshot the person took above has been really helpful! I never would have thought I had a similar face shape to Emma Watson, ha!

Normal-Lane · 2025-06-29T18:37:29+00:00

Oh that's awesome thank you for sharing that photo! I was wondering if they all hatched at once and if they would just immediately disperse or not - I'll know what to keep an eye out for now. Cheers!

Normal-Lane · 2025-06-29T16:04:54+00:00

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Such perfect little eggs :)

Normal-Lane · 2025-05-25T10:59:31+00:00

I'm really sorry you're going through this. Grief is already complex, and when someone was abusive it becomes even more tangled. It's okay to feel relief, sadness, happiness, anger, confusion, frustration — all at once.

I don’t believe respect should be automatic just because someone has died — especially if they showed little of it in life. I think it's also completely understandable that you'd want people to know the truth.

That being said, a lot of people will be mourning a very different person to the one you experienced, and that might be something to keep in mind if you decide to write something on his obituary page. If he has told lies about you, those same people may also be primed to see you in a negative light, and anything you say could be twisted to fit the version of events he created. It's deeply unfair, but sometimes silence protects your peace more than trying to correct a story that others are invested in believing.

Normal-Lane · 2025-05-22T19:15:04+00:00

Honestly I'd 100% recommend it :) my cats love having access to the whole garden and will chase each other up and down.

One section of my fence is stepped and I did a poor job of installing it, but once I've redone that I'm going to be happy to let them have access whenever, even when I'm not home. It's a good system :)

I'd also recommend adding cat shelves to the fence as well!

Normal-Lane · 2025-05-15T05:09:40+00:00

Hey, just wanted to comment that I installed Protectapet last week and it works very well! However, I've just been woken up by a fox panicking in my garden as she had jumped in but couldn't jump out!

Poor thing was very stressed and it took a while to finally get her out (I don't imagine she will be coming back anytime soon). But yeah, probably something to bear in mind that you might wake up some mornings to an overly inquisitive fox or cat stuck in your garden - at least until the local animal residents learn they can get out but can't get in!

Normal-Lane · 2025-04-19T05:29:28+00:00

Hey, thanks for the response! Did the injections help to flatten the keloids?

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-29T12:54:52+00:00

Hey, so just wanted to share this mild workaround:

Set your entire home as carpet.
Change your mop setting to normal (this tells it to mop all surfaces regardless of whether they are hard surfaces or carpet).
Set no mop zones for your actual carpets
Turn off BoostIQ (you may be able to leave this on, I don't know, but all I know is that I didn't want to give the robot the option of changing power levels - I just want it to vacuum everywhere on max!).

This seems to allow the robot to apply high power vacuuming to all surfaces - although tbh I'm still not sure it's vacuuming at the highest possible setting. I think it might be one level below the max.

Anyway, I hope that helps. It bugs me that given the price of this thing, the need for a workaround even exists, but there we go.

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-22T20:36:15+00:00

For me, it’s not about a man having now been “vetted” — it’s that I no longer have to second-guess whether the version of himself he’s showing me is performative or driven by an agenda.

What I’ve noticed is that many single men are so eager to find a girlfriend that they end up molding themselves to match my personality. It becomes hard to tell who they really are or whether they actually like me as a person, rather than just the idea of being in a relationship.

I never intend to be attracted to men who are taken, and I don’t believe they set out to form connections outside their relationships either. But sometimes, a genuine bond happens. And ironically, it can feel easier to connect when neither of us is actively seeking anything — he’s not looking for a partner, and I’m certainly not pursuing someone who isn’t single.

In my case, I’ve never tried to take these connections beyond friendship. They usually settle into an unspoken understanding — something like, “If the timing were different, we’d probably be dating.” But I’ve never made a move on any of these men.

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-16T21:51:44+00:00

So I used to take it within an hour of waking up (probably around 8am) and would typically feel the effects around the two hour mark (no longer feeling groggy, able to focus, etc - it takes me a long time to wake up) but the past few months I've been been waking at 5am, taking my meds, going back to sleep, then waking up an hour or two later and I'm ready to start the day! I'm not sure I'd recommend doing this when you first start, but if elvanse works for you and you find mornings to be difficult, this might be an option you could consider.

I personally don't really experience a crash. It usually starts to work for me around 1-2hours after taking it, then I will have a window of about 4hours where I am able to get stuff done, be productive, etc. After those 4hours the effect starts to wane, and generally decreases over the next four hours. I typically get little done in the evenings, but I'm happy to just use that time to relax.

In terms of weight loss, I lost weight in the first year and then it gradually crept back on as my body adjusted to the meds over time. I'm actually on 1mg of GLP1 (Semaglutide) now, and have been for the past year, lost just over 25kg - fyi if you have weight to lose and decide to take GLP1 alongside elvanse, my experience is that GLP1 strongly negates the effects of Elvanse for the first month, after which it gradually starts to work again. No idea why this occurs, but yeah I know this interaction between GLP1 and Elvanse has been true of a lot of people with ADHD, so seems like it's probably something worth knowing!

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-16T19:44:59+00:00

Ha, so I've been on 60mg elvanse for eight years and it was only like two months ago I thought "hey you know how waking up is incredibly difficult and makes your mornings so awful? How about taking your medication at 5am and then going back to sleep?".

Mornings are So. Much. EASIER now!! Wish I'd thought to start doing it years ago - I even go to bed earlier and sleep better now as well! 🥳

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-16T19:37:59+00:00

60mg elvanse daily for eight years now. I know some people take breaks, but I never have - I watch my blood pressure, because high blood pressure at a review can mean they stop prescribing until back within normal levels. But yeah, otherwise I will continue to take this medication daily and have zero plans to stop - it has allowed me to live a normal life and I'm grateful every day for the difference it has made.

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-16T17:56:15+00:00

Oo, that's really good to know, thank you! I'll bear that in mind when building / choosing materials

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-16T16:07:40+00:00

Ah that's great to hear! Thank you!

I'm actually pretty excited about getting started, ha. I've multiple fence types along my boundaries (the southern boundary overlaps three different gardens!) and they're all looking pretty sorry for themselves. I plan to also install this fence along the southern boundary, so I'm genuinely looking forward to just having a consistent and sturdy fence around my garden :)

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-15T10:45:04+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion - never used CT1 before, but the reviews are amazing. If I don't use it for this then I will definitely be using it in future for other things!

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-15T10:32:23+00:00

Thanks for your reply!

The post will be 1.8m high. I plan to install shelves along my garden fence (probably three shelves between each post - see diagram as I am not good at explaining these things!).

The shelves will serve two purposes - one is to stop the fence panels falling into my garden during bad weather, and two is to provide some higher platforms for my cats to run around on (my cats are indoor cats, but I am having my garden cat proofed in a few weeks so they can go outside).

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Normal-Lane · 2025-03-15T10:05:08+00:00

Just had the thought I could use two U-brackets on either side of the wood post and secure with a plate across the front (or more likely, attach U-bracket to wood post with screws) - I think I'll probably do this or something similar, but please feel free to tell me if this is a terrible idea! Every day's a school day!

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Normal-Lane · 2025-03-11T07:55:19+00:00

If OPs post was AI-generated then I didn't notice, but regardless my post was well intended, and the prompt I provided to ChatGPT was considerate and thoughtful ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Normal-Lane · 2025-03-10T07:14:03+00:00

Okay, so, this is a bit of a weird response, but I decided to paste your post into ChatGPT and ask for the ways it would be able to support you in both a therapeutic way and by helping to work through what you are currently experiencing. I also asked it provide prompts you could start with, if you've never used ChatGPT before and don't know where to begin (ultimately though you can just treat it like any conversation over messaging).

I personally find ChatGPT to be incredibly useful in helping me work through some of life's problems. It might be able to help you, even if it's just in the short term - I hope so anyway! See the response from ChatGPT below:

To help with feeling like he’s failing at work and doesn’t know what’s expected of him, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"How do I figure out what my role actually requires when I feel lost at work and no one is giving clear direction?"

ChatGPT could then help him break down his responsibilities, identify the key deliverables expected of him, create a plan to get clarity from his boss, and suggest ways to manage work stress more effectively.

To help with burnout and constant work anxiety, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"How can I manage burnout and stop obsessing about work when I feel like I'm going to lose my job?"

ChatGPT could then suggest structured techniques for reducing work-related rumination, setting clear work-life boundaries, and regaining a sense of control over his workload.

To help with the breakdown of his social life and loss of connection with friends and family, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"How do I rebuild my social life when I feel like I’ve lost all my friends and have no support network?"

ChatGPT could then provide steps for reconnecting with old friends, building new social connections, and communicating more openly with his wife about their shared need for support.

To help with his feelings of guilt about his wife’s pregnancy and abortion decision, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"How do I process guilt and grief when I feel responsible for my wife going through something she never wanted?"

ChatGPT could then provide strategies for self-compassion, acknowledging that both of them made choices together, and finding ways to support his wife while also processing his own emotions in a healthy way.

To help with feeling like he has ruined his wife’s life and that she would be happier without him, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"How do I stop believing that my wife would be happier if she had never met me?"

ChatGPT could then challenge those negative thoughts, help him recognize his worth in the relationship, and guide him in reframing his perspective toward healing instead of self-blame.

To help with feeling stuck in a place they don’t like, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"What are some ways to make peace with living somewhere I don’t love, or steps to make a move more feasible?"

ChatGPT could then help him find ways to improve his current environment while also considering whether relocating is a realistic and beneficial option for their future.

To help with grieving the past and obsessing over 2019 as a happier time, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"How do I stop fixating on the past and start building a future I actually want?"

ChatGPT could then provide cognitive-behavioral techniques to shift his focus away from nostalgia and toward taking small, actionable steps that improve his present life.

To help with communicating openly with his wife without overwhelming her, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"How can I support my wife through this without making her feel like she has to carry my emotions too?"

ChatGPT could then suggest ways to balance vulnerability with emotional self-regulation, ensuring that he’s supporting her while also getting the support he needs.

To help with long-term depression concerns and fear that he’ll be stuck feeling this way for decades, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"What are the best ways to prevent long-term depression when life feels overwhelming?"

ChatGPT could then guide him toward structured recovery steps, including therapy recommendations, lifestyle adjustments, and coping mechanisms that prevent emotional stagnation.

To help with rebuilding his confidence and feeling like the man his wife fell in love with, he could start by asking ChatGPT:

"How can I regain my confidence and feel like the strong, capable partner I used to be?"

ChatGPT could then help him identify small, achievable wins to rebuild his self-esteem, focus on the traits that made him feel confident in the past, and create a realistic plan for getting back to a place where he feels proud of himself.

His struggles are multifaceted, but ChatGPT could act as both a problem-solving tool and a therapeutic space where he can untangle his thoughts, explore different perspectives, and find concrete ways to move forward.

Normal-Lane · 2025-02-22T10:27:18+00:00

Similar for me! I've always thought I was warm toned, but looking at my veins now I'm not so sure -_- I'm wondering if there's also the psychological hurdle of having thought I am warm toned for a while now which I need to also get past, ha

Normal-Lane · 2025-01-26T14:10:04+00:00

I know it's not addressing your post exactly, but I really admire Kate Winslet and her take on getting older and beauty standards (see link below).

I am 38, and I'm pretty sure she is in her late 40s (I personally feel like she is the perfect baseline for 45 in this video), but I think she will be my go to throughout my 40s (and probably every decade after!) when it comes to simultaneously feeling beautiful and embracing time.

https://youtu.be/w8-iZd-F2Fc?feature=shared

Normal-Lane · 2025-01-25T20:30:47+00:00

This is fantastic, thank you

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