Procrastination and ADHD: What’s the Connection?

More Than an Excuse

It’s not just an excuse, however. ADHD is a chronic condition that interferes with the brain’s ability to function like those who are neurotypical. The brain’s chemical and neural action in someone with ADHD is very much different than someone without it.

How ADHD Interferes

When you’re very easily distracted, when you must fight to pay attention, and when you can’t sit still for more than a few minutes, completing many tasks becomes a challenge. Perhaps even completing most tasks becomes a challenge.

How the Symptoms Lead to Procrastination

You may find it much less stressful to just put off doing things rather than try to rein in your symptoms long enough to focus on completing something. In reality, ADHD symptoms themselves do contribute directly to procrastination.

Easily Distracted

One of the most apparent signs of ADHD is being easily distracted. This symptom can create real challenges for completing tasks. When you sit down to work on one project, but your mind then jumps to another job, turning your energy back to the original task can take monumental effort.

Difficulty Focusing on Things That Aren’t Interesting

Along with feeling distracted is that it can be hard for those with ADHD to maintain attention on topics or tasks that don’t interest them. If you’re not interested in something, it’s easy to put it off.

Only Wanting to Focus on Interesting Things

Likewise, when someone with ADHD wants to focus on something, they can do so with great intention. You’d rather spend time working on something you love than get around to the hassle of less enjoyable projects.

Restless

When you have ADHD, it can be tough to sit still. There’s an internal drive for motion and activity that ties into challenges to completing tasks.

Disorganization

When piles of paper, books, children’s toys, and other household or office messes surround you, it’s often a sign of chaos. Staying organized can be a real challenge for those with ADHD.

When you’re disorganized, starting a task becomes even harder. You may not be able to locate necessary documents or files. You may feel distracted by the piles and want to clean them up first.

Difficulty Planning Ahead

Putting work off is easy to do if you struggle with planning. And for someone with ADHD, planning ahead can be a fundamental challenge. You may forget to build time into your schedule for a task or even forget that you need to do it.

A Vicious Cycle

ADHD symptoms can mean that procrastination can become a very vicious cycle in your life.

Fortunately, there are ways that you can learn to be more effective at time management and motivation when you have ADHD. It is possible to begin to overcome procrastination. You can learn better ways to manage other chronic symptoms of ADHD.

And, importantly, learning to manage your procrastination can lead to considerable benefits in other areas of your life. Procrastination may be interfering with your career and job performance. It can lead to irritation in loved ones and friends. By finding a way to manage it better, your life will be less stressful and more meaningful.