Procrastination, defined as the voluntary yet irrational delay of intended tasks and actions despite awareness of likely negative outcomes, is arguably the most common complaint among adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Research suggests that up to 95% of adults with ADHD chronically struggle with completing tasks and responsibilities in a timely way, which significantly impairs occupational, academic, financial, and interpersonal functioning.
The high prevalence of procrastination signs among the ADHD population likely stems from the underlying neurological deficits in executive functioning skills such as organization, prioritization, working memory, and impulse control.
These areas of cognitive dysfunction, combined with problems regulating negative emotions, make it extremely difficult for adults with ADHD to get started, stay focused, and push through to complete tasks that seem boring, challenging, or anxiety-provoking.
Instead, those with ADHD tend to continually delay responsible duties in favor of pursuing more instantly pleasurable activities – often resulting in last-minute rushed efforts to meet deadlines or forgetting responsibilities altogether.
This article explores various reasons for procrastination in adult ADHD as well as science-based strategies to improve productivity and functioning.
What is Procrastivity?
Procrastivity refers to the common phenomenon where an individual makes plans to engage in high-priority responsibilities needed to reach a goal but instead engages in less urgent activities when faced with following through.
For example:
Imran intended to wake up early on Saturday morning to work on his taxes ahead of the looming deadline. However, once Saturday morning arrives, he snoozes his alarm, then suddenly changes plans and decides to reorganize his closet and go grocery shopping instead.
These procrastivity tasks, although useful, divert time and mental resources away from more pressing tasks, also known as “self-defeating productivity.”
Adults with ADHD frequently fall into traps of procrastivity when they hit mental barriers with primary tasks. By examining what makes procrastivity endeavors feel more readily achievable despite being lower priorities, strategies can be generated to help pivot focus back to main tasks.
Facets That Make Procrastivity Appealing
There are several elements that seem to make putting off high-priority tasks for procrastivity tasks appealing:
Familiarity – Procrastivity tasks often involve well-practiced routines around manual, clerical activities like household chores rather than new learning. Higher priority tasks usually require more cognitively demanding mental focus. Familiarity signifies competence.
Clarity – Procrastivity tasks appear simpler with clearer cause-and-effect chains. There is less uncertainty about the time, effort, and process required to complete procrastivity tasks compared to more complex priorities.
Actionability – Because procrastivity tasks tend to involve repetitive physical actions, there is a clear sense of being able to take the next step that spurs engagement. Less familiar primary tasks often lack obvious starting points.
Progress – Incremental progress tends to be easier to visually track with procrastivity tasks, creating a sense of momentum. Primary tasks often involve delayed results after sustained effort.
Endpoints – Procrastivity tasks usually have a defined stopping point, allowing a sense of accomplishment and closure within a foreseeable timeline. Necessary priorities seem endless.
These facets make putting less important things first feel more within reach. Using these features as a blueprint when tackling necessary tasks can help pivot behavior.
ADHD and Chronic Procrastination
There are multiple overlapping ADHD difficulties that set the stage for chronic struggles with procrastination. The most commonly cited reasons include:
Executive Dysfunction
- Poor organization make it hard to order steps needed to begin complex, multi-layered tasks
- Impaired working memory makes it hard to hold on to and sequence steps to follow through after starting
- Weak mental flexibility frequently derails forward momentum when inevitable obstacles arise
- Poor regulation of attention makes it hard to screen out digital and environmental disturbances.
Emotional Dysregulation
- Amotivation and hesitation to engage in tedious tasks due to learned feelings of frustration, anxiety, and uncertainty about one’s abilities
- Discomfort with mental strain and sustained expenditure of effort leads to prematurely abandoning duties
- Fears of failure or imperfection due to past difficulties establish an avoidance pattern with similar tasks
Impulsiveness
- Acting on urges for instant gratification leads to frequent derailment of work routines to pursue more pleasurable escapes
- Difficulties with regulating emotions or modulating arousal levels often facilitates rash re-directions
These ADHD deficits typically do not resolve fully with age; in fact, research indicates executive functioning impairments actually expand through the transition into adulthood.
Young adults report dramatic struggles when adolescents’ external supports around time and priorities fall away in college or independent living.
Impact on Functioning
When left unaddressed, chronic procrastination can snowball, creating cumulative problems across major domains of functioning. Common problematic outcomes include:
- Work/Career: Lateness, missed deadlines, unfinished projects, and perceivable laziness hamper job stability, promotion prospects, employability, and financial stability when individuals get fired or quit roles.
- Academics: Incomplete assignments and lack of study routines frequently cause failing grades, suspended financial aid, academic probation, and increased student loan burdens if forced to repeat failed courses. Dropping out may occur.
- Finances: Fines and fees accumulate from late credit card/loan payments, missed income tax deadlines or unfiled paperwork around insurance claims or other administrative duties. Quickly spiraling debt is common.
- Relationships: Friends and family members perceive the person as unreliable due to forgotten obligations, broken promises, missed events, or backing out of plans at the last minute due to incomplete tasks. Resentment and distrust build in relationships.
- Mental Health: Repeated failure experiences generate intense feelings of depression, anxiety, shame, self-loathing, low confidence, and despair. Burnouts can also occur.
- Physical Health: Physical self-care routines like doctor appointments, taking medication consistently, exercise routines, and healthy eating fall by the wayside when mental resources focus solely on urgent matters. Sleep suffers without routines.
In summation, chronic procrastination for those with ADHD has deleterious downstream effects that cascade across nearly all major life areas, severely reducing overall wellness and quality of life.
Methods to Overcome ADHD Procrastination
Establishing structure around how time and priorities are managed is essential to mitigate chronic procrastination. However, due to the neurological basis of executive functioning deficits in ADHD, purely behavioral interventions are rarely sustainable.
Combining cognitive and emotional regulation skills with external compensations typically has the best outcomes.
Environmental Supports
Because adults with ADHD often have limited introspective awareness around time passing and how on or off task they are, external sound, visual, and tactile cues are vital prompts to pivot focus. Options include:
- Smartphone alarms/alerts for scheduling start times, reminders of next steps, intervals for brief stretch breaks, notifications to transition between tasks and log-off times
- Visual timers showing elapsed time dedicated to a task helps gauge progress and recalibrate lagging energy. Useful for work blocks and breaks.
- White noise/music playlists helps narrow external distractions during focus times
- Wall calendars/planners, white boards, post its marked with dated to-do lists etc. all make responsibilities tangible and cued
If you work at a desk, you could put post-it notes of tasks you need to do around your monitor screen. This way, they are always in your line of sight, and you can physically remove the post-it note once the task has been completed.
Light Physical Anchors
Simple physical sensations can serve as useful anchors indicating needing to initiate a new task or shift back to work mode. For example:
- Moving to a different chair or location dedicated for work/study routines
- Putting on noise cancelling headphones or other wearable item worn just for work mode
- Sipping from a distinctive mug, water bottle or snacking from a dedicated plate reserved just for getting tasks done
Accountability Partners
Connecting with others helps to galvanize follow-through on difficult tasks. Useful approaches involve:
- Study groups to maintain motivation for academic routines
- Body doubling – have friends or even paid professionals work alongside, in person or virtually for complex projects
- Working from communal office spaces or libraries heightens social pressures to avoid non-work related internet temptations
- Sharing work calendars allows others to check on dynamic progress and provide encouragement
Managing Cognitive and Emotional Barriers
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques could equip individuals with ways to dismantle mental roadblocks both before and as they arise:
Prepare for Common Rationalizations
- Predict typical self-talk patterns that enable procrastination: “I work best under pressure” or “The task is too boring.”
Address Perfectionism
- Counter notions that conditions must be “perfectly comfortable” to start through cost/benefit analyses of delays
Reframe Tasks as Accomplishable
- Break overwhelming duties down into subtasks framed as experiments lasting concentrated bits of time – “I will work solely on this report for just 20 minutes.”
Set Process Goals Over Outcome Goals
- Define highly specific next steps rather than preoccupying with a final product. Track small units of engagement. For example, instead of saying, “I want to finish my project,” reframe this to say, “I will aim to complete 1 hour of research for my project today.”
Allow Flexibility with Task Routines
- Permit shifting between subtask items to harness bursts of motivation across lower priority items when energy lulls. For example, make a list of tasks you want to do, then complete the easiest ones first to get the ball of motivation rolling.
Anticipate Emotional Triggers
- Note bodily cues, self-talk patterns, and situations that spur frustration, uncertainty, and the urge to escape difficult aspects of priority tasks.
Apply Emotion Regulation Tactics
- When negative sensations arise, use tactical breathing, mindfulness practices, taking structured pauses to self-soothe before continuing OR strategic avoidance by switching to lower stakes aspects of responsibilities.
Self-Compassion Over Self-Criticism
When setbacks occur, frame lapses matter-of-factly as information gaining about personal productively patterns rather than evidence of personal inadequacy. Analyze context clues about barriers that arose and problem-solve adjustments. Each brief re-start back to duties after distraction builds self-regulatory strength.
ADHD coach Caren Magill encourages us to reflect on why exactly we want to complete certain tasks:
“Forcing yourself to do things is something we all have to do in life to some degree, but there’s a lot of things we force ourselves to do that are unnecessary or that we just think other people want us to do or that we think we should do to be a good person and it’s really good to question those things.”
“How badly do you really want this thing?… If you were to just put it down and walk away, how would that make you feel inside? Does that give you a little sense of freedom, or does it give you a sense of self-betrayal?”
Caren Magill, ADHD Coach
Weekly rhythms
One of the key strategies that Karen McGill recommends for improving productivity and overcoming procrastination is establishing a weekly rhythm or routine.
This involves assigning specific tasks or activities to each day of the week, creating a consistent structure that reduces decision fatigue and cognitive load.
Implementing a Weekly Routine:
- Identify your core tasks or responsibilities: Make a list of the essential tasks you need to accomplish each week, such as content creation, meetings, errands, or self-care activities.
- Assign tasks to specific days: Allocate each task to a particular day of the week based on your energy levels, preferences, and external deadlines. For example, you might dedicate Mondays to content creation, Tuesdays to meetings, and Wednesdays to administrative tasks.
- Be consistent: Stick to your assigned tasks each day, allowing them to become a habit over time. Consistency is key to reducing the mental effort required to initiate and complete tasks.
- Allow for flexibility: While maintaining a consistent routine, be open to making adjustments as needed based on changing priorities or unforeseen circumstances.
By implementing a weekly rhythm or routine, individuals with ADHD can create an external structure that supports their productivity, reduces cognitive load, and helps them progress towards their goals more consistently.
Cultivating Positive Motivation and Self-Efficacy
Adults with ADHD don’t just face challenges with organization and handling mental and emotional obstacles when doing tasks. They also deal with constant tiredness, embarrassment, and negative views of themselves because of their ongoing struggles. These issues can really hurt their motivation as time goes on.
It’s crucial for them to purposely develop more positive attitudes, take responsibility, and look for proof that goes against thoughts like “I’ll never be able to change.” Doing this is absolutely necessary to make progress.
1. Set Activity Level Goals Not Outcome Goals
Instead of worrying so much about finishing actual work products, focus mainly on noting small actions that show you’re working on the task. Seeing even tiny signs that you’re making progress is really effective at rebuilding motivation that was damaged by past failures and setbacks.
Example: Instead of a goal to "finish my 10-page paper," set a goal to "write for 30 minutes tonight"
2. Collect Accountability Data
Keeping track of how you carry out small steps in a task gives you solid evidence against dramatic, emotional beliefs that you’re incapable of reaching your goals. Basic notes about bits of work you did can disprove devastating thoughts like “I can never follow through” that crush your motivation.
When you have setbacks, think of them as chances to practice rather than signs that you’re fundamentally flawed. Talk to yourself in a way that emphasizes how mistakes are unavoidable for everyone, not proof that you have unfixable personal failings.
Think about whether you would tell your best friend there was something inherently wrong with them if they forgot something. Hopefully, you wouldn’t – so try to afford yourself the same kindness.
Example: Note in a bullet journal spending 15 minutes reviewing sources before writing, checking off incremental progress
3. Reconnect With Core Values
Frequently reminding yourself how boring tasks connect to your core values and principles can give you a boost of energy to keep going, especially during dull parts of big projects. Putting up quotes, pictures, and other physical reminders linked to those deeper meanings is a good way to keep that sense of purpose alive.
Example: Display an inspirational quote on value of education near desk as a reminder of why completing a degree matters
4. Ongoing Skill Development and Relapse Prevention
Difficulties with mental skills like planning and organization, along with trouble making good habits automatic, both play a role in the ongoing back-and-forth pattern of challenges with following through for adults who have ADHD. This happens even when they truly want to change their behavior and are trying their best.
Completely accepting the reality that progress will involve taking two steps forward and one step back because of how ADHD affects the brain helps build emotional resilience to keep going. Thoughtfully looking at occasional slips for chances to do better gives a sense of control, rather than feeling helpless and giving up.
Example: "I got distracted after 10 minutes of writing, but that's 10 more minutes than if I hadn't tried at all"
5. Expect Setbacks But Stay the Course
Accepting as a neutral fact that your organizational strategies and self-control methods for managing ADHD will sometimes fail or get blocked can help you keep going after a frustrating procrastination setback, instead of completely giving up on your approach.
Giving yourself a tiny, kind pep talk before refocusing cuts down on feelings of shame. When you’re overwhelmed with too much to do, take a quick pause and choose the smallest, simplest part to start with. This is the key turning point to get back into your work flow and prevent a full ADHD relapse.
Example: When late for work again, say to self "ADHD makes this hard but I will keep trying strategies to get out the door earlier"
6. Refine But Don’t Reinvent After Stumbles
Instead of seeing occasional failures to use helpful strategies as a sign that your entire approach is fatally flawed, investigate to figure out specific weak points that need improvement.
Typical issues include not having good enough reminders, trying to do too much work before getting tired, and spaces that don’t fit well with the type of task.
Looking for ways to strengthen the structure you already have in place can help you maintain your strategies over the long run.
Example: Buying multiple phone chargers after missing alarm when phone died to avoid overreacting and abandoning alarm use altogether
7. Probing for Patterns Actively Curbs Relapse Triggers
Purposely taking notes on details surrounding procrastination setbacks reveals patterns about situations where you have the most trouble, and the kinds of obstacles that happen most often.
Writing down the goals you put off, the distracting activities that steal your attention, and the thoughts, emotions and life circumstances that go along with them gives valuable info. You can use these insights to improve your coping strategies.
The notes are also powerful tools to help you ask for better accommodations at work or school and more understanding from people in your life. Showing that you’re aware of how ADHD gets in your way tells others that it’s about brain differences, not lack of effort or caring.
Example: Journaling about when and why sidetracked from tasks unveils tendency to struggle after lunch break needs a revised routine
8. Meaningfully Connecting With Community
Intentionally talking about helpful lessons from your wins, setbacks, and self-advocacy with other neurodivergent communities fights feelings of being alone and shows that your struggles are normal.
Connecting over relatable experiences creates opportunities for accountability buddies. Sharing motivating examples of people who are doing well and living creatively despite similar difficulties with mental skills like planning and focus pushes back against stigma and shame from society’s stereotypes.
These stories are uplifting and teach strategies for turning goals and dreams into reality when you have executive functioning challenges.
Example: Joining ADHD Facebook groups to share ideas about task gamification that improved video game design work momentum
Conclusion
In summary:
- Chronic procrastination in ADHD stems from executive functioning deficits and emotional regulation barriers interfering with motivation and follow-through.
- Creating structured external support systems is vital – environmental cues, prompts, timers etc. – to compensate for neurological barriers.
- Build skills for framing tasks in doable chunks tracked via process goals rather than preoccupation with final outcomes. Use emotional regulation tactics to manage discomfort or uncertainty.
- Frequently analyze periods of backsliding neutrally as information gaining about unique personal patterns. Refine approaches based on lessons learned about specific vulnerabilities.
- Radically accept the inevitability of periodic setbacks given the ADHD challenges with automaticity around habits. Stress growth mindset building through resilience.
- Share stories about failures and successes openly with ADHD communities to combat isolation and build useful partnerships. Model creative adaptation.
These kinds of difficulties with day-to-day functioning are really common, so it’s important to be kind to yourself about them.
Figuring out what obstacles you’re likely to face ahead of time helps you feel more in control. It lets you break your goals down into doable steps, even though how your brain works can get in the way sometimes.
References
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Bolden, J., & Fillauer, J. P. (2020). “Tomorrow is the busiest day of the week”: Executive functions mediate the relation between procrastination and attention problems. Journal of American College Health, 68(8), 854-863. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2019.1626399
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, 708579. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708579
Ramsay, J. R. (2017). The relevance of cognitive distortions in the psychosocial treatment of adult ADHD. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(1), 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000101
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