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Task Paralysis is the sensation of knowing you have something to do, wanting to do it, and absolutely not being able to move your body to get started. This is a real experience even though people who don’t struggle with it really can't understand it.
Hyperfocus is getting in the zone, being in flow, achieving a zen state. It’s magical and creative when it doesn’t conflict with other activities. The downside is that sometimes we hyperfocus to the exclusion of self-care, time frames, and others’ expectations. Procrastination for AD/HDers creates a state of urgency that allows us to tackle an unpleasant task and power through to get it done. Our high intelligence and competence shine through in these moments, but the toll these bursts take on our energy, health, and mindset is significant. The AD/HD nervous system likes novelty, fun, and creativity. These qualities can initiate hyperfocus, whereas tasks lacking these traits can lead to paralysis and procrastination. PRESCRIPTION #1: Make it fun! Find a way to inject a bit of fun, silliness, or creativity into a project. Put dance music on to clean the kitchen. Eat three M&Ms after each small computer task. Use stickers or emojis to decorate your daily schedule. Breaking away from a hyperfocus can be a supreme challenge. It requires extraordinary amounts of executive functioning to stop when in the grips of an engaging activity. Sometimes we may intensely focus on something challenging, to the point of frustration and dysregulation. Or we may unintentionally ignore people or tasks that also need our attention. PRESCRIPTION #2: Rip the Velcro! This is my analogy for the feeling of pulling yourself out of a hyperfocus. How many times and in which situations do you say to yourself “Just one more”? Each one of us needs to find our own method for breaking the spell. Changing your body state is a good start.
People who experience these challenges are not lazy or careless. These are real neurological phenomena that we can work to manage, but which are deeply ingrained in our nervous systems’ design and function. Tending to our health and wellbeing provides us with the highest energy level with which to address these challenges. Following a routine that incorporates all the basic self-care categories provides a solid foundation for daily functioning. PRESCRIPTION #3: Sleep, hydrate, exercise, and eat well. Review each of these areas to ensure you are doing them well every day. Resolve any issues that get in the way of:
Mistakes happen. All the time. We tell our children that it’s ok to make mistakes because that’s how they learn. But we don’t always extend ourselves the same grace. For some reason we believe as adults we’re supposed to know everything and not mess up anymore. Ha! What a bunch of hooey! You can change your self-talk around mistakes or missteps. Instead of calling yourself names and assigning mean adjectives to yourself, say “Doing ____ was a mistake and I will keep trying to do better”. Spend a short period of time planning for how to avoid the same mistake in the future and then let it go. You don’t deserve to carry around bad feelings because of a human foible. Everyone has them. For more support with AD/HD and other mental health topics, visit Humanest.
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Losing things, forgetting appointments, waiting til the last minute, feeling overwhelmed by too much to do… sound familiar? I imagine you’ve been encouraged to “get organized” since your earliest memories, if not by parents then by teachers. You’ve been taught lots of different systems and forced to do things someone else’s way. Now that you’re fully grown, you have the double-edged sword of “getting to” and “having to” figure out and implement your own organizational system. Unfortunately, life is too complicated to manage without some kind of system. That could be the Notes app on your phone, Google Calendar, a paper or whiteboard to-do list, a spiral or leatherbound organizer, or anything else you can imagine. But we all need something to keep track of all the stuff we need to get done. When making lists, remember to break tasks down into tiny parts. For example, instead of listing the single task of “Prepare for garage sale”, identify three specific tasks to get started:
We also need a method for moving through the tasks on our list. You might find that different days call for different methods. It’s good to have a few systems in your mental file folder to help structure your work flow. Here are some organization systems to consider: Task Multiplication/Puttering. AD/HDers tend to be naturals at this. Flitting from one task to the next with a flexible time frame and no extreme urgency. It can be really satisfying to take your time and move gently through small chores and tasks as they come to your attention or as they present themselves. This is especially useful for tasks that don’t require intense thought and can be paired with music, podcasts, or audiobooks. The Eisenhower Matrix. This is a simple tool to help group and prioritize your tasks. Its graphic nature appeals to the AD/HD brain. The strategy identifies tasks according to how important and urgent they are.
 Using the Eisenhower Matrix, tasks are placed into one of four categories:
The Ivy Lee Method. Plan your day in the morning or the night before. Here is the process:
Project Division. When you have a big project with a due date out in the future, you may be tempted to ignore it in favor of tasks that are due sooner. We all know how that feels the night before the deadline! In order to avoid that stress, you can do some easy math and create a manageable plan for your project.
Extend yourself compassionCompleting a long list of tasks or a big project can be a grueling and thrilling experience. We get bursts of energizing neurochemicals from the challenge of finishing a daunting task. It’s not unusual to feel depleted, down, and even depressed after a success. As the chemical rush wears off, mental and physical exhaustion often step in. Sometimes anxiety joins the party, as we critique our own work and wonder if we did our best. This can be a surprising experience, as we might expect to feel elated and self-satisfied.
Feeling down after accomplishing something significant calls for a big dose of self-compassion. Care for your emotions by allowing them to come and go naturally. Care for your body with good food, comfort, and rest. Care for your spirit by laughing or connecting with someone you enjoy. For more support with AD/HD and other mental health topics, visit Humanest. |