How to Activate the 'i-have-adhd' Skill in Your Coding Assistant Session: Complete Guide

To activate the 'i-have-adhd' skill, install the plugin for your coding assistant (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, etc.), then invoke it with /i-have-adhd or enable always-on mode with a flag file.

The 'i-have-adhd' skill from ayghri/i-have-adhd is a productivity-enhancing plugin that reshapes AI assistant responses for ADHD-friendly interaction. Once activated, it enforces 10 core rules—action-first formatting, bounded steps, concrete time estimates, and no preamble clutter—defined in [skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md). This guide covers installation and activation across all supported runtimes.

How the 'i-have-adhd' Skill Architecture Works

The skill follows a consistent pattern across platforms, as documented in [AGENTS.md](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/AGENTS.md):

• Core rules: Single source of truth in SKILL.md (10 ADHD-friendly response rules)
• Runtime adapters: Platform-specific manifests in .claude-plugin/, .codex-plugin/, opencode.json, etc.
• Activation modes: Explicit invocation per session OR always-on via flag file

The always-on mechanism relies on a SessionStart hook (Claude Code) or equivalent auto-loading snippet (other agents) that injects rules when a flag file exists—~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always for Claude Code, or analogous paths per runtime.

Activating the 'i-have-adhd' Skill by Runtime

Claude Code

Claude Code uses the plugin marketplace and slash-command activation.

# One-time installation

claude plugin marketplace add ayghri/i-have-adhd
claude plugin install i-have-adhd@i-have-adhd

# Activate for current session

/i-have-adhd

Enable always-on mode so the skill loads automatically:

touch ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always

Codex

Codex follows a similar plugin pattern with $ prefix activation.

# Install the skill

codex plugin marketplace add ayghri/i-have-adhd --ref main
codex plugin add i-have-adhd@i-have-adhd

# Activate for current session

$i-have-adhd

Gemini CLI

Two installation paths exist: command route (manual) or extension route (always-on).

Command route (manual activation per session):

# Download the command file

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/main/skills/i-have-adhd/agents/gemini.toml \
  -o ~/.gemini/commands/i-have-adhd.toml

# Activate

/i-have-adhd

Extension route (automatic loading via GEMINI.md):

gemini extensions install https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd

Pi

Pi supports explicit on/off toggling.

# Install

pi install https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd

# Activate variants

/i-have-adhd        # toggle current session

/i-have-adhd on     # explicitly enable

/i-have-adhd off    # explicitly disable

Oh My Pi (OMP)

omp plugin marketplace add ayghri/i-have-adhd
omp plugin install --scope user i-have-adhd@i-have-adhd

# Activate

/i-have-adhd

Qwen Code

qwen extensions install ayghri/i-have-adhd

# Activate

/i-have-adhd

Zed

Zed imports skills directly via URL to SKILL.md.

# Import (paste URL into Zed's skill import)

https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md

# Activate

/i-have-adhd

Generic Harness (Cursor, Amp, etc.)

For assistants without dedicated plugin systems, use the npx skills CLI.

# Workspace-only installation

npx skills add ayghri/i-have-adhd

# Global installation

npx skills add ayghri/i-have-adhd -g

# Activate

/i-have-adhd

Manual Always-On Setup for Any Assistant

If your coding assistant supports persistent rules files but lacks a formal plugin system, paste the core rules directly. Add this block to your agent's always-on rules file (e.g., ~/.cursor/rules/always.md, ~/.config/opencode/AGENTS.md):

## Output style

The reader has ADHD. Shape every response so it can be acted on:

1. Lead with the answer or next action: command, path, or snippet first.
2. Number multi-step work; one bounded action per step.
3. End with one next action doable in under two minutes.
4. Finish the current issue before raising a new one.
5. Restate progress each turn ("step 3 of 5 done").
6. Give time estimates in concrete units, never "a bit".
7. After a change, show what now works.
8. Errors: state location, cause, and fix. No drama.
9. Cap lists at 5 items.
10. No preamble, no recaps, no closers.

These 10 rules mirror the definition in [SKILL.md](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) and activate the same behavioral changes without plugin infrastructure.

Key Reference Files in the Repository

File	Purpose	Location
SKILL.md	10 ADHD-friendly response rules—the core rule set all runtimes implement	skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md
INSTALL.md	Platform-specific commands for install, verify, and update	Repository root
AGENTS.md	Runtime-to-entry-point mapping (Claude, Codex, Gemini, Pi, OMP, Qwen, Zed)	Repository root
README.md	High-level overview and quick-start pointer	Repository root

Summary

• Install once: Use marketplace commands, curl, npm, or direct URL import per your assistant.
• Activate per session: Type /i-have-adhd (or $i-have-adhd in Codex).
• Enable always-on: Create a flag file like ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always or use the extension auto-load path.
• Fallback option: Paste the 10 rules manually into persistent rules files for unsupported assistants.

The skill activates immediately upon invocation, restructuring all subsequent responses to prioritize actionability, clarity, and ADHD-friendly formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the 'i-have-adhd' skill actually change in assistant responses?

The skill enforces 10 concrete formatting rules from SKILL.md: leading with actionable answers, numbering steps, capping lists at 5 items, providing concrete time estimates, eliminating preamble/recap chatter, and restating progress each turn. Responses become scannable, bounded, and immediately useful rather than verbose and open-ended.

Can I use the 'i-have-adhd' skill with Cursor or other assistants not officially listed?

Yes. Any assistant supporting persistent system prompts or rules files can use the skill. Either install via npx skills add ayghri/i-have-adhd for the generic harness, or manually paste the 10 rules into your editor's rules file (e.g., ~/.cursor/rules/always.md). The [INSTALL.md](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/INSTALL.md) file documents fallback methods.

Why does Claude Code use a flag file for always-on mode instead of a setting?

The SessionStart hook in Claude Code's plugin system checks for ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always at session initialization. This file-based flag avoids modifying global Claude settings while allowing per-user, persistent activation. Delete the file to disable auto-loading without uninstalling the plugin.

How do I verify the skill is active in my current session?

Check that responses follow the 10-rule format: action-first opening, numbered steps, progress restatement ("step X of Y"), concrete time units, no preamble, and capped lists. If rules aren't applying, re-run the activation command (/i-have-adhd) and confirm the plugin installed correctly per [AGENTS.md](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/AGENTS.md).

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    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
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}