Motivation - why is it so hard?
When you have ADHD, it is likely that some of your executive functions are affected. Motivation relies on a lot of different executive functions and we are going to talk about how your working memory, emotional regulation and planning/organizing/prioritizing can affect motivation. And more importantly, we will share strategies to help when you are feeling a lack of motivation for a task, project or activity.
Working Memory:
When we are tackling a bigger task that involves lots of steps, it is hard to stay motivated when you can’t remember all of the steps! ADHDers can have challenges with working memory and this can affect motivation.
Emotional Regulation:
This can be a tough area for ADHD brains. When we feel dysregulated it can directly impact our motivation for a task. If we start a project and realize we already missed the first 2 steps, shame and anxiety can creep in. If we don’t have the tools to recognize the emotion (self-awareness), and choose a strategy to calm our bodies (self-regulation) it will be difficult to shift our emotion to one of gratitude, compassion, and pride: the cornerstones of perseverance.
Planning, organizing and prioritizing:
When we have difficulty with these 3 areas, projects can quickly unravel, as we may miss deadlines, have difficulty organizing our materials, or steps of a task, or we spend too much time on the part of the task that is not the priority (but perhaps is a little more fun!) When these challenges occur it affects our motivation to continue and sometimes it feels easier to just give up.
So how do we increase our motivation?
Cheat code: BIGGER PICTURE
To switch to thinking of the bigger picture (for a smaller task) think about how the task aligns with your values and the type of person you want to be (bigger picture). If you can convince your brain that the small task is important to the bigger picture it will increase your motivation.
For example, perhaps you are having difficulty getting started on your laundry. However if you step back and think about how you want to have a clean work outfit for your meeting tomorrow, and looking presentable at work is important to you, you shift your thinking into bigger-picture thinking.
Cheat code: SIMPLIFY
Break down tasks into smaller steps and prioritize the steps in order of importance. Sticky notes are great for this task! Once all the steps are written down, organize the sticky notes from the top priority (or items that are due soonest or will have the biggest impact) to the least priority. This is one way to tackle planning, organizing and prioritizing, and helps with working memory too, as you only need to remember the step you are working on.
Cheat code: CRAPPY FIRST DRAFT
Sometimes fear of failure can stop us from starting a task. If we are worried about our ability to perform in a task, we may put up barriers so we don’t even start, and don’t risk failure. To get over this hurdle consider creating a ‘crappy first draft.’ The goal is not perfection, but just to get the task started. You can always go back and make changes later!
Cheat code: ADD A BUFFER
To help with time management, write down how long each step will take … but wait… remember you may have difficulty with seeing the sweep of time, so add a time buffer and double how much time you think everything will take.
We hope you can try one (or more) of these cheat codes to help you Level Up your motivation. DM us @levelupadhdcanada to let us know how it went or if you have a cheat code that has helped with your motivation.
