Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Does ADHD Paralysis Look Like?Why It HappensHow to Deal
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Does ADHD Paralysis Look Like?
Why It Happens
How to Deal
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In ADHD, the feeling that you have so much to do that you can’t make yourself do anything is often described as ADHD paralysis or ADHD freeze.
What looks like laziness or procrastination on the outside can feel like an extremely distressing episode of being trapped in your own head. Here’s what it feels like, why it happens, and strategies to break yourself out of a paralysis episode or prevent it from happening in the first place.
From the outside, it looks like you’re just sitting there, doing nothing. But that feeling like you can’t move (and sometimes, can’t speak) is incredibly stressful. Internally, you’re racing through a bunch of tasks, decisions, or information that you need to process, or maybe even just obsessing over that one task you have to do. But somehow, getting yourself to get up and do it (or anything else) feels like an impossible feat.
Paralysis can manifest as the following symptoms:
On days when you have more than one task on your to-do list (which is usually most days), you’re liable to spiral into a pit of inaction as you become incapable of giving your attention to one task without the nagging feeling that you’re neglecting another task.
ADHD and Motivation Issues
Why Does ADHD Paralysis Happen?
The experience of paralysis might be connected to thedopamine imbalancesseen inbrains with ADHD. Chronically low dopamine levels can make it difficult for someone with ADHD to experience strong enough motivation to actually act on their desire to do something.Dopamine can be thought of as the “go” signal in your brain. Levels of theneurotransmitterincrease in response to activities and objects that you are interested in.
In ADHD brains, there’s not enough dopamine to translate that future reward into present motivation, a deficit known asdelay aversion.That means activities that aren’t rewarding or interesting in and of themselves (like playing video games, hanging out with friends, or spending time on your favorite hobbies) are hard to will yourself to do.
So if you’re faced with a list of uninteresting tasks, getting your brain to say “go!” on any particular one is hard. Without the go signal, you sit there in a state ofindecision, incapable of making yourself get any of your to-do list done.
Decision Fatigue in ADHD
How to Deal With ADHD Paralysis
There’s no single solution to breaking out of ADHD paralysis because it depends on what specifically is overwhelming you and how your brain likes to work. But here are a few different approaches to help you spark enough motivation to override paralysis or organize your schedule to avoid that paralysis in the first place.
Use Serial Tasking or Multitasking When It Makes Sense
If your brain can’t decide where to start because it wants to do everything simultaneously, let it—at least when it’s realistic. In my experience, motivation skyrockets whenever I feel like I can knock out two boring tasks at the same time.
Doing dishes sucks, and waiting for water to boil to make lunch sucks. But getting a few dishes washed while I’m waiting for water to boil? It’s like I’ve unlocked a cheat code. These are two boring tasks I can check off the list and stop worrying about. Plus, it keeps me in the kitchen, so I don’t forget the pot of water exists. Other examples might include:
If you find yourself sitting motionless on the couch, use the time to figure out a way to combine some of the tasks on your to-do list. Once you do, the excitement of having figured out a way to multitask might be enough excitement to pull you out of paralysis.
Benefits of Habit Stacking for ADHD
Minimize the Need to Switch Gears
For bigger projects that can’t be combined with other tasks, it might be better to do the exact opposite of multitasking or serial tasking: clear your schedule and make that project your only task for the day.
If either of those experiences sounds familiar, I’d recommend avoiding the advice to break up projects into smaller chunks over a period of days and instead try to structure your schedule so that you can devote all of your focus for the day to one project at a time.
With just one project on the agenda for today, your brain won’t have competing tasks vying for its attention. Plus, you can make that hyperfocus work in your favor instead of against you.
Let Yourself Work in a Way That Makes Sense for You
Sometimes, you’re going to have multiple tasks to juggle that can’t really be spread across several days or combined in any practical way. Part of the reason for the paralysis that happens on these days may come from the pressure to get things done in an orderly, logical way: do task A, then task B, then task C.
When I’m cleaning my apartment, for example, I’ll start sweeping the floor in one room, then decide I should really clean the kitchen counters first. Then, I’ll think I should get a load of laundry before any of that so that it’s going while I clean. And the thoughts keep going like that.
I used to try to fight it and would end up not doing anything and sitting defeated in a dirty apartment for weeks. Now, I just let myself switch. I start a dozen different chores and flit between them as impulse dictates until they’re each done. It might not be the most efficient way to get through them, but if it gets the job done, so what?
You don’t have to get stuff done in a way that makes sense to anyone else—or even to you. You just have to get it done. So write all the tasks down on a list so that you don’t forget them. If none stand out as a place to start, close your eyes and point. Start with that task and hyperfocus on it or jump around the list or do some combination that feels right, even if it looks completely irrational.
ADHD Symptom Spotlight: Lack of Focus
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Volkow ND, Wang GJ, Kollins SH, et al.Evaluating dopamine reward pathway in adhd: clinical implications.JAMA. 2009;302(10):1084. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1308
Mitchell MR, Potenza MN.Recent insights into the neurobiology of impulsivity.Curr Addict Rep. 2014;1(4):309-319. doi:10.1007/s40429-014-0037-4
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