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5 Foolproof Ways to Stop Procrastinating with Adult ADD

Simple strategies to help ADHD adults start — and finish —

projects at home and the job.

If you have adult ADHD, you’ve probably noticed that you

procrastinate more than others. Such behavior can cause

problems in personal relationships and those at

the workplace. When we fail to complete tasks on time,

others see it as a sign of disrespect, incompetence, or

laziness. Because procrastination is essentially a

mind-set,cognitive-behavior techniques can help

even chronic procrastinators break the habit.

If you’ve been putting something off for days (or months),

try the following ADHD time-management tips.

Tip #1: Do Something Fun First!

1. Do Something Fun First:

Many people with ADHD find it helpful to do something

they love first as away to get in the mood to do less

enjoyable tasks. Any stimulating activity you enjoy

will do the trick. Some ADDers play basketball or

computer games. Others dance or take a bubble bath.

Set a timer for 20 minutes to make sure you don’t get

so absorbed in the fun activity that you forget to do the

necessary one.

Tip #2:

2. Create the Right Work Environment:

People who have ADHD often are most productive in

unconventional surroundings. Instead of wearing

earplugs to ensure silence, you may find that you get

more done when listening to loud music. If you work

best under pressure, but still turn in projects late or

exhaust yourself by pulling all-nighters, set your own

deadline for completing portions of the project.

This way, you can still work under pressure to finish

each portion “on time.” Do it: If you're taking ADHD

medication, it’s generally best to schedule difficult

tasks for times when your symptoms are fully covered.

Tip #3:

3. Don't Beat Yourself Up

What we silently say to ourselves about doing the task

at hand has a strong impact on how (or whether) we do it.

Avoid negative self-talk, and send yourself positive,

realistic messages. Instead of saying, “This will take

forever, and it’s so late already…” substitute “I might

not be able to finish this today, but I can do the first

two steps within the next 30 minutes.”The messages

you send yourself when you complete a task can be

powerful deterrents to future procrastination.

They can also diminish the guilt that procrastinators

often feel about having missed appointments in the

past or having turned in work that doesn’t measure

up to their ability.

Tip #4:

4. Just Do It !

Just starting a task — even if it’s begun poorly —

makes it easier to follow through. Next time you find

yourself avoiding something, take a “first sloppy step.”

If you need to write something, for example, start by

typing random letters on the page. It is gibberish,

but at least you will no longer be looking at a blank page.

Tip #5:

5. Take One Step at a Time

Break large tasks into pieces. The smaller steps aren’t

as intimidating and facilitate getting started.

If a project can’t be completed piecemeal over several

days, keep up your momentum by focusing only on the

next doable step. Write this step on a sticky note and

post it within your line of sight.

Put on your blinders and focus on this one step rather

than on the task as a whole. When that’s done,

move on to the next step in the same manner.

Before you know it, you’ll be done. Try it: If you need

external pressure to stick to a task, enlist a body double

— someone who will sit with you quietly while you’re

working on a boring chore.

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