Breaking Free From ADHD Procrastination: Techniques for Success

We all procrastinate occasionally, especially when faced with something boring, daunting, or unpleasant.

But if you have ADHD, procrastination might feel like an insurmountable mountain.

While ADHD and procrastination often go hand-in-hand, having this condition does not make you lazy or irresponsible.

Knowing that procrastination is normal and understanding how ADHD contributes to it can help you develop better strategies for breaking this cycle so that it no longer prevents you from accomplishing your daily goals.

Does ADHD Affect Procrastination?

Research has shown that people with ADHD tend to procrastinate more. Those with more significant symptoms of ADHD were even more likely to procrastinate than those with milder symptoms.^[1]

But does this make procrastination a sign of ADHD? 

While it isn’t an official symptom considered in medical diagnosis, it’s still a common struggle among ADHDers.

However, ADHDers don’t delay their tasks because they’re lazy or don’t care. If you have ADHD, you might often find yourself feeling guilty, worried, and frustrated about your growing to-do list.

ADHD is linked to procrastination because of how the ADHD brain works. Your brain processes information differently, making you more likely to put off tasks.

Here are several explanations of why people with ADHD procrastinate:

• Low motivation: The brain is deficient in a chemical messenger called dopamine, which is responsible for pleasure and motivation. Lower dopamine levels can make it harder to find an activity that’s fun, exciting, or rewarding enough to complete.^[2]
• Mind wandering: ADHDers commonly have trouble regulating their attention. It’s easy for the mind to wander off when doing something mundane or boring, like paying the bills. Again, this comes down to lower dopamine levels.^[2]
• Lower emotional control: Research shows a link between ADHD as well as emotional control and self-esteem issues. Managing stress or feeling confident about your abilities can be difficult, so you may become quickly overwhelmed and shut down when facing difficult situations. This is known as ADHD paralysis.

That said, ADHD isn’t all about what you cannot do; ADHDers also have their own unique strengths.

For instance, some with ADHD can hyperfocus, which allows you to maintain focus on a task until it’s finished. Knowing how to harness this can help you curb procrastination and power through your to-do list!

Symptoms of ADHD Procrastination: Recognizing the Signs

ADHD procrastination can manifest in different ways, which can lead to issues at home, work, or school.

Here are some symptoms of procrastination due to ADHD:

• Pushing aside or avoiding tasks for as long as you can
• Having little motivation for important tasks
• Feeling overwhelmed or fearful about failing the task
• Becoming paralyzed and unable to figure out or decide what to do next
• Getting distracted easily by other thoughts
• Getting sidetracked by other activities and losing focus
• Feeling guilty or anxious and constantly thinking about the task while procrastinating
• Underestimating the amount of time it takes to get something done

Many of these symptoms are intertwined with what’s called the avoidance cycle of ADHD.

What Is the Task Avoidance Cycle of ADHD?

Sometimes when faced with a dreaded task, you simply can’t convince yourself to get started. It seems daunting and challenging, and you can’t help but feel afraid of failing. When you finally return to it, you’ve either missed your deadline or must rush to finish it at the last minute.

The task might not be as horrible as it seems. However, this experience causes you to remember it that way, distorting your perception of it and nudging you into repeating the same behavior.

This is what’s called the ADHD task avoidance cycle.

Many ADHDers struggle with it. Over the years of facing challenges due to their ADHD symptoms, they may develop lower self-esteem and harbor negative self-beliefs.^[3]

When facing something challenging, they may procrastinate or avoid it. This can reinforce their negative self-talk and thoughts, perpetuating the cycle.^[3]

Realigning your beliefs and self-talk is key to breaking this cycle. Understand that you’re not lazy or irresponsible. You genuinely care about getting things done properly, but still need to figure out how.

Luckily, there are different steps you can take to manage your emotions effectively and make scary or unpleasant tasks feel more doable.

7 Practical Strategies to Combat ADHD Procrastination

To overcome procrastination, you should determine which ADHD-linked traits contribute to it.

Do you often get overwhelmed by fear of failure? Are you easily distracted by unrelated tasks? Perhaps you struggle with ADHD time blindness and usually underestimate the time needed to complete things.

Once you’ve pinpointed the root causes, you can start implementing effective strategies to target them.

1. Leverage Body Doubling

Body doubling is a popular productivity strategy among ADHDers. In this technique, you carry out your tasks alongside a “body double.” The two of you work on a similar or completely different activity together.

The presence of this body double can create a sense of accountability and help you stay focused. Having someone work alongside you might make your task more enjoyable.

You can do these body doubling sessions in person or virtually with your cameras turned on.

2. Keep Distractions at Bay

You might procrastinate whenever you get distracted by other things.

Here are some tips to help you curb distraction and focus on what you need to get done:

• Work in an environment that’s quiet and free from distractions. For example, working in a quiet corner of the office or an empty room might be helpful.
• Avoid multitasking and focus on one activity at a time. Keep your desk free of unrelated items or documents that could distract you.
• Keep a journal beside you to write down any distracting thoughts that come to mind. After you’ve finished the task at hand, you can run through and address this “parking lot” of thoughts.
• Take concrete action to minimize your primary triggers, such as silencing your phone or locking certain apps until you finish your work.

You’re less likely to procrastinate and get carried away by managing distractions. It also increases the odds of you being able to “hyperfocus” on the activity.

3. Create Simpler Goals

A huge project or big task can appear daunting, making you fearful or overwhelmed when tackling it.

What you can do is break the big picture down into smaller goals and steps. Make these goals practical, achievable, and realistic.

It also helps to keep them on a checklist. As you progress, ticking off the list can create a sense of satisfaction and fuel your motivation.

In addition to that, you can add individual deadlines to each of these small goals. Compared to a faraway deadline, these checkpoint due dates can build a stronger sense of urgency and keep you better on track.

Of course, this might not work for everyone. If you find it overwhelming to have so many small tasks, you can instead write down the very first thing you need to do to get started on your project. It can be something as simple as “turning on my laptop.”

This may help you build the momentum you need to work on your project.

4. Manage Your Time and Expectations

Time blindness can be a massive challenge in ADHD. If you experience this, you might often underestimate the time needed to finish something or misjudge how much time you’ve spent on an activity.

You can set alarms when you’re taking breaks or doing alternative activities. These alarms can help you keep track of time and remind you to return to your task.

5. Celebrate Your Progress and Wins

Creating rewards to celebrate your progress and accomplishments is a great way to stay motivated and make a dreadful task seem more exciting and fun.

This reward doesn’t have to be something expensive or extravagant. Simple pleasures, like ordering your favorite foods or taking a hot bath or nap, can be just as special.

6. Turns Tasks into Mini-Games

“Gamifying” mundane tasks can help boost your motivation, making you less likely to avoid or procrastinate. This technique involves applying gaming elements to your everyday tasks.

For example, you can “race against the clock” when doing boring chores like folding clothes.

Alternatively, you can assign points to each task, which you collect as you complete them. At the end of the week, you can “redeem” these accumulated points for various rewards that are valued individually.

Apps like Habitica or Forest can also help you gamify tasks, improve focus, and reduce procrastination.

Gamifying tasks is one way to make things more interesting and activate your brain’s “hyperfocus” mode!

7. Hone in on a Few Tasks

You might procrastinate because that’s too much to do, which leaves you feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed. In this case, aim to cross out two or three things a day.

You can also color-code your to-do list, with the most urgent tasks in red. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the number of tasks you have to do, focus on completing these red tasks before anything else.

If your tasks are of similar priority, you can assign them all a number. Then, use a dice or random number generator; whichever number you get is the task you should work on first.

Breaking the Cycle of Shame, Guilt, and Procrastination

Ultimately, what you say and believe about yourself can influence your actions. Try to stay aware of how you speak to yourself.

Seeking professional help can also be effective. ADHD therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can teach you how to replace unhelpful thinking patterns of shame and guilt with more useful mindsets.

ADHD procrastination isn’t something you have to beat alone, and joining a community can be a great way to build a support system.

ADDA+ is one such community where you can connect with other adult ADHDers who have walked in your shoes and can provide advice based on their experiences. This serves as a safe space for you to find support and practical tips as you learn to overcome different challenges and achieve your goals!

References

[1] Oguchi, M., Takahashi, T., Nitta, Y., & Kumano, H. (2021). The Moderating Effect of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms on the Relationship Between Procrastination and Internalizing Symptoms in the General Adult Population. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708579

[2] Volkow, N. D., Wang, G-J., Newcorn, J. H., Kollins, S. H., Wigal, T. L., Telang, F., Fowler, J. S., Goldstein, R. Z., Klein, N., Logan, J., Wong, C., & Swanson, J. M. (2010). Motivation deficit in ADHD is associated with dysfunction of the dopamine reward pathway. Molecular Psychiatry, 16(11), 1147–1154. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2010.97

[3] Niermann, H. C., & Scheres, A. (2014). The relation between procrastination and symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in undergraduate students. International journal of methods in psychiatric research, 23(4), 411–421. https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1440