How to Overcome Procrastination with ADHD

If you’re looking for how to overcome procrastination with ADHD, then you’ve come to the right place (it says so right in the title, see?), so here are a few ways to tackle it. 

I also go more into detail about all of this in my brand new mini-course, Get That Thing Done, if you’d like to learn more from me directly.

So is procrastination a sign of ADHD? 

Not necessarily. Everyone procrastinates at one point or another, often as a form of avoidance. The thing that makes ADHD procrastination different is the chronicity of it. While someone without ADHD might put off a task for a couple days, someone with ADHD will most likely put that shit off until it either gets out of hand, or the deadline is staring them in the face. This will often be despite really, really wanting to get something finished, by the way.

That said, procrastination in itself is not a sign of ADHD, so please make sure to talk to a professional about the other symptoms you’re experiencing. 

BUT. Say that you do have ADHD and you can’t seem to get “on it.” What do you do? Well…

First: Figure out why procrastination happens

ADHD brains are complicated. We really, really like being busy, but we also struggle almost chronically with being unable to do things. 

If you’re like me (and if you’re here, I’m assuming you are), you’ve probably assumed that this is because you’re lazy, you’re “flakey,” or any other such adjective that describes either a turtle or a breakfast cereal. Either way, you haven’t allowed yourself to be human. 
Fact is, ADHD brains are just really, really in need of stimulation, and if your task isn’t stimulating enough, you’re going to be fighting with yourself often to do it. It’s like your brain is Marie Kondo and it’s decided to just toss out everything that doesn’t spark joy – except you need some of those things. So you need to look at what you’re going through, and try to figure out why it’s happening. The most popular reasons could be: 

ICNU

I’ve talked about ICNU before, and the short-and-short of it is that your brain isn’t finding your task interesting, challenging, novel, or urgent enough to bother with it. You can definitely attend to these problems, but recognizing that this can be a problem is your first step. 

You need something 

Sometimes, if a need isn’t being met, we’re going to struggle to find the motivation to do much of anything. What is it that you need? How are you feeling? Instead of batting down that thought that keeps rolling around in your head, examine it. It’s a good indicator of what you might need to attend to next in order for your brain to be able to move forward. 

You’re overwhelmed

ADHD brains get overwhelmed easily. And if what you’re trying to do feels too extensive, or if you don’t know exactly what to do next, then your brain is very likely to freeze up and not want to do anything. It needs to know where to go next in order to keep going. 

You’re just TIRED.

Let’s not forget that you could have been going without a break, and your brain or body (or both) are tired. There is nothing wrong with being tired, and you should absolutely take into account how hard you’ve been going lately, both physically and mentally. Because either (or both) can squeeze you dry without you even realizing it, and your energy is a very important resource.

Once you know your reason for your procrastination: 

Next: Work through it

Before you get all “OH IS THAT ALL I HAVE TO DO, ARIANNA, YOU WALKING CARBUNCLE?!” 

I’m not saying it’s simple. What I am saying is that, if you don’t work through your procrastination catalyst, you won’t be able to get started at all. So acknowledge the problem is there, then try to satisfy whatever the need is. 

If your problem is ICNU-based, try to add some I,C,N, or U. If you’re needing a peptalk or a sandwich or to draw a nasty picture of your boss, do that. If you’re overwhelmed, try to break things down into smaller pieces so that you don’t feel like you’re staring at a giant mess with no obvious next step. If you’re tired…well, if you’re sleepy, try to remedy that with an early bedtime, or if you’re having problems with sleep, try to see a professional if you can. 

If you’re fatigued, then: 

Lastly: Don’t forget that procrastination isn’t always a bad thing

Listen: getting things done is important, surely, but if you’re burnt out, you’re not going to get much done anyway. And the more exhausted you are, the more prone you are to things like anxiety, depression, frequent illness, and a host of other health issues. There’s no glory in suffering, and there’s nothing good that comes out of forcing yourself to struggle through what is your body and soul screaming  at you to take a break. 

So, in these moments, please try to remember that most things can wait a day, and that caring for yourself is just as productive as writing that massive report. 

Sometimes, procrastination is necessary, and you’re beyond worth that rest. 

Take care of yourself, and the rest will fall into place. 

And if you’re looking for some specific things to try, feel free to head over to take this simple-but-powerful mini course, Get That Thing Done. I made it just for people like us.