Strategies for Finding Motivation When You Have ADHD

Understanding the ADHD Motivation Engine

Motivation often works differently in the ADHD brain compared to neurotypical brains. Many individuals with ADHD operate with what Dr. William Dodson calls an "interest-based nervous system." This means engagement and focus are primarily driven by genuine interest, novelty, challenge, urgency, or passion rather than by a task's perceived importance, potential long-term benefits, or external pressures from others. Tasks deemed dull or lacking immediate relevance can be incredibly difficult to initiate and sustain focus on, regardless of their objective importance.

There is a significant difference in the ADHD brain's dopamine pathways when compared to neurotypical individuals, which play a crucial role in reward, motivation, and attention regulation. Research suggests that key aspects of the dopamine reward system may be underactive in ADHD brains. Interactivity in the dopamine reward system can lead to difficulty deriving satisfaction from ordinary activities and a stronger craving for stimuli that provide a more significant or immediate dopamine release. This phenomenon sometimes conceptualized as Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS), means that brains with ADHD often require more substantial, immediate, or personally relevant incentives to get and stay motivated, especially for tasks that aren't intrinsically interesting. Stimulation-seeking behaviors can sometimes be understood as the brain's attempt to regulate itself and achieve an optimal level of arousal for optimal functioning.

Why Reward Systems Can Help

Well-designed reward systems can effectively bridge this motivational gap. By providing more immediate, tangible, and personally meaningful positive consequences for completing tasks (especially non-preferred ones), rewards can supply the dopamine boost and salient feedback that the ADHD brain responds well to. They essentially act as a form of behavioral activation, leveraging the brain's unique reward pathways to provide the external "pull" needed to overcome inertia and engage with necessary but less stimulating activities.

Creating an Effective Reward System for Adults

The key to an effective reward system lies in personalization and immediacy. What motivates one person might not motivate another, and delayed rewards quickly lose their impact on the ADHD brain.

1. Identify Target Behaviors/Tasks: Be specific about the task or habit needing reinforcement. Focus on the positive behavior desired (e.g., "Complete expense report by Friday," "Exercise for 30 minutes"). Choose tasks that are consistently difficult to start or complete due to low interest.

2. Choose Personally Meaningful Rewards: The reward must be something genuinely desired and motivating to the individual. Brainstorm possibilities:

3. Experiences: An hour of uninterrupted hobby time, watching a desired movie, a weekend outing, listening to a new album.

4. Tangible Items: A small purchase related to an interest, a favorite snack (use food rewards cautiously and mindfully ), a new book or game.

5. Privileges: Guilt-free relaxation time, extra screen time for a preferred activity, ordering takeout instead of cooking.

6. Sensory Rewards: Lighting a favorite candle, using a luxurious bath bomb, spending time in nature.

7. Self-Care: A massage, a long bath, dedicated time for meditation or journaling.

8. Token System: Earning points or tokens for completed tasks that can be saved up for a larger, desired reward. This approach can be particularly practical for larger goals.

9. Ensure Immediacy: The reward should follow the completion of the target behavior as closely as possible, especially when establishing a new habit or tackling a challenging task. The ADHD brain often exhibits "delay aversion," meaning immediate reinforcement is far more powerful than delayed gratification.

10. Maintain Proportionality: The size or value of the reward should generally align with the amount of effort the task requires. Small rewards for small tasks, larger rewards for bigger accomplishments.

11. Keep it Novel: To combat boredom and maintain motivational power, vary the rewards over time. What was exciting last month might feel stale now.

12. Reward Effort, Not Just Perfection: Especially for challenging tasks where success isn't guaranteed, acknowledge and reward the effort put in. This encourages persistence.

13. Ensure Sustainability: Choose rewards that are feasible to provide consistently without causing undue financial strain or logistical problems.

14. Visualize Progress: Use a habit tracker (from Tip 5), a simple chart, or a token jar to make progress toward the reward visible. This visual feedback can be motivating in its own right.

15. Practice Self-Reinforcement: In addition to external rewards, cultivate the habit of self-praise. Acknowledge effort and celebrate small wins internally.

Potential Pitfalls to Avoid

• Unsustainable Rewards: Choosing rewards that are too expensive or difficult to deliver consistently.

• Unhealthy Rewards: Relying heavily on rewards that undermine well-being (e.g., excessive junk food, skipping sleep).

• Over-Reliance: Using rewards for everything can diminish intrinsic motivation. Reserve them for tasks that genuinely require an external boost. The long-term aim should involve finding ways to connect tasks to personal values or find inherent interest, alongside developing self-management skills.

Reward System Resources:

• ADDitude - ADHD Brain Stimulation, Dopamine, and Reward: https://www.additudemag.com/brain-stimulation-and-adhd-cravings-dependency-and-regulation/

• ADDitude - Secrets of the ADHD Brain (Interest-Based Nervous System): https://www.additudemag.com/secrets-of-the-adhd-brain/

• Joon App Blog - Reward System Tips (Child-focused, but adaptable): https://www.joonapp.io/post/reward-system-for-adhd-child

• CHADD - Considerations for Using Rewards with ADHD: https://chadd.org/for-educators/how-rewards-and-punishment-work-for-children-with-adhd/

• American SPCC - Benefits, Token Systems, Immediacy:

  https://americanspcc.org/unlocking-success-reward-systems-for-children-with-adhd/

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If ADHD is hindering your productivity, working with an executive coach can help you develop the habits, routines, and skills necessary to focus and follow through more consistently. If you are interested in learning more, schedule a discovery call. We can discuss how we can help you better manage your ADHD.

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ADHD Tip 3: Find Focus with Body Doubling

What is Body Doubling

Body doubling is a productivity strategy where an individual works on tasks, particularly those they find challenging, boring, or difficult to initiate, while another person is simply present. This presence can be physical – someone sitting quietly in the same room – or virtual, such as staying connected via a video call or even just an open phone line. Crucially, the "body double" doesn't typically assist with the task or engage in conversation; their role is one of quiet companionship and support. The effectiveness lies not in active help, but in the power of presence.

This strategy leverages principles of social facilitation and implied accountability, acting as an external scaffold to support internal self-regulation challenges, such as maintaining focus, initiating tasks, and persisting through difficulties, which are common for individuals with ADHD.

Why Body Doubling Works for ADHD

The seemingly simple act of having someone nearby can have a profound impact on focus and productivity for the ADHD brain:

• Enhanced Accountability: The presence of another person, even passively, creates a subtle sense of social pressure and responsibility. This external accountability can make individuals more likely to start tasks, stay on track, and resist the urge to procrastinate, feeling they "can't waste this gift of time". Deepwrk notes accountability check-ins significantly increase goal completion odds.

• Focus Anchor: The body double can serve as a physical or virtual anchor point, helping to ground a mind prone to wandering. Their quiet presence serves as a gentle, external reminder to refocus on the task at hand.

• Reduced Distractibility: The focused (or at least calm) presence of the double can help create a more settled work environment, potentially buffering against both external interruptions and internal restlessness. The double’s passivity is key here; interaction could become another distraction.

• Calm Modeling (Potential): Some suggest the body double might unconsciously model a state of calm focus, which the person with ADHD may subtly mirror.

• Novelty and Energy: Introducing another person into a typically solitary (and perhaps tedious) task can add an element of novelty, which is often engaging for the ADHD brain. It can shift the energy of the workspace.

• Easier Task Initiation: Just knowing a body doubling session is scheduled can help overcome the initial inertia and difficulty in getting started on tasks that are often avoided.

How to Implement Body Doubling

1. Identify Suitable Tasks: Recognize which tasks consistently trigger procrastination, boredom, or difficulty focusing when attempted alone (e.g., paying bills, organizing paperwork, writing reports, doing homework, tackling chores).

2. Find a Body Double: This could be a friend, family member, roommate, colleague, or peer. It can even be someone hired for temporary support or found through dedicated online services (see resources). The double doesn't necessarily need to have ADHD themselves.

3. Set Clear Expectations: Before starting, agree on the time, duration, and the specific task(s) to be worked on. Crucially, clarify the body double's role: to be a quiet, supportive presence with minimal interaction or interruption. The double might work on their own quiet task, read, or simply be present.

4. Choose the Format: Decide whether the session will be in person or virtual (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime, a simple phone call with the line kept open).

5. Experiment: Try different session lengths and incorporate breaks as needed (perhaps using the Pomodoro technique in conjunction), and see what works best for maintaining focus and completing tasks.

Finding Body Doubles

• Personal Network: Ask friends, family members, or colleagues if they'd be willing to sit with someone (physically or virtually) while they work. Frame the request clearly, explaining it's a productivity strategy: "I heard this can help with focus. Would you mind just being on Zoom with me while I tackle this report? Maybe you have something quiet you could work on too?".

• Online Platforms & Communities: Several services cater specifically to body doubling needs:

• Deepwrk: Provides structured, facilitated group body doubling sessions via video call, specifically for adults with ADHD, along with a 24/7 silent focus space and community features.

• Focusmate / Groove: Co-working platforms (mentioned in ADDitude ) where individuals connect virtually for focused work sessions, essentially providing body-doubling partners on demand.

The increasing availability of virtual body doubling options reflects the effectiveness of the strategy and the need for accessible, flexible support, especially as remote work becomes more prevalent.

Body Doubling Resources:

• Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) - Explanation and Why It Works: https://add.org/the-body-double/

• Deepwrk - Structured Virtual Body Doubling: https://www.deepwrk.io/

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If ADHD is hindering your productivity, working with an executive coach can help you develop the habits, routines, and skills necessary to focus and follow through more consistently. If you are interested in learning more, schedule a discovery call. We can discuss how we can help you better manage your ADHD.

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ADHD Tip 2: Master Time with the Pomodoro Technique

The Challenge of Time and Tasks

Individuals with ADHD often face significant hurdles when it comes to starting tasks (procrastination or feeling stuck, sometimes called ADHD paralysis), maintaining focus amidst distractions, accurately perceiving the passage of time (time blindness or time agnosia), and seeing tasks through to completion. Large projects can feel overwhelming, leading to avoidance, while even simple tasks can be hard to initiate without a clear structure or sense of urgency.

Introducing the Pomodoro Technique

Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management method designed to break work into focused intervals. The classic structure involves:

1. Working on a single task for a timed interval, typically 25 minutes (one "Pomodoro").

2. Taking a short break, usually 5 minutes, when the timer goes off.

3. Repeating this work/break cycle.

4. After completing four Pomodoros, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.

This technique acts as an externalized executive function support system. It provides the structure, time awareness cues, task initiation prompts, and break regulation that the ADHD brain often struggles to generate internally.

Why Pomodoro Works for ADHD Brains

This simple structure offers numerous benefits tailored to common ADHD challenges:

1. Combats Overwhelm and Paralysis: The Pomodoro Technique makes large, daunting tasks feel less overwhelming and much easier to start by breaking them down into small, timed chunks. The focus is just on the next 25 minutes, not the entire project.

2. Addresses Time Blindness: The ticking timer provides a constant, external, and concrete awareness of time passing, directly counteracting time agnosia. Over time, tracking how many Pomodoros tasks take can also improve time estimation skills.

3. Boosts Focus through Monotasking: The technique encourages dedicating focus to one specific task during the work interval, discouraging counterproductive multitasking and reducing susceptibility to distractions. The relatively short duration aligns well with the ADHD brain's potential ability to hyperfocus intensely for limited periods.

4. Provides Structure and Urgency: The timed intervals impose a clear structure on the work period and create a gentle sense of urgency, prompting focused effort within the allotted time.

5. Manages Energy and Prevents Burnout: The mandatory short and long breaks are crucial. They provide necessary mental resets, prevent the buildup of mental fatigue, and combat boredom, helping to sustain effort over longer periods without leading to burnout, which can often follow periods of intense hyperfocus.

6. Creates Motivation and Reward: Successfully completing each Pomodoro interval provides an immediate sense of accomplishment. Tracking completed Pomodoros offers visible proof of progress, acting as an external motivator and potentially providing small dopamine boosts.

Implementation Steps and Tips

1. Choose Your Task: Select one specific task to work on. If it's large, break it down into smaller steps that might fit within one or more Pomodoros.

2. Set Your Timer: Use a kitchen timer, phone app, or dedicated Pomodoro website/app (see resources below). Visual timers can be particularly helpful.

3. Work with Focus: Work only on the chosen task until the timer rings. Actively minimize distractions: turn off phone notifications, close unnecessary browser tabs, consider website blockers, or use noise-canceling headphones. If you have unrelated thoughts or tasks, you can quickly jot them down on a separate list to address later, then immediately return focus to the Pomodoro task.

4. Take Your Short Break: When the timer rings, stop working immediately. Use the 5-minute break to completely step away from the task. Stretch, get a drink of water, and look out the window. Avoid activities that can easily suck one in, like checking email or scrolling social media, as the goal is to refresh, not drain, mental energy.

5. Repeat and Take Longer Breaks: After completing four Pomodoros, take a more substantial break (15-30 minutes) to rest and recharge more fully before starting the next cycle.

6. Track Your Progress: Consider keeping a simple tally of completed Pomodoros. This visual tracking can be motivating.

7. Adapt and Experiment: The 25/5 cycle is just a starting point. The technique's effectiveness often hinges on its adaptability. Experiment with different work/break intervals (e.g., 15/3, 30/5, 50/10) to find what best suits one's focus patterns, energy levels, and task type. Starting with just a few Pomodoros per day can prevent overwhelm.

Potential Challenges and Solutions

• Distractions: If focus consistently breaks before the timer ends, try further reducing environmental distractions or consider shorter work intervals.

• Forgetting the Timer: Use phone alarms or app notifications as reminders to start/stop timers.

• Waning Motivation: If the technique starts to feel stale, try adjusting interval times, changing the type of timer used, or incorporating a small reward after completing a set number of Pomodoros.

• Overlong Breaks: Set a timer for breaks. Getting up and moving during the break can help reset focus better than passive activities. When the alarm goes off, you can transition back into productive activities.

• Breaking Flow: Sometimes, the timer might interrupt a period of deep focus. While it is generally advised to respect the timer to prevent burnout, some find it helpful to occasionally finish a thought or small step before breaking. Experimentation and self-awareness are key. Be kind to oneself if a session doesn't go perfectly.

Pomodoro Resources:

• Choosing Therapy - Pomodoro for ADHD Guide: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/pomodoro-technique-adhd/

• Deepwrk - Pomodoro for ADHD Explanation: https://www.deepwrk.io/blog/pomodoro-technique-adhd

• Boardmix - Pomodoro Benefits & Implementation: https://boardmix.com/tips/pomodoro-technique-adhd/ (Boardmix also offers a tool with a built-in timer)

• ADDitude Magazine - Expert Using Pomodoro: https://www.additudemag.com/its-about-time-2/

• UTC CPE Blog - Detailed Steps, Pros/Cons, App List: https://blog.utc.edu/center-professional-education/2020/07/02/how-can-the-pomodoro-technique-help-me-finding-power-through-productivity/

• Timer Apps : TomatoTimer (https://tomato-timer.com/), Marinara Timer (https://www.marinaratimer.com/), FocusKeeper (iOS), Focus To-Do (iOS/Android).

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If ADHD is hindering your productivity, working with an executive coach could help you build the habits, routines, and skills you need to focus and follow through more consistently. If you are interested in learning more, schedule a discovery call. We can discuss how we can help you better manage your ADHD.

Schedule a Free Discovery call