ADHD is my theme for blogs this month! Let’s talk about motivation and ADHD because this is another big concept that is sometimes misunderstood. Motivation can be tricky because a lack of it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone doesn’t want to do the task. For example, someone might not be motivated to do their homework but they also may want to be able to do it and get good grades. For those with ADHD, the motivation parts of the brain function a little differently. Paired with difficulties managing time and focusing on the future (see my last post), motivation or lack thereof can cause problems! But fear not! There are tons of strategies to help foster motivation and reframe how we think about things so that those with ADHD can still accomplish everything they want and need to!
Typically, tasks that are fun and engaging, have some competitive aspect to them, are novel, or have an urgent deadline are the things that ADHD-ers are most likely to complete. Tasks that aren’t engaging, are boring or not fun (hello, cleaning!), have multiple complicated steps, or are due days or weeks from now are less likely to be done until they absolutely have to be. This is why we often see those with ADHD scrambling to finish homework at the last minute or maybe only doing the dishes once they’ve completely run out of clean dishes. Those with ADHD also struggle to be motivated by rewards or consequences that are ambiguous or far off into the future. The pain and stress of failing a class or getting written up for being late 5 times this month is too far in the future from today to be motivating. Let’s talk about ways to help foster motivation and rework rewards and consequences in more helpful ways!
Game-ify it!
Are you constantly struggling to clean up after dinner or get the laundry done? Are you always behind on household chores or does your kid spend hours doing homework because it’s hard for them to be motivated? Try adding a bit of a game or competition- see if you can get your chores done in less time than yesterday. Or if your kid can get their homework done 5 days in a row, they can get some sort of prize or treat at the end of the week. Maybe they can beat their streak of number of days without a missing assignment. There are tons of creative ways to add a game-like aspect to tasks that can make them easier to start and finish.
Think about how future you will feel
Don’t want to work on that project that isn’t due for a while? Are you having friends over this weekend and need to clean up? Think about how future you will feel if you start the project early and finish it early or on time. How will future you feel if you procrastinate it and find yourself pulling an all-nighter the night before? Getting in touch with how you’ll feel in the future if you do or don’t do the task can help remind you of why you set out to do it early in the first place! A common misconception is that those with ADHD don’t care about the consequences of their actions. Or that they don’t learn from their mistakes. This isn’t true! In reality, many with ADHD know what the consequences or rewards of their actions are, they just aren’t thinking about them when they need to be. Finding ways to connect future rewards and consequences to behaviors today can be helpful!
Use Social Support
Find an accountability buddy! Sometimes knowing you have to tell someone you didn’t do what you said you would is enough motivation to just get it done. Some people also rely on body doubling- having another person present when you complete a task. That person doesn’t necessarily have to help you do the task, but having others around can be helpful. Meeting up to work at a coffee shop with a friend or talking on the phone while you fold laundry are common ways people use body doubling to help them!
Break tasks into smaller steps
Some folks with ADHD struggle to feel motivated to start bigger projects or tasks because it’s overwhelming! Breaking those tasks into smaller steps and focusing on one step at a time can go a long way in helping make those big tasks feel more manageable. Write down each step on a piece of paper and work your way through those steps one at a time.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of ways to help boost motivation and get things done. If you or someone you know is struggling with these things, talk to your therapist about it! There are tons of great supports and strategies out there!
At Cutting Edge Counseling of the North Shore, we're proud to offer our services to clients in Northbrook and the surrounding communities, including Glenview, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wheeling, Northfield, Glencoe, Winnetka, Buffalo Grove, Riverwoods, Lincolnshire, Prospect Heights, Vernon Hills, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, and Des Plaines. Our commitment is to provide personalized and effective therapy to help you achieve your goals.
Written By,
Alyssa Onan, LPC
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