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The stereotypical image ofAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)is someone brimming with energy, like the energizer bunny. They have so much that they can’t sit still or focus on one task for very long.

That stereotype is an oversimplification at best and entirely inaccurate for millions of people with ADHD at worst.

In fact, emerging research shows that one of the most prevalent symptoms of ADHD is not excess energy but the lack of it in the form of mental fatigue.

What Is Mental Fatigue?

Temporary episodes of mental fatigue can happen to anyone after a period of intensive mental effort. Just like physical exercise makes you physically tired, mental exercise makes you mentally tired.

While it can happen to anyone, people with ADHD are more likely to experience mental fatigue and, specifically, more likely to experience it on a frequent or chronic basis.

One study found that as much as 62% of people with ADHD meet the criteria for fatigue.Similarly, another study found that people withchronic fatiguewere more likely to also have an ADHD diagnosis.

Researchers suspect that the reason mental fatigue is so prevalent in ADHD may be related to how cognitively demanding coping with ADHD is. While aneurotypical brainis wired to intuitively tune out environmental distractors, control impulses, and sustainattention, many of the mechanisms required to do those things are dysregulated in ADHD, including weakalpha wave modulationand adysregulated dopaminergic system.

The result is that someone with ADHD exerts more cognitive effort to achieve the same level of productivity that someone without ADHD can achieve almost effortlessly.

Think About ItThat extra effort exerted every single day makes someone with ADHD prone to becoming fatigued more often, seemingly without a clear “justification” for being exhausted.

Think About It

That extra effort exerted every single day makes someone with ADHD prone to becoming fatigued more often, seemingly without a clear “justification” for being exhausted.

Some of the most common symptoms of mental fatigue look eerily similar to ADHD:

Given how closely those symptoms mirror ADHD, how can you tell the difference between your everyday, garden-variety ADHD-inducedexecutive dysfunctionand an episode of mental fatigue? One clue is that your typical ADHD symptoms become worse than usual. Beyond that, you might experience some of these more ADHD-specific signs of mental fatigue:

Another telltale sign of ADHD-related mental fatigue isthe lack of a specific stressor or sourceof this current episode of fatigue.

While all of those can undoubtedly trigger fatigue in someone with ADHD as well, you may also experience episodes that seem to comeout of the blue.

Remember, coping with ADHD is cognitively demanding, so even when nothing about your daily routine or responsibilities changes, the exhaustion of simply managing your ADHD can accumulate until it develops into mental fatigue.

Recovering from Mental Fatigue

With mental fatigue, there’s really only one thing you can do: rest and allow your brain to restore its energy levels. With that said, resting with ADHD is easier said than done, especially if you have sleep difficulties. So here are a few tips to help youget the rest you need:

Choose an enjoyable physical activity

If you’re feeling too anxious or unproductive to sit still and rest, try going for a walk or bike ride.Physical exercisecan help your brain recover from fatigueand potentially make falling asleep easier come bedtime,which will further help restore energy levels.

Ask for help

If fatigue makes it difficult to meet even basic needs like feeding yourself, doing household chores, or even caring for your kids or pets, ask for help. Knowing that those important needs are getting met, even when you can’t do them yourself, can help ease some of the worries you might be feeling.

Get outside or take some space for yourself to practice mindfulness

If your brain is trying to spiral intonegative thoughtsabout the future or turn this moment into a sign that you’re a failure, do your best not to fixate on those thoughts. Let them pass, and try to return to your focus on the present moment.

Switch to low power mode

If you can’t take a complete break from all of your responsibilities, find ways to switch into a “low power mode” where you temporarily take some things off your plate so that what little energy you can muster is being spent on the most important tasks. That might include asking for help with certain chores or responsibilities.

It might also look like stockpiling ramen or leftover takeout food so you don’t have to cook, canceling plans, and giving yourself permission to slack on some chores.

Preventing Mental Fatigue

When you have the bandwidth for it, it’s helpful to adopt some lifestyle changes that can prevent you from reaching that point of mental fatigue in the first place. Here are some things to try:

Reduce decision-making and steps where possible

We make thousands of little decisions every day and the cumulative effort of those decisions adds up, especially when executive dysfunction makes even basic decisions difficult. To prevent exhaustion, find creative ways to eliminate decisions where you can.

Be realistic about your workload

However, preventing a future episode means being unflinchingly honest with yourself about what you can handle. Practice sayingnoto your own impulses and things that others ask of you.

The Importance of Setting Boundaries for Mental Health

Make time for mentally soothing activities

How to Recognize Burnout Symptoms

6 SourcesVerywell 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.Rogers DC, Dittner AJ, Rimes KA, Chalder T.Fatigue in an adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder population: A trans-diagnostic approach.Br J Clin Psychol.2017;56(1):33-52. doi:10.1111/bjc.12119Sáez-Francàs N, Alegre J, Calvo N, et al.Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.Psychiatry Research. 2012;200(2-3):748-753. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2012.04.041Foxe JJ, Snyder AC.The role of alpha-band brain oscillations as a sensory suppression mechanism during selective attention.Front Psychology. 2011;2. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00154Wu J, Xiao H, Sun H, Zou L, Zhu LQ.Role of dopamine receptors in ADHD: A systematic meta-analysis.Mol Neurobiol. 2012;45(3):605-620. doi:10.1007/s12035-012-8278-5Waldera R, Deutsch J.ADHD and physical activity.TPE. 2021;78(6). doi:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I6-10563Lederman O, Ward PB, Firth J, et al.Does exercise improve sleep quality in individuals with mental illness? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2019;109:96-106. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.11.004

6 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.Rogers DC, Dittner AJ, Rimes KA, Chalder T.Fatigue in an adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder population: A trans-diagnostic approach.Br J Clin Psychol.2017;56(1):33-52. doi:10.1111/bjc.12119Sáez-Francàs N, Alegre J, Calvo N, et al.Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.Psychiatry Research. 2012;200(2-3):748-753. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2012.04.041Foxe JJ, Snyder AC.The role of alpha-band brain oscillations as a sensory suppression mechanism during selective attention.Front Psychology. 2011;2. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00154Wu J, Xiao H, Sun H, Zou L, Zhu LQ.Role of dopamine receptors in ADHD: A systematic meta-analysis.Mol Neurobiol. 2012;45(3):605-620. doi:10.1007/s12035-012-8278-5Waldera R, Deutsch J.ADHD and physical activity.TPE. 2021;78(6). doi:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I6-10563Lederman O, Ward PB, Firth J, et al.Does exercise improve sleep quality in individuals with mental illness? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2019;109:96-106. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.11.004

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.

Rogers DC, Dittner AJ, Rimes KA, Chalder T.Fatigue in an adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder population: A trans-diagnostic approach.Br J Clin Psychol.2017;56(1):33-52. doi:10.1111/bjc.12119Sáez-Francàs N, Alegre J, Calvo N, et al.Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.Psychiatry Research. 2012;200(2-3):748-753. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2012.04.041Foxe JJ, Snyder AC.The role of alpha-band brain oscillations as a sensory suppression mechanism during selective attention.Front Psychology. 2011;2. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00154Wu J, Xiao H, Sun H, Zou L, Zhu LQ.Role of dopamine receptors in ADHD: A systematic meta-analysis.Mol Neurobiol. 2012;45(3):605-620. doi:10.1007/s12035-012-8278-5Waldera R, Deutsch J.ADHD and physical activity.TPE. 2021;78(6). doi:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I6-10563Lederman O, Ward PB, Firth J, et al.Does exercise improve sleep quality in individuals with mental illness? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2019;109:96-106. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.11.004

Rogers DC, Dittner AJ, Rimes KA, Chalder T.Fatigue in an adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder population: A trans-diagnostic approach.Br J Clin Psychol.2017;56(1):33-52. doi:10.1111/bjc.12119

Sáez-Francàs N, Alegre J, Calvo N, et al.Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.Psychiatry Research. 2012;200(2-3):748-753. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2012.04.041

Foxe JJ, Snyder AC.The role of alpha-band brain oscillations as a sensory suppression mechanism during selective attention.Front Psychology. 2011;2. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00154

Wu J, Xiao H, Sun H, Zou L, Zhu LQ.Role of dopamine receptors in ADHD: A systematic meta-analysis.Mol Neurobiol. 2012;45(3):605-620. doi:10.1007/s12035-012-8278-5

Waldera R, Deutsch J.ADHD and physical activity.TPE. 2021;78(6). doi:10.18666/TPE-2021-V78-I6-10563

Lederman O, Ward PB, Firth J, et al.Does exercise improve sleep quality in individuals with mental illness? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2019;109:96-106. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.11.004

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