Ugh, I just can't motivate: Strategies for ADHD

You’ve gotten out your calendar, chunked your projects into manageable pieces and mapped out your tasks. Now, you just have to get started. And that can be a huge hurdle.

Even though you know you need to complete certain tasks and you may really want to complete them, your ADHD interferes and you can’t seem to get started. As I mentioned in my previous article, people with ADHD have lower activity in the reward centers of their brain, so it takes more to motivate them. This explains why they’re suddenly able to focus on something when they’ve left it to the last possible moment and the stress kicks in. 

So what motivates the ADHD brain? Recently, I read a response to the question of how to motivate a teen with ADHD (link below). The advice centered on five factors that motivate a person with ADHD. I’d like to expand on the author’s response and apply it to self motivation.

Five Factors That Launch You into Action

Be Original

One factor is novelty. It lights up that reward center in our brain. So one technique for kicking yourself into action is to imagine how to make a task a little unconventional. That can be a challenge with things like filling out forms or unloading the dishwasher, but it can be done. Just ask yourself, “How can I make this more unique?” Let’s say that you have to write a report for school or work. How about writing it from a different perspective? I could write this article from the perspective of the brain, as in “I know we have to do this Suzanne, but I’m not going to make it through unless you spice it up a bit, girl”. I could also write, at least my draft, in different colors or fonts with each paragraph. You get the idea.

Make it a Necessity

A second motivating factor is urgency. Unless you love the panic and stress of waiting until the night before a deadline, I would encourage you to create a different kind of urgency. I want you to ask yourself “Why must I do this now?” and go beyond the simple (my boss told me to) to the deeper reasons. In my case, nobody is telling me that I have to write this article and I’ll be honest, I have to psyche myself up to do this because it feels overwhelming at times. But when I tap into the reasons that compel me, such as my strong desire to help people understand and cope with ADHD, and combine it with the urgency of knowing that if I don’t make an effort, I won’t get to fulfill my desire to help others and earn some money, I can coax myself into action.

Captivate Yourself

Interest is the third factor that motivates the ADHD brain. It ties into novelty, but not all novel things are interesting enough to hold our attention. Finding interest in mundane tasks can be a huge challenge and frankly we can’t always muster up our curiosity. I have a strong interest in this topic, but what if I were filling out my tax forms? Honestly, I’d rather have a cavity filled. Maybe I can’t make it more interesting from an intellectual perspective, but I could set up a really cool space to work in or buy some flashy folders and markers to use. Maybe I could save up some money to pay someone else to do them.

Bring Out the Champion Inside

Lest I lose your interest, I’m going to move on to number four-competition. For those who are naturally competitive, this will come more easily. But even laid back folks like me can come up with a challenge, even if it’s only against ourselves. This can be as simple as setting a time limit or as complex as working toward an accuracy or rating goal. Just be realistic and keep your priorities in mind when setting the challenge. Sometimes our perfectionism can keep us working on something long after it’s done.

Don't Forget to Have Fun!

Last but not least is enjoyment. That’s easy for things we naturally enjoy, but what about those taxes? Could you play some music or order your favorite take out while you work? How about dancing while you do the dishes? Or maybe recording your thoughts and ideas for that project while taking a long walk?

Motivation, is a challenge for people with ADHD. By activating one or all of these five factors, you can give yourself that boost to get started. Simply ask yourself, “How can I bring more novelty, urgency, interest, challenge and/or enjoyment to the task at hand?” because sometimes it’s up to us to get creative.

Suzanne Leon is a Certified Professional Coach who works with people affected by ADHD/ADD. Visit her website to learn more about the services she provides.

http://www.chadd.org/Understanding-ADHD/For-Parents-Caregivers/Teens/Parenting-Teens-with-ADHD/Questions-and-Answers.aspx