# How to Enable Always-On Mode for the i-have-adhd Claude Assistant

> Enable always-on mode for the i-have-adhd Claude assistant. Create the flag file at ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always for automatic skill rule loading.

- Repository: [Ayoub Ghriss/i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-08-08

---

**To enable always-on mode for the i-have-adhd Claude assistant, create the flag file at `~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always`; Claude Code will then automatically load the skill rules at the start of every session.**

The **ayghri/i-have-adhd** repository provides a Claude Code skill designed to optimize AI interactions for users with ADHD. When you enable always-on mode, the system automatically injects behavioral rules from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) into every session without requiring manual activation commands.

## How Always-On Mode Works

Claude Code executes **SessionStart** hooks defined in [`hooks/hooks.json`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/hooks.json) at the beginning of every session. According to the source code in the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository, one of these hooks runs the script [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh).

The script performs the following operations:

1. Checks for a flag file at `$HOME/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always` (you can override this path using the `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable)
2. If the flag exists, reads the skill's rule set from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), strips any leading YAML front-matter, and prints an activation banner
3. If the flag is missing, exits silently and allows the session to start normally

## Enabling Always-On Mode

Create the flag file once to activate persistent ADHD mode across all future Claude Code sessions.

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

```

Start a new Claude Code session:

```bash
claude code

```

Upon startup, the terminal displays a confirmation banner similar to:

```

ADHD MODE ACTIVE (always-on). The ruleset below applies to every response. "stop adhd mode" turns it off for this session; delete /home/youruser/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always to turn always-on off for good.

```

### Custom Configuration Directory

If you use a non-standard Claude configuration directory, set the `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable before creating the flag file:

```bash
export CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=/path/to/custom/dir
touch $CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR/.i-have-adhd-always

```

## Disabling ADHD Mode

You have two options to disable the skill depending on whether you need a temporary or permanent change.

**Temporary disablement:** Type the following command during any active session to disable ADHD mode for that session only:

```text
stop adhd mode

```

**Permanent disablement:** Delete the flag file to prevent automatic activation in all future sessions:

```bash
rm ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always

```

## Summary

- The **always-on mode** activates automatically when the flag file `~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always` exists
- Claude Code's [`hooks/hooks.json`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/hooks.json) triggers [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh) at session start to check for this flag
- Enable permanently with `touch ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always` and disable permanently with `rm ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always`
- Use the command `stop adhd mode` to disable the skill temporarily for a single session
- The skill rules are sourced from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) as implemented in the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Where does the i-have-adhd assistant store its always-on configuration?

The assistant checks for a flag file at `$HOME/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always` by default. You can override this location by setting the `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable, in which case the script looks for `.i-have-adhd-always` within that directory instead.

### What happens if I enable always-on mode but want to disable it for one session?

Type `stop adhd mode` in the Claude Code chat interface. This disables ADHD mode for the current session only without deleting the flag file, so the skill will activate again automatically in your next session.

### Which files are responsible for loading the ADHD skill rules?

The [`hooks/hooks.json`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/hooks.json) file registers the SessionStart hook that executes [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh). When the flag file is present, [`always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/always-on.sh) reads and processes [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), stripping any YAML front-matter before injecting the rules into your session.

### Can I use a custom directory for the Claude configuration?

Yes. The [`always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/always-on.sh) script respects the `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable. If set, the script looks for the `.i-have-adhd-always` flag file within that custom directory rather than the default `$HOME/.claude/` location.