Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Away with Your To-Do List!

How do you deal with tasks you don't want to do?

Do you push through and get it done anyway?

-OR-

Do you avoid the task at all costs?

If you have ADHD, you probably run in the opposite direction as fast as you can. You may even choose to do other things you would normally put off, just to give you a reason to continue avoiding that one thing.

Why?

This is a common symptom of ADHD. In fact, ADHD procrastination is something that is constantly studied across medical and scientific communities. Through these studies, many researchers believe procrastination in ADHDers is related to an inability to properly self-regulate emotions.

Self-regulating emotions falls under the executive functions category. As you may know, ADHD is a disorder that negatively impacts your ability to use these executive functions in your brain.

What does emotion have to do with it?

It turns out, emotion has a lot to do with ADHD procrastination and avoidance.

If you find a particular task to be boring, the thought of starting a project gives you anxiety, or maybe you're experiencing strong emotions in the moment, but they're unrelated to the task, all these different feelings can build a wall between your desire to get something done and actually doing that thing.

Name that feeling

Before you can figure out how to move beyond your emotions and avoid procrastinating, you need to do a little investigating.

It's important to know the emotion you're experiencing and why you're feeling that way. Once you can pinpoint the "what" and the "why", it can be a lot easier to find a solution.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to figure out how you're feeling and why:

Are you hungry?

When is the last time you ate something? ADHDers are notorious for unintentionally skipping meals when they are hyperfocused on something else. Hunger and a lack of proper nutrition are a surefire way to wreck your perfectly good mood.

Are you tired?

How did you sleep last night? Did you go to bed late? A lack of proper sleep each night is enough to make anyone cranky.

What do you feel when you think about your avoided task?

When your mind settles on that thing you've been avoiding, does your stomach tighten and your anxiety go up? Maybe you inwardly groan at the thought of dragging yourself through something that is so boring it's almost painful. Do you feel frustrated and angry because you know what needs done, but you don't know how to do it?

What else is going on?

Are there other factors that are causing you stress? Maybe you recently had an argument and you're still feeling upset or hurt. Are you feeling under the weather? Illness of any kind is always a surefire way to keep me from doing anything.

Now what?

Once you can name the mood you’re in and why you feel that way, you can start to make steps toward addressing your mood and breaking down that mental block that's keeping you from getting things done.

Let's go back and look at those reasons for feelings I mentioned earlier and see how we can address each one:

Eat something

Ok, so this one might seem simple now, but until you are able to name the reason behind the feeling, sitting down for a meal might not cross your mind. But, once you realize you haven't eaten in a while, taking time to eat will refuel your body and may be the jumpstart you need to get moving on that avoided task.

Rest

Again, these seem like easy solutions right now, but when you're in the midst of a mood storm, you may have no idea why you're feeling a certain way, or how to fix it. Once you realize you're internal batteries are on empty, it may be time to find a way to recharge. I understand that it isn't always possible to lay down and take a nap in the middle of the day. However, you may be able to take a short break, even 5 or 10 minutes, to move to a quiet space and allow yourself to relax into some mindful meditation.

Add a little fun

If you’re avoiding a task because it's boring and you don't want to do it, try to find ways to add a little fun to the task. If you're typing up reports, put on your headphones and turn on a favorite music playlist. When you can't avoid the stack of dishes in the sink any longer, start a timer and see how fast you can blow through the task. You can even write down your time and see if you can beat your fastest times.

Take time to reset

If you're experiencing a range of emotions due to things other than the avoided task, take a few minutes to try and reset your mood. Whether it's taking a walk, talking out your feelings with a friend, or practicing some meditation, it's important to recognize why you feel a certain way and allow time to process those emotions.

Now it's your turn

We just covered a lot about our emotions and how they can create the perfect opportunity to procrastinate. But, we also discovered ways to fight the urge to avoid tasks.

Do you have any tasks you're currently avoiding? Why not put on your detective hat and figure out what emotion you're feeling and why. Then, try using one of the practical solutions I mentioned and see what works.

If you're a member of our Discord community, I would love to hear your stories about how you beat the procrastination around your avoided tasks in the #adhd-support channel.

Not a member? Head over to our Patreon page and learn how you can get connected!

Thank you for your time and attention,

- Nikki