The ADHD Loop Engine, Part 3: The Loop Kit

Tools, Scripts, and Experiments for Working WITH Your Brain

The Manual You Never Got

The mechanism is understood. The territory is mapped.

Part 1 explained WHY the brain loops—dopamine prediction errors, DMN generation, pattern completion, weakened executive control. Part 2 showed WHAT the loops look like—rockets that create extraordinary output, gravity wells that create exhaustion.

Now: what to DO with this?

This is the practical part. Tools that actually work. Scripts for real-time use. The experiment that turns theory into personalized data.

By the end of this article, you'll have a Loop Kit—recognition tools, exit strategies, optimization techniques, and a tracking system to refine based on individual patterns.

The loop engine is powerful. Let's learn to drive it.

Explain This to Three People

SECTION 1: SPOT — Recognizing Loops

The hardest part of loops isn't exiting them. It's recognizing being in one.

When looping, it doesn't FEEL like a loop. It feels like reality. It feels like thinking clearly about something important. It feels like if the analysis happens one more time, the answer will arrive.

Recognition is the first skill. Everything else depends on it.

Body Signals

The body knows about looping before the mind admits it. Learn to read:

Physical tension:

• Jaw clenched
• Shoulders raised
• Chest tight
• Stomach knotted
• Shallow breathing

Behavioral signs:

• Checking behavior (phone, messages, same tab repeatedly)
• Restlessness (can't sit still) OR frozen stillness (can't move)
• Time distortion—hours feel like minutes (rocket) OR minutes feel like hours (gravity)

Energy signature:

• Rocket loops: High energy, almost electric, time flying
• Gravity loops: Draining energy, heavy, time crawling

Thought Signals

Repetition: Same thought cycling. Same phrase repeating. Same question without answer.

"Why" questions without resolution: "Why did they say it like that?" "Why can't I just stop?" These have no answers. They're loop fuel, not problem-solving.

Catastrophizing: Worst-case scenario generation. "If this happens, then..." "This proves that..."

All-or-nothing thinking: "Always," "never," "everyone," "no one."

Time traveling: Stuck in past (replaying) or future (catastrophizing). Not present.

The 3-Second Check

When intensity is noticed—any intensity—pause. Ask:

"Is this loop taking me somewhere good?"

• If YES → Rocket loop. Consider riding it. Set an exit ramp.
• If NO → Gravity loop. Time to intervene.

Three seconds. That's all it takes. The question breaks automatic processing long enough for recognition to happen.

The DMN Warning Sign

Mind drifting immediately after a task ends? That's the DMN spinning up. Without a new external focus, it will generate content.

This is the intervention point. Before the loop locks on, it can be directed.

Options when DMN activation is felt:

• Immediately engage with something external (even briefly)
• Name what's happening: "DMN coming online. What's it looking for?"
• Do a body scan—hungry, tired, stressed? Address that first.

Loop Fingerprinting: Know YOUR Patterns

Generic advice only goes so far. Individual patterns matter:

• What triggers gravity loops most often?
• What time of day is most vulnerable?
• What physical states precede the worst spirals?
• Which loops cause the most stuckness?

The 14-Day Log (Section 4) will provide this data. For now, start noticing.

SECTION 2: SWITCH — Breaking Gravity Loops

Thinking won't exit a loop. The loop IS the thinking.

Trying to logic out of rumination is like trying to put out fire with more fire. The cognitive system is what's looping. It can't be used to stop itself.

Body-first interventions work because they interrupt the SYSTEM. Change the body state, and the mind follows. Then—and only then—can clear thinking happen.

Tier 1: Immediate Body Interrupts (0-2 minutes)

These work because they force the nervous system to respond to something physical, competing with the internal loop.

For intense loops:

• Cold + movement is the combination that works fastest
• Don't think first. Just move. Thinking comes after.

Tier 2: Externalization Tools (5-15 minutes)

ADHD brains often process externally. Getting the loop OUT of the head changes it.

Tier 3: Pattern Completion Interrupts

These target the hippocampal pattern completion that turns one cue into a full emotional replay.

Tier 4: DMN Management (Evening/Night Protection)

Evening is the danger zone. These protect the high-risk window.

SECTION 3: THE SCRIPTS — Words for Common Loops

Having the words ready matters. When looping, thinking of what to say is impossible. Pre-loaded scripts bypass frozen executive function.

For Emotional Loops

To self:

"This is a loop. I know this one. It lies."

"The intensity I feel is not proportional to the situation. I'm going to wait before acting on it."

"I can address this tomorrow when I'm not looping. For now, I park this."

For Rejection Sensitivity Loops

To self:

"This is RSD. The feeling is real but the interpretation might not be."

"One data point is not a pattern. I'm waiting for more information."

"My brain committed too fast. What would I think if I waited 24 hours?"

In conversations:

"That hit harder than it probably should have. Give me a minute to figure out if my reaction matches the situation."

For Shame Loops

To self:

"This is the shame loop. I know you. You're not facts, you're fear."

"I am not broken. I have a different brain. Different ≠ defective."

"Shame is trying to motivate me, but it's wrong. What would actually help right now?"

Action: Pull out the Evidence Folder. Read proof against the negative narrative. Counter the pattern completion with different data.

For Rumination Loops (3 AM Edition)

To self:

"There is no answer to find at 3 AM. I am parking this for morning."

"If this is still important at 10 AM, I will address it then."

"My brain is generating content because it's bored and tired. This is DMN, not reality."

Action: Get up, change location, cold water, then back to bed. Don't fight the loop lying down—move first.

For Social Inference Loops

To self:

"I'm reading my fears, not their actual state."

"Ambiguous doesn't mean negative. My brain is filling blanks with worst-case."

"If I need to know what they're thinking, I can ask. Guessing isn't working."

General Reality-Check Requests

When asking someone else for help:

"My brain is doing its thing. Can you help me reality-check?"

"I know this might be a loop. Can you tell me what you're actually seeing?"

"I'm not sure if this is real or my brain. What's your read?"

SECTION 4: STEER — Optimizing Rocket Loops

Gravity loops get all the attention. But the other half of loop management is protecting and optimizing rocket loops—the states where extraordinary work happens.

Protecting Rocket Loop Time

Environment design:

• Project already open when sitting down (reduce activation energy)
• Tools ready, friction removed
• Phone in another room (not just silenced—GONE)
• Calendar blocked, notifications off
• Snacks/water at desk (don't break flow for basics)

External scaffolding:

• Body double (another person's presence = borrowed executive function)
• AI co-pilot (handles working memory gaps, doesn't judge tangents)
• Pre-commitments (social plans create mandatory exit ramp)

Creating Exit Ramps

Rocket loops are powerful, but they need boundaries. Without exit ramps, hyperfocus continues into neglecting everything else.

• Obnoxious timers: Not gentle chimes. Alarms that demand attention.
• Alarms in other rooms: Have to physically get up to turn off.
• Body double check-ins: "Tell me to stop at 6 PM."
• Pre-scheduled obligations: Social commitments force transitions.
• Biological needs: Schedule eating. Remembering won't happen otherwise.

Riding vs. Directing

Riding the wave:

Sometimes the rocket knows where it's going. Trust it.

• Don't over-manage genuine creative flow
• Let hyperfocus run if it's aligned with value
• Just have the exit ramp ready

Directing the rocket:

Sometimes there's rocket energy but scattered focus. Direct it.

• "Hyperfocus is available. What's the highest-value target?"
• Use the interest-based nervous system: find novelty/challenge in the important task
• Gamify, add stakes, create urgency
• Ask: "What would make this interesting enough to lock on?"

SECTION 5: THE 14-DAY LOOP LOG — Personal Experiment

Generic advice only goes so far. Personal data matters. The 14-Day Loop Log turns this framework into a personalized manual.

Week 0: Baseline (7 days)

Before using the tools, track natural patterns. This gives comparison data.

Log for 7 days, uncontrolled:

• Don't try to intervene
• Just observe and record
• Establish baseline: average loop duration, frequency, triggers

The Simple Log (3 Fields Minimum)

Don't overcomplicate. Simple = sustainable.

Enhanced Tracking (Optional Fields)

For more data:

Physical state:

• Fed / Hungry
• Rested / Tired
• Hydrated / Dehydrated
• Time since last meal

Emotional load:

• Pre-loop mood (1-10)
• Post-loop mood (1-10)

Testable Hypotheses

Make predictions. Test them. Refine.

Falsifiability matters. If a hypothesis fails, that's data. Adjust the framework to the specific brain.

After 14 Days: Analyze

Questions to answer:

• What triggers gravity loops most often?
• What time of day is highest risk?
• Which exit tools actually work?
• Which rocket loops deserve more protection?
• What patterns were surprising?

Calculate:

• Week 0 average gravity loop duration: ___ hrs
• Week 2 average gravity loop duration: ___ hrs
• Improvement: ___%

If exit time dropped significantly, the framework is working.

Building the Personal Loop Kit

Based on data, document:

• Top 3 gravity loop triggers (avoid or prepare)
• Top 3 exit tools that actually work (keep ready)
• Rocket loop conditions (protect and replicate)
• Scripts that resonate (save in phone notes)
• Personal early warning signs (unique body/thought signals)

This becomes the personal manual. Update as learning continues.

SECTION 6: THE INTEGRATION — Living With the Loop Engine

The goal isn't to stop looping. The goal is to work with the loops instead of being ambushed by them.

The Daily Practice

Morning:

• Brief inventory: How's baseline today? Rested? Fed? Stressed?
• Vulnerability check (Low sleep, high stress, recent emotional event?)
• If vulnerable: plan extra structure, avoid triggers if possible

Throughout the day:

• 3-second check when intensity is noticed
• "Is this taking me somewhere good?"
• Intervene early—small interventions beat late interventions

Evening:

• Protect the danger zone
• Add structure (podcast, activity, anything external)
• Avoid known triggers (heavy topics, unresolved issues)

Ongoing:

• Log patterns (even after the 14 days—periodic check-ins help)
• Iterate tools (what worked last month may need adjustment)
• Adjust the kit as learning continues

The Support System Piece

Having people who understand helps:

Give them:

• The scripts they can use when looping is recognized
• What actually helps vs. what makes it worse
• Permission to name it: "Are you looping?"

Ask for:

• Patience during spirals (not enabling—patience)
• Willingness to reality-check
• Honesty about impact

The Self-Compassion Piece

Looping will still happen. That's not failure.

Gravity loops don't mean being bad at this. They mean having an ADHD brain doing what ADHD brains do.

The goal is:

• Faster recognition (catch it earlier)
• Faster exit (shorten the duration)
• Less self-attack (remove the shame layer)

Not:

• Never looping (impossible)
• Perfect control (not how brains work)
• Being "normal" (different isn't defective)

Progress is measured in minutes saved, not loops prevented.

The Reframe (One Final Time)

The loop engine is powerful.

It's part of what makes creativity, passion, fast learning, and deep feeling possible. The gifts don't come without the challenges. They're the same feature.

The job isn't to delete the engine. It's to learn the controls.

The same brain that:

• Creates extraordinary things
• Learns at impossible speeds
• Solves problems others quit on
• Feels everything deeply

Also:

• Spirals on nothing
• Can't let go of old wounds
• Reads threats in neutral signals
• Needs tools to manage itself

That brain is worth understanding. Worth working with. Worth having.

The Loop Kit Checklist

Recognition ✓

• [ ] Know body signals for loops
• [ ] Know thought signals for loops
• [ ] Can do the 3-second check
• [ ] Know top 3 gravity loop triggers
• [ ] Recognize the DMN warning sign

Exit Tools ✓

• [ ] Have 2-3 body-first interrupts ready
• [ ] Know how to externalize (parking lot, voice it, text someone)
• [ ] Have scripts saved for quick access
• [ ] Have an Evidence Folder for shame loops
• [ ] Know the "nuclear option" for intense loops

Optimization ✓

• [ ] Protect rocket loop time
• [ ] Have exit ramps built in
• [ ] Know how to direct scattered energy toward value

Support System ✓

• [ ] Someone knows the patterns
• [ ] Someone has the scripts for helping
• [ ] Can ask for reality checks without shame

Ongoing Practice ✓

• [ ] Completed Week 0 baseline
• [ ] Running the 14-day log
• [ ] Tracking hypotheses
• [ ] Iterating based on what actually works

Closing: The Manual Exists Now

Three articles. One complete framework.

Part 1 explained WHY the brain loops—the dopamine system, the DMN, the memory patterns, the executive control gaps.

Part 2 mapped WHAT the loops look like—the rockets that create extraordinary output, the gravity wells that create exhaustion, and the insight that they're the same engine.

Part 3 delivered HOW to work with them—recognition tools, exit strategies, scripts, and the experiment protocol to make it personal.

The loop engine exists. Now there's a manual.

Research & Citations

Neuroscience foundations:

• Dopamine salience / VTA research
• DMN activity patterns in ADHD
• Pattern completion / separation (hippocampal studies)
• Executive function and prefrontal control
• Drift diffusion models

Clinical references:

• Dodson - RSD, Interest-Based Nervous System
• Barkley - ADHD as emotional dysregulation
• Hallowell - Driven to Distraction
• Various controlled studies on ADHD interventions

Note: These techniques complement professional treatment. If struggling significantly, work with a qualified mental health professional.

Complete Series

← [Part 1: The Loop Machine](/blog/adhd-loop-engine-part-1-the-loop-machine)

Why the brain loops—the neuroscience

← [Part 2: Rocket Loops & Gravity Loops](/blog/adhd-loop-engine-part-2-rocket-loops-gravity-loops)

Mapping every loop type

Part 3: The Loop Kit (you are here)

Tools, scripts, and experiments

The hardest part isn't having a different brain. It's not having the manual for it. Now there is one.

If this framework helps, share it with someone whose brain works the same way. Run the experiment. Report back what works. The framework gets better with data.