Many productivity hacks for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) sound good, but most ADHDers struggle to relate. They’ll buy the books, read the blog, and think, “Isn’t this pretty obvious?” Or say, “This sounds like it might work for someone else…maybe someone more neurotypical.” Feeling lost, many ADHD adults are stuck craving something. Just one concrete skill that actually works to help them manage their ADHD. While learning about ways to block out time or mastering the Pomodoro Technique can help, there are some less frequently discussed coping strategies that might surprise you.
Why do ADHDers struggle with productivity?
Excessive Procrastination
Many ADHD adults struggle with activating tasks that they find boring or mundane. They struggle to look ahead and break things down into smaller parts. This causes a “paralysis” that triggers them to do any task other than the one they need to get started on.
Working Memory Impairments
Due to impairments in working memory, many ADHD adults simply forget what they need to do. They struggle with keeping the goal (or the task that will help them reach that goal) in mind.
Loss of Motivation
ADHD adults struggle with internal motivation. While this can cause procrastination, it can also result in a collapse of effort toward a larger goal. The emotions that should be triggering a person to keep up their motivation can fail, especially if the task loses novelty or interest.
3 “Off-Label” Productivity Hacks for ADHD Adults
Avoid Toxicity in Your Life
Toxicity in life takes many forms. This could mean toxic people. Toxic work cultures. Toxic habits. Many people don’t always identify what part of their lives is draining their energy. But it’s often something toxic. The problem is, ADHDers only have so much energy to give. And if their energy is being drained by something toxic, there is less of it available for things like paperwork. The best way to figure this out is to have a good hard look at your life and identify where your energy is going all day. Then you can start thinking about boundaries.
Set Reasonable Goals
Sometimes we’re stuck because our goals are too big. Dreams can be big. But there can be many smaller goals toward a larger dream. Because when goals are too lofty to complete in the time allotted, many ADHD folks can get stuck in gridlock. To fix this one: lower your expectations, run goals by others, and look back at the past to see if you’ve set similar timelines for similar goals and think about what the result was. Not getting started wastes more time than taking things step by step.
Have Fun
Adding some more fun to your life might seem counterintuitive to productivity. However, doing things that are fun (not just as a reward), will help you increase the energy store available to do the things that are not so fun. So live a little.
Begin Adult ADHD Treatment in Columbus, Ohio
You don’t have to live your life feeling behind. ADHD-focused counseling can help you feel more present. Our counseling practice in Columbus, Ohio has caring therapists who specialize in ADHD Treatment. To start your counseling journey, follow these simple steps:
- Fill out the contact form to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.
- Meet with one of our caring therapists.
- Stop feeling frozen. Start moving forward.
Other ADHD Services Offered at Focused Mind ADHD Counseling
Adult ADHD treatment is not the only service we offer at our Columbus, OH counseling practice. At Focused Mind ADHD Counseling, we offer a variety of mental health services including ADHD testing. As an adult with ADHD, we know you may also benefit from anxiety treatment for ADHD, counseling for men with ADHD, or depression counseling for ADHD. You can also view our blog for more resources and helpful info!
