Getting Started When You Have ADHD - Learn To Overcome Action Paralysis & Procrastination
Having ADHD can feel like you are trapped in a paralyzed body.
You may be brimming with intelligence and talent, but there is an immense struggle to put this potential into action. Even if you gain momentum, interruptions can completely kill your pace, and you are likely to feel the same paralysis when you switch from one task to another.
Action paralysis is a consequence of executive dysfunction and is one of the hardest symptoms to explain because it defies all reason. You know what needs to be done, everything is crystal clear, and your environment is perfectly prepared, but you still can't make the first step no matter what.
This article will provide multiple strategies designed to trick your brain into starting tasks and overcoming action paralysis and ADHD-related procrastination.
Break The Work Into Absurdly Small Pieces
Why do you spend so much time on social media?
The dopamine rush, mild enjoyment, and the habit you've developed along the way are all plausible reasons. However, all of this starts because it's very accessible. All you have to do is pick up your phone, and in 5 seconds, you get access to instant stimulation. The barrier to entry toward the task is insanely low.
This is how social media, video games, and TV work. Unfortunately, most tasks in real life don't function in the same way. They operate based on the principle of delayed gratification. You put in hard work and endure stress, discomfort, and boredom before getting rewarded.
This doesn’t really work for ADHD brains most of the time because you have higher needs for stimulation. So, you are more likely to crave activities with immediate gratification over the pursuit of long-term goals, even if the latter option is in your best interest.
This is where task breaking enters.
When most people think of task-breaking, they imagine the following - you have an essay to write, so you separate the project into three parts, consisting of research, writing, and editing.
However, the task-breaking I am talking about encourages splitting the project into absurdly small fragments. Writing can be broken further into opening your device, removing all other applications and distractions, writing down the title, writing the first and second sentences, and finishing the first paragraph.
Don't worry. You don't have to split the whole project into two thousand parts.
Task breaking is most important in the beginning and when you begin to feel overwhelmed or freeze at some point when working. The point is to reduce your discomfort when starting a task, turning it from an intimidating and challenging obstacle to a comically small action that you can’t help but get started with.
Furthermore, by shortening the effort required for each task, you can more quickly get gratification and a feeling of accomplishment. This is important for building momentum. If, in half an hour, you have completed four tasks out of ten on the list, that's much more motivating than still working on the first part out of three on your project.
You will make the task more manageable and stimulating, but it won't suddenly become equally enjoyable as a video game session. Don't go into task-breaking expecting life-altering miracles. Still, you are making the gap smaller, and that's good enough.
You can break down tasks by picking a single goal, project, or assignment and separating them into smaller chunks. The smaller tasks should be highly specific and contain an active verb, exemplifying the action you should take to start. The end goal should be a set of tasks so small and trivial that not starting and finishing at least a few would feel absurd.
You can break down tasks into smaller tasks or into smaller chunks of time. If you only have one task, which can't be broken down into different smaller tasks, then it's better to break it down into time slots. For example, if you want to revise for an upcoming exam instead of going lecture by lecture, then separate the three hours you have into 5 min segments and then gradually make them longer.
Smaller and more manageable tasks, which are action-based and specific, make working more accessible. However, for best results, you should also remove any other barriers that create resistance, unnecessary inconvenience, and distance from you and the task. This means having the right environment, necessary tools, and any other barrier taken care of.
Examples:
1. Write a 12-page research paper - You begin very small by creating the research document itself, putting articles, scientific literature, books, and other sources in a folder to check out later, and then reading the first one before a break. The next five tasks would be to read one source each time. Nothing gigantic. The whole point is to pick up momentum and warm up before writing.
2. Deep clean the house - The task can be separated into rooms - living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, outdoor areas, garage, etc. After that, you can break it down even further. The living room includes dusting all the furniture, wiping clean electronics, vacuuming the carpet, and cleaning the floor, windows, and window sills. If any one of the tasks you start with takes more than 5 minutes, you can fragment it even further.
Use The Zeigarnik Effect
According to Bluma Zeigarnik, who studied the effect, people remember and return more easily to tasks perceived as unfinished and interrupted rather than brand-new goals, projects, and challenges (1)
Visualization is one of the most commonly used ways to access the benefit. You close your eyes, take a few deep breaths (double inhale into a long exhale), and after ten breaths, begin to imagine how you are already in the middle of the task. Doing that along with gentle mantras ("I will pick up from where I left off," "I've already started, now it's time to continue," etc.) can be enough to get you started.
Unfortunately, visualization isn't effective for many people with ADHD. Some anecdotal stories of executive dysfunction may be aphantasia, which is an inability to create and imagine mental images. So, having ADHD can mean your mind's eye is missing, or you just generally struggle to keep your attention inside your mind, making visualization an unreliable technique.
Thankfully, there is an easier way to take advantage of the Zeigarnik effect without entering a trance. You can intentionally do tasks in a way that leaves them finished halfway through.
For example, if you have a research assignment, you can leave a few paragraphs and sentences halfway written to make it easier to get started again. Similarly, if you want to clean the house, you can leave a few windows not fully cleaned, so it very visibly bugs your eyes.
You probably know of the Pomodoro technique, where you intentionally limit your time in one work session with an app. The standard version consists of manually putting a timer or using an application where you work for 20 to 25 minutes and rest for 5 to 10 minutes. There is always an option to adjust based on how much time it takes to get into the flow of work and how much rest you want relative to effort.
If you can make using an app a habit, it can be an excellent way to overcome action paralysis. If you see the timer slowly counting down, you will get a slowly growing sense of urgency and scarcity, which can be enough to get you started. The underlooked aspect of the Pomodoro technique is its Zeigarnik component.
Most of the time, the ringing of the timer won't perfectly connect with the end of each small task you've set for yourself. This can be frustrating because your flow gets interrupted, but this can actually be a good thing. The more annoyed you are at the interruption, the easier it becomes to finish what was already started before the break. It is even better if you leave an unfinished task for the next day.
Try The 5 Second Rule
Pioneered and commercialized by Mel Robbins, the 5-second rule feels like a typical productivity scam by trying to offer outstanding results with little to no effort.
This is what I was thinking until I started doing it.
The five-second rule simply states that if you want to do something, you should stop overthinking it and instead count from 1 to 5 or vice versa and then immediately start once the countdown ends.
If you struggle to start with something, it's because your mind is stuck in procrastination mode, where inaction is easier than action. Counting from one to five stops distractions, excuses, and other unhelpful thoughts by focusing your energy on the countdown. More importantly, there is a clear deadline before taking action, creating an immediate sense of urgency.
As with any other rule of thumb - practice makes perfect. The more you use the 5-second rule successfully, the more automatically you begin to associate the countdown with an intense need to take action immediately. From a bias towards procrastination and inaction, you move towards a bias for action.
Personally, I practiced it while working out at home. I'd count to five during my strength training session before starting a set. Throughout the day, when I get stiff and rusty from sitting, I will pace around and do lunges with a count from 1 to 5 before doing a repetition of the movement.
I found physical movement, like doing a squat, getting up from the bed, getting into the shower, drinking a glass of water, or putting my phone on top of a high shelf, to work best as practice for the habit.
This is because you can immediately move your body, get started, and achieve results. They can all be done with low effort, and the task is very specific, making it easy to follow through.
It is more tricky with knowledge-based tasks, like starting your research on a project, but I find it can work equally well if you follow the first strategy for breaking down tasks.
Unfortunately, I have yet to become a robot who can utter the magical countdown and get started with every single task bothering me. Sometimes, I use it almost every single day. It becomes fully automatic, and procrastination is less of an issue. Other times, I somehow forget about it for more than two weeks.
The repetition I am talking about doesn't have to be linear and perfectly consistent. Using the the strategy once in a while is much better than trying to use it every single day, and giving up when it doesn’t work out the way you planned.
As with anything else ADHD-related, if you hear something very often, it may begin to lose its importance and sense of urgency. To prevent this problem, you can adjust the countdown. You can switch to a five-to-one countdown or experiment with different numbers (10 to 5)to keep it novel if needed.
Learn To Slow Down
The ADHD brain is more prone to go through the extremes of action-taking - mode one is being totally detached and unable to get anything started, while mode two is full immersion with no ability to stop once you have begun.
Since the two action modes are vastly different, naturally, it takes some time to transition from one to the other. After all, your brain likely prefers to converse energy by staying in one mode of thought and action unless necessary to make a change.
Tasks appear challenging in the beginning, not because you are incapable of dealing with them, but because your brain needs time to get familiar with the requirements and immerse itself into the workflow. Much like how your body and muscles work, you need a warm-up before hitting your peak and pushing the limits.
Let's imagine you have a freelance project, research paper, or any other passion project or task with a deadline that isn't in the near future. To simplify, let's also imagine you are tracking your work in Pomodoro segments.
If your standard is 40 mins of work and 10 mins of resting at your peak, you can't start like this. Instead, you will work 5 minutes and rest 10, then work 10 minutes and rest 10, then work 15 minutes and rest 5, and so on and forth until you have warmed up enough.
You know that when hyper-focused and in the zone, you can do more work than most other people.
I like to think that everything has a price, and in this case, your brain's ability to hyper-focus requires a charging period before you can go at full intensity. You can more effectively fire up if you practice other slowing-down exercises, like the ones we discussed in the article about hyperactivity and impulse control.
Bonus Strategies
Here is a short review of additional tricks you can try to get started with work.
Find An Accountability Partner
If you had to go to the gym by yourself, you might have a 15-minute back and forth in your mind before finding an excuse to stay home. However, if you have a gym buddy, you need to be there on time to spot them and keep them company. Very often, having a person with you can make all the difference.
Getting a friend to help you start a task can shift the perception from having the option to start to having no option but to start. For example, knowing in 4 hours, your studying partner will call you to catch up, setting up a workout outside with your gym partner, or inviting guests over to your home, so you are forced to clean out the whole house.
The social pressure can get even more intense if you are studying together in the same room or working on the same video call because, at any moment, they can turn around and inspect just how much you have done so far. It works even better with friends and people who are not afraid to call you out if you are avoiding work because you can't make excuses.
The Rockstar Documentary
This is an alternative way to have an accountability check when you don't have anyone to work with because you try to create social pressure by yourself.
Imagine you are a famous person whose life is documented by a crew looking to gather footage of you. If you are into visualization, you can imagine the room is filled with people looking into the project you are working on.
If you struggle with that, you can get creative get your phone to record you working. Even better if you start an actual recording where you are shown working in silence.
There is no pressure to be insanely productive, only to do something so the crew has footage of you working. You will likely eventually slip into the zone by pretending to work and getting started on small tasks.
Verbalize Your Thoughts When Procrastinating
People with ADHD often struggle to clearly voice out their thoughts and intentions. Aphantasia (lack of internal voice) is sometimes seen overlapping with ADHD, as we previously mentioned.
You can overcome this struggle by talking out loud. Be clear and straightforward in asking yourself what is going on in a particular situation and what you should be doing, and give yourself instructions on each step of the way.
If you feel deranged talking to yourself, talk to your pet, or make voice recordings of your intentions. It's easier to start if you know where you are going and what you should be doing. Also, the more you talk, the more you shut off the counter-productive thoughts pushing you in the opposite direction.
Key Takeaways
Action paralysis is not your typical procrastination. It is a unique setback in people with ADHD due to executive dysfunction.
You can be ready to work, set up in an optimal environment, with no other pressing concerns to distract you, and still struggle to get started.
This is why each of the strategies given above is designed to work around action paralysis by creating urgency, priming you for action, and helping you to reduce resistance.
