I’ve written about procrastination before in this blog, but today I wanted to focus on the specific challenges that people with ADHD have regarding procrastination. According to an article** from ADDitude magazine, “From executive dysfunction to emotional regulation challenges, ADHD symptoms and traits increase the likelihood that we’ll procrastinate and put off tasks — especially ones that tax or tire or bore or overwhelm our ADHD brains. What’s more, those same symptoms and traits create hurdles to overcoming procrastination.” I’ve worked with many people in my career who struggle with the challenges of having ADHD. Often they leave a session with a plan and good intentions, only to realize a week later that they had procrastinated themselves into inaction. (I’m not sure that this last sentence is grammatically correct, but it feels like the right way to say it).
I’ve stated before, and will probably say again, that most people tend to think that having ADHD means that someone is distractible, impulsive, and possibly hyperactive. These things are very true, but it also isn’t quite this simple. ADHD is a neurological condition that affects the functioning of the brain, causing differences in executive functioning (planning, predicting, and self-regulation), as well as how the individual experiences their emotions. There is also an impact* on how the person with ADHD is able to motivate themselves. If most people tend to procrastinate from time to time, what is it about ADHD that seems to amplify this tendency? People with ADHD will sometimes report that boredom is in some ways painful, and will always want* to do something more interesting. Inattention is a contributing factor, which explains why the most common response I get at the start of a session with someone who has ADHD is, “Oh yeah, I forgot.” Procrastination is also a way of dealing with anxiety…it’s not a great way of dealing because avoiding something that makes us anxious actually reinforces the anxiety and makes it worse later. However, this is a hard thing for a person with anxiety to consider because many folks with ADHD struggle with the concept of time. For these individuals, there’s now, and there’s later. Later consists of 30 minutes from now, 30 days from now, and 30 years from now. Telling those that struggle with time that they will make things harder on themselves later can seem like, “So you’re telling me that now will be better if I put it off?” It’s a hard sell. Executive functioning problems* also add to difficulties with procrastination because people with ADHD already have difficulty planning out how they’re going to accomplish a task, but when they feel worry and dread about (what feels like) the mountain of tasks in front of them, their executive functioning is further weakened. When they finally do try to start on a task, it will also be incredibly easy to get distracted and find themselves doing something more interesting.
Procrastination can create major real-world problems* for these folks, like financial problems due to late payments, relationship difficulties due to partners not feeling prioritized, but there is an emotional toll as well. These folks may have a very hard time completing necessary tasks, but they are excellent at beating themselves up and self-shaming. I will say that there is a common perception that work completed at the last minute will be lower quality, and very likely this is still the case for people with ADHD. However, if they put things off to the last minute the urgency may finally help them feel capable of focusing on it, and this can be somewhat reinforcing because it feels like they are finally in the zone.
So, what is one to do about this? First of all, they need to remember that the ADHD brain is especially wired for rewards. A person can use this by setting up little rewards* to give themselves after a job is completed. Parents can also reinforce kids with ADHD by remembering that multiple tiny rewards are much more reinforcing than a big reward that takes a long time to receive. Making lists helps because it’s easier to not get overwhelmed by the big picture when you have a series of small tasks in front of you. Also, crossing something off the list is a little dopamine boost, and very rewarding to the ADHD brain. It can also be helpful* to remove distractions or do certain jobs in less distracting environments in order to prevent yourself from the siren song of something that will eventually steal your attention. As I usually recommend, therapy* can also be helpful for dealing with ADHD-related procrastination. Both articles referenced below are great reads, but I’d especially like to recommend the second one from ADDitude to people with ADHD because it is written with a series of quotes from interviews with people who have ADHD, and they share struggles as well as tips for overcoming procrastination. Most importantly, though, I want to remind everyone that procrastination is a common piece of this complicated neurological condition. It is not a moral failing, or a sign of laziness. Shaming those with ADHD, just like self-shaming, is not a motivational tactic. Shame doesn’t help anyone…ever. It only decreases motivation and encourages more procrastination.
*https://www.verywellmind.com/adhd-and-chronic-procrastination-20379
**https://www.additudemag.com/why-do-people-procrastinate-causes-adhd/