ADHD Procrastination; How To Regulate Yourself And Boost Productivity So You Can Thrive In Your Career
I previously made this the topic of my social media to help increase the wider understanding of ADHD, what it is, how it can present, the impact it can have and my own personal experience as an ADHDer. In this article, I wanted to address something that affects the majority of ADHDers, particularly in the workplace - procrastination.
Most of you know what procrastination is, but if you don’t, it means delaying or postponing specific tasks, whether essential or not. So why is this such a common symptom of ADHD?
WHY DOES PROCASTINATION HAPPEN? - EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING EXPLAINED!
ADHD is a cognitive disorder that is closely linked# to our Executive Functions and the way they work. As I mentioned in one of my Instagram posts, executive functions are the brain's maestros. Each function controls different emotions and reactions to specific tasks and situations - see image for a breakdown of the eight executive functions. For someone who is neurotypical - they will all work together to help organise and manage day-to-day tasks, responses and reactions, which isn’t true for ADHDers.
ADHD is described by Psychologist and ADHD specialist Thomas E. Brown as a developmental impairment of executive functions. This means we often struggle with things like:
Organisation & time management
Adapting to change
Task Initiation & Planning
Retaining information
Emotional Regulation & Self-Awareness
ADHDers don’t procrastinate because we are lazy (if anything, we are the opposite). Many people identify with the feeling of “being driven by a motor” or being disorganised or even stressed out. We procrastinate because we’re unable to regulate our own emotions effectively.
SO, HOW CAN WE REGULATE OURSELVES TO KEEP PROCRASTINATION AT BAY?
Spend 10 minutes alone in a quiet place in the morning when you have just woken up. Connect to your body and ask it how it’s feeling.
Journal for 15 minutes or 3 A4 pages and get rid of all the gunk that is sitting around in your brain, upsetting you, distracting you, and making you ruminate (see my free downloadable one-pager below)
Listen to meditation tracks or practice breathwork (remember, I love 4-7-8 breathing) to calm your nervous system and start the day off right.
Know what dysregulation feels like—it can be anxiety, agitation, racing thoughts, a pit of the stomach feeling, rushing, or busyness—and recognise this feeling in yourself.
Check in with yourself hourly and rate how dysregulated you feel out of 10…. see if there is a pattern or triggers you can identify.
Prepare yourself for better regulation—catch yourself before you start getting more dysregulated, and take some time to calm down and regroup before plugging away with your day or work.
INCORPORATING TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES INTO YOUR WORKDAY
Being more regulated helps to be able to put into place time management strategies and stay on point and on focus with tasks. Here are some ways we can address procrastination and boost our overall productivity, and with patience and time, create habits and routines for ourselves, so here are some things I have done myself to increase my own productivity.
Set alarms and times to get specific tasks done.
Have multiple ways of managing and recording to-do lists to help keep focused.
Plan your day in 10-minute increments or use the Pomodoro Technique.
Utilise body doubling or an accountability partner—having someone by your side can improve your productivity and help you stay on track.
Make changes to your workspace & environment and have a specific place to get your work head on.
Do something you enjoy before and after the task.
Give yourself something to look forward to, like a reward for finishing the job.
TO SUM IT ALL UP...
Finding ways to beat procrastination as an ADHDer and increase productivity will initially be trial and error. It’s about finding ways to manage your workload and daily tasks in a way that works for you so that you can use them effectively and speak to your employers, if necessary, about how they can support you while doing so.
Neurotypical people benefit massively from trying ADHD regulation strategies, too, so why not give them a go…
If you would like some support in creating and implementing a system that works for you, feel free to book a free consultation with me to discuss how we can work together now or in the future.
ABOUT CAREER COACH NAT HARRISON OF AYAMA COACHING
Hi, I am Nat. I help people become more fulfilled and happy in their working lives by aligning their careers or businesses with their skills, values, and interests and helping them overcome barriers to making the desired change.
I am also a trained ADHD coach. I work with neurodivergent people who want to harness their brains for the better and improve their relationships with themselves.
If you would benefit from some coaching on your work life, book a FREE consultation below.
Comentários