The Relationship Between ADHD and Procrastination

The Relationship Between ADHD and Procrastination ADHD Adult ADD/ADHD Print The Relationship Between ADHD and Chronic Procrastination By Keath Low Keath Low, MA, is a therapist and clinical scientist with the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina. She specializes in treatment of ADD/ADHD. Learn about our editorial policy Keath Low Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 02, 2020 ADHD Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Living With In Children PeopleImages / Getty Images Everyone procrastinates. When faced with a task that we just dont want to do, many of us will simply put it off until tomorrow. You might end up setting it aside until youre feeling less overwhelmed with all your other responsibilities, or you might simply wait until you have more energy to tackle the task on a new day. Problems can begin to occur, however, if you find that youre putting off and avoiding these tasks again and again and again and never getting to them tomorrow. Procrastination and ADHD Many adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle with chronic procrastination. This procrastination can cause problems at work when job responsibilities arent completed until the last minute.?? It can cause financial stress at home when balancing the checkbook is constantly delayed or when bills are paid late. And it can cause problems in relationships when you continue to put off others, making them feel unimportant. Here are some of the factors that can be at play in the relationship between ADHD and procrastination. The Psychology Behind Procrastination Problems Getting Started For an adult with ADHD, just getting started on a task can often be very difficult, particularly if that task isnt intrinsically interesting. When youre so distracted by outside stimuli, as well as internal thoughts, it can be hard to even make it to the starting line. Sometimes just figuring out where or how to start is the challenge. Problems with organization come into play as you struggle to prioritize, plan, and sequence tasks that need to be done to get started and stay on track. Getting Sidetracked Once you finally do get started, you may find that you quickly become sidetracked by something else more interesting, so your original task gets further delayed. It can be very difficult when you have ADHD to regulate your attention. Once youre able to get your attention focused on a task, you may find that its hard to sustain that attention as your mind wanders. It can be hard to stay alert, motivated, and on track when you arent very interested or stimulated by the task at hand. You may find that when tasks are particularly tedious or boring, you delay getting to them until the very last minute, at which point you either feel such pressure that you are able to motivate yourself to finally get started and complete the task, or you get stuck not completing the task at all and have to face the consequences. ADHD and Motivation Problems Last-Minute Propulsion Interestingly, for some people with ADHD, putting off things until the very last minute can create an emergency-type situationâ€"an urgency of sortsâ€"that helps propel you forward to successfully get the job done. The ?fast-approaching deadline (and the immediacy of the negative consequences that will follow if the deadline isnt met) helps you to focus and complete the task. The problem is that this urgency can create quite a bit of stress and anxiety that can take a tremendous toll on you, as well as those around you. Inevitably, these last-minute rush jobs also tend not to be as high quality as they might have been without such procrastination. A Sense of Paralysis and Feeling Overwhelmed On the other hand, you may experience a painful sense of paralysis when faced with a task or projectâ€"wanting to get started, but unable to make progress forward in any manner. You may experience a crushing sense of pressure. As much as you know that you need to get the job done, you just cant get moving. Impaired Sense of Time Sometimes its the impaired sense of time that leads to problems with getting tasks started. If you have trouble estimating the time it takes to complete a task, you might put it off, thinking youre allowing enough time to get it done. ADHD can make it difficult to track the passage of time as well,?? so you may find that those deadlines sneak up on you before you know it. Strategies for Managing Time If Youre an ADHD Adult Fear of Failure There can be a number of ADHD-related factors that lead to chronic procrastination, including distractibility, forgetfulness, disorganization, problems with prioritizing, sequencing, and time management. In addition, if you have experienced repeated frustrations on certain types of tasks, you may naturally avoid those tasks to avoid the negative feelings that working on those tasks can bring about. Sometimes there can be so much anxiety associated with starting the task that those feelings create an even greater obstacle. The fear of not doing the task correctly, fear of imperfection, and fear of failure can all add to the procrastination. 12 Ways to Finally Stop Chronic Procrastination