ADHD Brains don‘t receive adequate dopamine upon completion of a task. So they aren‘t intrinsically motivated by just the prospect of a job well done.
BUT urgency created by negative emotions can overcome task paralysis by shooting us into motion fueled by fear.
Negative Emotions We May Use to Motivate:
Stress of pushing last minute deadlines
Shame of others potentially perceiving you negatively
Anger at ourselves and our behavior
Waiting until we hit an anxiety fueled breaking point & do it all at once
The negative emotions lead us to a tipping point where the desire to avoid discomfort outweighs the inertia, propelling us into action.
This cycle can be addictive. Stress builds, action is taken, then relief is felt: reinforcing the use of stress as a motivator.
While effective in the short term, relying on negative emotions for motivation can have long-term costs on our mental health.
Here are my quick tips to flip the script on our common negative motivators...
STRESS? Create artificial deadlines with rewards for meeting them
SHAME? Try an accountability partner or group
ANGER? Practice acknowledging your efforts & rewarding milestones
ANXIETY? Say “I’m Excited!” three times then propel into the task
There's better ways to stay motivated with ADHD...
3C Activation: created for ADHDers, BY ADHDers. It's a 12 week online group coaching program designed for adults looking to better manage their personal and professional life with ADHD. Learn more
You've got this,
Coach Brooke