Is Procrastination a Sign of ADHD? Understand the Hidden Link
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and procrastination have been regarded by many as the two faces of the same coin. They are widely believed to be connected and intertwined.
This led some to state that procrastination might be a sign or symptom of ADHD.
So, you may be wondering whether your procrastination may be a sign of ADHD, or if your ADHD is what is causing you to procrastinate uncontrollably.
We’ll answer this question and more. Keep reading!
Procrastination is currently not recognized as a sign of ADHD by health professionals. However, it is acknowledged that people suffering from ADHD tend to struggle with procrastination, which can often become severe and chronic.
Many of the symptoms of ADHD, such as difficulty maintaining focus and being easily distracted, can also lead to procrastination.
In that sense, not all procrastinators have ADHD, and not all people with ADHD suffer from procrastination.
Now, it is worth mentioning that the relationship between ADHD and procrastination is rather complex, and despite the fact that procrastination is not officially recognized as a symptom of ADHD, many believe that the two are closely associated.
Many people with ADHD suffer from pervasive and sometimes debilitating procrastination that often interferes with their daily activities and academic or professional lives.
We’ll explain more in the following sections.
The Connection Between ADHD and Procrastination
ADHD is a chronic disorder that includes symptoms of hyperactivity, difficulty maintaining focus, and impulsive behavior. It affects millions of children around the world, and symptoms frequently last into adulthood.
Procrastination is also caused by an inability to regulate emotions, which manifests in the struggle to adjust one’s mood and emotions in relation to the completion of a task. This often causes negative emotions toward tasks and projects deemed important, which makes people with ADHD struggle with task completion and tend to keep procrastinating.
On the other hand, studies have shown that procrastination is mainly caused by poor self-regulation of negative emotions related to different tasks and activities.
So, self-regulation is one important denominator that may explain the link between procrastination and ADHD.
Furthermore, studies showed that people living with ADHD have altered executive functioning related to planning and carrying out tasks, which may in turn affect their organizational and time management skills, which may contribute to their tendency to postpone important tasks.
Another ADHD subtype, the predominately inattentive ADHD, is believed to be even more closely linked to procrastination.
A 2014 study looking at the connection between procrastination and ADHD found only the trait “inattention” to be closely associated with procrastination, and not so much the “impulsivity” trait, which was expected to also be associated with procrastination.
The results of this study explain that the trouble of staying focused is one of the main reasons why people with ADHD tend to avoid starting many tasks and activities, especially those requiring attention and mental effort.
Other known symptoms of ADHD may also lead to chronic procrastination, including
- Trouble organizing activities and prioritizing tasks
- Avoiding demanding tasks, especially those requiring mental effort
- Being easily distracted
- Forgetting to do important activities and chores
In addition, ADHD has been associated with negative emotions, such as anxiety and depression, which both can exacerbate procrastination and partly explain why ADHD patients tend to postpone schoolwork or other chores that may seem highly demanding and daunting.
The tendency of people with ADHD to procrastinate may further exacerbate their anxiety and depression and even affect their self-esteem, which may further feed the vicious loop of ADHD-negative emotions (anxiety and depression)—procrastination.
In short, People suffering from ADHD are more prone to chronic procrastination because the symptoms of ADHD, such as trouble maintaining attention and being easily distracted, often lead ADHD sufferers to keep delaying important tasks and missing deadlines.
Procrastination is highly associated with ADHD, but it is not considered a sign of ADHD per se, but rather a byproduct or a consequence of some of the symptoms and characteristics associated with ADHD.
ADHD vs. Normal Procrastination, What Are The Differences?
Even though both ADHD procrastination and regular procrastination involve putting off important tasks and activities, there are important differences between the two.
As opposed to normal or regular procrastination, ADHD procrastination tends to be
- more extreme and disruptive, and tend to cause real problems in the person’s daily life,
- more pervasive and affect all areas of life, including school, home, and personal relationships,
- more chronic and stable over time as opposed to regular procrastination, which can sometimes be episodic.
ADHD Paralysis vs. Procrastination
ADHD paralysis is known as the inability to concentrate, focus, or carry out tasks. It is a general feeling of overwhelm that feels like a brain crash caused by the surroundings or circumstances.
ADHD paralysis can have a significant impact on a person’s personal and professional functioning.
Sometimes called ADHD task paralysis, this state is characterized by a state of mental freeze and deep struggle with motivation that may result in generalized task avoidance.
Even if the task is minor, it may appear so daunting that you, the person suffering from ADHD paralysis, avoid it entirely in favor of stimulating activities that provide immediate gratification.
ADHD paralysis is not to be confused with perfection paralysis, albeit they may share some similarities. More on perfection paralysis here.
ADHD medications may help to some degree with the procrastination associated with ADHD, but these medications, usually stimulants, fail to provide sufficient relief to the complex habit of procrastination, especially if used as a stand-alone solution.
In this regard, ADHD medications often help improve attention and concentration, which may make it easier for the patient to implement cognitive behavioral tactics to change their negative habits and behaviors. This may help them break the procrastination loop and maintain focus on their life goals.
ADHD Procrastination Tips (8 Tactics You Can Implement Immediately)
In addition to professional help, ADHD procrastination can be helped with the use of a variety of behavioral strategies, which can also help with some other symptoms of ADHD.
- Divide your projects into smaller chunks: Dividing your tasks into smaller chunks will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and will allow you to take small steps toward your goals.
- Don’t multitask; do one task at a time so you can keep your focus on one task and avoid being distracted by multiple endeavors.
- Use a to-do list; this helps remind you of important tasks and keeps you on track with your goals. And when you cross tasks off the list, it gives you a sense of accomplishment that keeps you motivated.
- Use the Pomodoro technique: which consists of working for a time interval of 25 minutes followed by 5 minutes of rest. More on this highly effective technique can be found in this article.
- Set a deadline, but keep it realistic: Setting a deadline will help you hold yourself accountable for what you need to do in a specific time frame. But be realistic about your expectations when assessing how long you can accomplish the task.
- Track your progress: tracking your progress helps you stay motivated and keep an eye on your goals.
- Reward yourself: when you accomplish a task or a project, reward yourself (with a cookie, a movie, or an evening with friends).
- Eliminate distractions: people with ADHD are easily distracted. So, when you are working on a task, put your phone in flight mode, turn off notifications, block social media websites and apps, etc.
Key Takeaways
- ADHD is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions in children, and frequently persists into adulthood.
- Even though health professionals don’t recognize procrastination as a sign or symptom of ADHD, it is very common among people with the disorder.
- ADHD patients tend to have a more severe and chronic form of procrastination that extends to all areas of life and tends to be disruptive to the person’s daily life.
- Some symptoms of ADHD are believed to be responsible for procrastination, especially low attention span, distractibility, and poor executive functions.
- ADHD medications may help with procrastination, but behavioral strategies are the best long-term solutions.
- Some helpful tips for ADHD procrastination include breaking projects into smaller tasks, avoiding multitasking, using the Pomodoro technique, monitoring progress, and eliminating distractions.
So what are your thoughts, share with us in the comments.
By Sam David
SHARE
Get exclusive content and top-tier strategies – only for our subscribers.
Be part of a movement!
