ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) is often misunderstood. People who don’t struggle with ADHD have a hard time understanding it. They don’t understand why people who have ADHD struggle with hyperactivity and a lack of focus.

ADHD is a complex condition that affects how the brain organizes, prioritizes, and follows through on daily tasks and responsibilities. This is why one of the most common struggles for people who have ADHD is difficulty in completing tasks.

People with ADHD aren’t lazy, and they don’t have a lack of willpower. The challenge lies in the way that ADHD impacts their functioning. Let’s learn more about why people with ADHD struggle to complete tasks.

Impaired Executive Functioning

The brain’s executive functions are responsible for planning, organizing, starting tasks, attention, remembering details, and regulating emotions. Unfortunately, these functions and processes are usually impaired in people with ADHD, which can greatly impact their ability to manage and complete tasks.

Try to put yourself in their shoes. People with ADHD want to complete tasks, but their brains aren’t able to recognize what they should prioritize. Maintaining the energy that is needed to push through, especially when faced with distraction or boredom, can sometimes feel impossible.

Time Blindness

People with ADHD also struggle with time blindness, which is a distorted sense of time. Time blindness can cause them to underestimate how long something will take to complete. For people with ADHD, deadlines can feel like they don’t actually exist. This can cause repetitive cycles of work being incomplete or scrambling to get things done. They’ll fail to start tasks or take on more than they can actually handle.

Emotional Dysregulation

There’s more to task completion than the logistics of what steps to take and the time required. There’s an emotional aspect to it as well. If someone with ADHD has previously struggled with completing a specific task, they may already associate negative emotions like shame or stress with that task. This means that even tasks that others may view as simple can be overwhelming. If and when the task feels too boring, big, or hard to start, the brain will avoid, check out, or find something else to do.

Motivation Levels

The brain is responsible for processing dopamine, which plays a key role in motivation and rewards. In an ADHD brain, tasks that are boring, repetitive, or lack immediate payoff don’t activate in the same way. Tasks that don’t trigger enough dopamine tend to not have the same sense of urgency for someone with ADHD. This can lead to procrastinating on daily responsibilities while hyperfocusing on projects that are more fun, creative, or stimulating

What Can Help?

Your ADHD can make it hard to complete tasks, but some strategies can help. Here are a few of the different ways that you can try to get better at completing tasks, even if you struggle with ADHD:

• Break tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Try to limit or reduce any distractions.
• Use reminders with an app, notes, calendar, or planner.
• Implement a rewards system so you feel more motivated to complete boring tasks.
• Set timers to stay on track.
• Work with someone else to help you stay accountable and motivated.

Learning to Manage ADHD

People with ADHD have a hard time completing tasks, but this has nothing to do with them not caring or being lazy. Their brains are just wired differently for their ability to plan, focus, and manage time. With the right tools and support, you can change those negative feelings associated with completing tasks and turn them into something more manageable for you. Reach out today to learn more about working with a mental health professional to help you manage your ADHD.