Highlights
- Procrastination is a behavior often associated with ADHD. However, people without this condition can also procrastinate sometimes.
- Low dopamine levels and poor executive functioning in the ADHD brain cause low attention and high energy, which predispose to ADHD procrastination.
- There are practical tips, therapy, and, if appropriate, stimulant medications that can help people with ADHD not to procrastinate.
You just can’t seem to get anything done recently, literally nothing. A critical work project is behind schedule, and you might lose your job. The household chores are piling up, and your partner lost it this morning and yelled, “What is your problem? Just stop procrastinating and do it!”
Firstly, what is procrastination? It means illogically delaying something that needs to be done at a specific time.
Yes, this sounds like what’s happening to you, but why? You read somewhere that it could be related to ADHD, and we’re here to help you understand the link between ADHD and procrastination.
Get help for ADHD online
Does ADHD Cause Procrastination?
Procrastination is not a core symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but rather a common associated behavior. However, it’s true that people with adult ADHD often can’t stop procrastinating. This is because their core symptoms and other common ADHD-related complaints predispose them to delaying behavior.
Ultimately, it all starts with the ADHD brain.
Why Do People With ADHD Procrastinate?
The relation between procrastination and ADHD comes down to differences in the ADHD brain compared to the non-ADHD brain:
- Executive dysfunction due to
poor working memory [1*] - Dopamine deficiency
These are complicated medical terms, so let’s break them down into an easy-to-understand way.
Think of working memory like this:
- Short-term memory is like a sticky note — it’s small and can hold only a few key ideas before it gets full.
- Executive attention is like the hand that writes on this sticky note. It decides what’s important enough to write down and what to ignore, but it can only focus on a few things at once.
People with ADHD battle to decide what must go onto the “sticky note”, leading to difficulty prioritizing, low attention, and poor focus. It also affects prospective memory, which means difficulty remembering to remember something in the future.
As for the second cause, dopamine is a nerve messenger (neurotransmitter); you can think of it as your brain’s feel-good motivational fuel. It makes sense that low dopamine levels lead to low attention, focus, mood, and energy.
The dopamine deficiency and poor executive functioning result in ADHD-related symptoms, and the knock-on effect is procrastination.
Procrastination and Core ADHD Symptoms
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM 5), there are three types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (
All of these ADHD types can cause procrastination.
Lack of Focus and Attention
Being easily distracted and struggling to focus are symptoms of inattention that cause
High Energy and Impulsivity
Hyperactivity and
Procrastination and Other ADHD-related Complaints
Low Energy Levels
Adults with ADHD
ADHD Paralysis
ADHD paralysis might be the ultimate manifestation of ADHD procrastination. It is a term that people with ADHD use when they are feeling overwhelmed to the point that they shut down emotionally and physically; they feel paralyzed.
Perfectionism
If you want something to be perfect, it can take ages to achieve that.
Fear of Failure
Sometimes, people with ADHD will delay tackling a challenging or stressful task because they are
Hyperfocus
A person with ADHD battles to control their attention; their brain takes them where it wants to go. This can result in intense focus on one thing, like a hobby or binging a series, and this
Time Blindness
- Not being able to estimate the time needed for a task
- Losing track of time easily
This results in poor time management and might contribute to procrastination.
ADHD Burnout
Hyperactivity and putting effort into staying focused
Co-existing Mental Disorders
People with ADHD are frequently diagnosed with other mental conditions, such as anxiety and
depression. In fact,
Is Your Procrastination a Symptom of ADHD?
It is normal to procrastinate in everyday life; we all do it to a degree, and procrastination alone doesn’t indicate that you have ADHD.
Because of the irrational delay in making decisions or doing something, the symptoms of procrastination might look like this:
- Avoiding responsibility
- Making excuses
- Last-minute rushing
- Feeling stressed or guilty
Types of Procrastination Patterns
Procrastination may present in certain patterns, and although these types are not an official classification, they are often referred to as follows:
- Perfecting: Perfectionists never get the task done because they focus on the details, not the bigger picture.
- Dreaming: A dream is often out of reach, a challenge to achieve, and difficult to put into action.
- Worrying: Worriers procrastinate because of fear of failure and avoid the task altogether.
- Crisis-managing: These last-minute people believe they work better under pressure just before the deadline.
- Overextending: Overdoers cannot prioritize tasks or cannot say no, resulting in too many responsibilities. They may feel overwhelmed and neglect all their projects.
- Faking productivity: These people clean, organize, learn, or network to avoid the task at hand, also called productive procrastination.
- Pleasure-seeking: They get side-tracked by enjoyment, trying to get motivated for the task at hand.
Do you recognize any of these symptoms or patterns in your procrastination? Any of them could be present in occasional normal or ‘everyday’ procrastination and are not characteristic of ADHD procrastination.
So, how do you tell the difference?
ADHD vs Normal Procrastination
Usually, in normal ‘everyday’ procrastination, these symptoms are temporary and are not a regular pattern, while in ADHD, it is more serious.
|
ADHD Procrastination |
Normal Procrastination |
|
|
What is behind it? |
Differences in the ADHD brain compared to non-ADHD brains |
Simply not wanting or needing to do something at the moment |
|
How long does it last? |
Happens on most days over months and is persistent, affecting multiple areas of life |
Situational and occasional, often based on mood or stress levels |
|
What are the consequences? |
|
|
|
Is there control? |
A person feels powerless even when aware of consequences |
It’s often a choice and can override it with willpower |
How Do You Know If You Have ADHD?
As you can see from the table above, if you are experiencing repeated, severe episodes of procrastination that are interfering with your quality of life, ADHD might be a possibility. In fact, some people go undiagnosed until adulthood.
Consider taking this 5-minute ADHD quiz to see if you may have procrastination linked to an ADHD diagnosis.
Consequences of Chronic Procrastination
Having a pattern of procrastinating and repeatedly not getting things done, particularly in adult ADHD, can lead to negative consequences. Untreated ADHD can impact your workplace, personal life, and your mental health.
Impact on Work Performance
Failure to perform at work might result in disciplinary hearings, colleague resentment, poor work satisfaction, and no promotions.
Relationship Issues
Delayed and forgotten plans or last-minute cancellations may cause frustration or disappointment in friends and family, gradually putting a strain on relationships. Failure to complete household responsibilities such as paying bills, cleaning, cooking, and shopping can also cause tension with loved ones.
Mental Health Issues
Procrastination may leave you with negative feelings about failure, such as guilt, sadness, or worry. If extreme, this can contribute to developing anxiety and depression.
How to Stop Procrastinating If You Have ADHD
Next, let’s look at a few tips and self-help techniques that can help to deal with procrastination.
- Set Multiple Frequent Deadlines: Setting multiple targets between the start of a task and the final deadline can help reduce procrastination. With better time management, you can make headway, reaching one deadline at a time.
- Avoid Multitasking: Managing multiple tasks can feel overwhelming. To reduce procrastination, prioritize existing jobs and wait to take on new ones until you have caught up.
- Use Organization Tools: Writing to-do lists, using calendars, and setting reminders will help with time management and give structure, helping you to check off everyday tasks.
- Reward Yourself: The promise of a reward, like a walk or a coffee break, sets a goal that helps maintain focus and motivation and helps you to complete tasks.
- Work With Your Daily Rhythms: If you have work flexibility and are not a morning person, sleep in and work later to improve focus and finish tasks.
- Limit Distractions: People with ADHD are distracted easily from tasks. Keeping a neat workspace, putting mobile phones out of reach, and disabling notifications are great examples of improving your self-control.
- Set a Timer: Scheduling a specific amount of time to work with a timer helps prevent task avoidance. For example, you could work for 25 minutes with a 5-minute break or 90 minutes with a 15-minute break; find what works best for you.
- Start Imperfectly: Just get going on a ‘rough’ version of the task from start to finish and then polish it up. You’d be surprised at how good the first draft usually is.
- Use the 5-Second Rule: Just like a countdown helps you to jump into a cold swimming pool, it might help to tackle boring tasks. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1… start the task!”
- Breaking Tasks Down: Often, looking at a big task as a bunch of small tasks that can be done one by one, helps to get the job done. You can write these on a to-do list and tick them off to see your progress.
- Find a Support System at Work or School: Accountability partners can motivate you by checking in and seeing how you’re doing, or you could work alongside a ‘double,’ match them to stay on track, and overcome task setbacks.
When to Seek Professional Help
If extreme procrastination throws your daily life off balance and starts to negatively impact your daily responsibilities (e.g. poor job performance, failing a course, relationship strain), it’s time to speak to a healthcare provider or other mental health professional. They will help you to distinguish everyday procrastination from a mental health condition like ADHD and decide on a personalized treatment plan.
Options to manage ADHD procrastination include therapy, medication, or both. Procrastination is a by-product of other ADHD symptoms, so the treatment will be about generally getting ADHD symptoms controlled. You can go through an assessment to get a diagnosis and online ADHD treatment at MEDvidi — book an appointment to see a licensed medical provider within 24 hours.
Therapy for ADHD-Related Procrastination
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) might help when trouble regulating emotions (one of the causes of delays in completing tasks or making decisions). CBT is a talk therapy that helps people change their thinking patterns, regulate their feelings, and improve behaviors. Family or relationship therapy can also be beneficial, helping family members or loved ones better understand the specifics of the condition and find ways to manage it.
Medication for ADHD-Related Procrastination
Does Adderall help with procrastination? Adderall, an amphetamine-based prescription stimulant, helps to deal with ADHD. So, if you have been diagnosed with ADHD, and persistent procrastination was caused by it, then medication may help. However, note that Adderall might not be the correct medication for you; only a healthcare provider can determine whether you need pharmacological treatment and which medication can be right for you.
Get Help for ADHD Online
Procrastination is just the tip of the ADHD iceberg; if it happens frequently, and you notice high distractibility or other symptoms of ADHD, consult a healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment. The first step to getting your personalized treatment plan is making an appointment — MEDvidi’s team is here to help.
FAQs About ADHD and Procrastination
Is procrastination a form of ADHD?
Do I have ADHD or do I just procrastinate?
ADHD is diagnosed when a person has specific symptoms and behavior patterns mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Occasional procrastination won’t affect your life significantly or cause distress; however, if you feel like your tendency to delay various tasks leads to negative consequences or you notice other symptoms of ADHD, it’s worth seeing a healthcare provider for a consultation.
