It is difficult for an adult with ADHD to get motivated. It has nothing to do with laziness or not trying hard enough, it has to do with the way the ADHD brain is wired toward low motivation for every day projects or tasks. So how can a person with ADHD overcome the lack of motivation? Hopefully, some of these techniques can assist you the next time you are feeling unmotivated.
Nothing To Look Forward To – Is there anything more horrible than doing task after task with nothing at the end to look forward to. The resolution? Put some reward in place, it is easy as that. The reward doesn’t have to be huge, maybe take yourself to Starbucks for a coffee, or a nice bubble bath- whatever you enjoy try to put in place daily, weekly or monthly to keep your motivation high can do the trick.
Same Old Thing – Do you wake up sometimes and think that you are in the movie Groundhog Day? Your daily routine is tried & test and you know what is coming. A routine is great, but if you get bored with it you will end up getting overwhelmed and never get anything done. The solution – Change your routine every now and then. This can keep things fresh, on your toes and will keep you motivated and you will end up getting more things done.
Negativity – I have lost count on how many times I have woken up so motivated to work on a project or a task and then during the day someone said or done something negative to you that just killed your motivation and then the doubts set in. I don’t know about you, but once I start doubting myself, my motivation seems to evaporate and find it hard to continue. The solution? Ignore them? It is a difficult skill to achieve but it is so worth it in the end.
Overwhelm – Nothing can zap your energy like having so much to do that you can’t see the woods between the trees. Your home is a disaster, things need to be organized, there is laundry to be done, and everywhere you turn there is always something to do. The negative voice inside your head gets bigger and bigger to the point that your motivation to even get one job done goes out the window. The solution? Create a sanctuary somewhere in your home. Giving your space away from the overwhelm for 10 minutes a day can be energizing & may give you a spark of motivation to get tasks/projects done.