Why Motivation Isn’t Your Problem: Understanding Executive Dysfunction in ADHD
“Why can’t I just fucking DO it?” This is me at least once a day. I don’t want to be dramatic but executive dysfunction literally ruins my life on a seemingly daily basis. My prefrontal cortex is my biggest hater. In fact, I sincerely believe that my diagnosed depression comes from the symptoms of my late diagnosed ADHD. So many ideas left untouched. Stuck in my head lost among the other 3,894,558,935 thoughts and ideas like a droplet in the ocean. Spirals of burnout that keep you stuck in cycles that leave you hopeless or with internalized shame.
ADHD vs Depression
ADHD in women is commonly overlooked entirely or misdiagnosed as depression. Symptoms present differently in boys than in girls so ADHD in women is commonly under diagnosed. Women tend to have internalized symptoms, such as forgetfulness or emotional overwhelmed while boys show externalize symptoms like hyperactivity. Executive dysfunction in particular tends to look like apathy or hopelessness because we may feel and capable of doing simple task like replying to text messages or the doom piles of laundry in our rooms.
This can cause a literal lifetime of masking, which is exhausting and lead to overperforming or pushing through sensory overload to lead to burnout. Masking to meet societal expectations of being Neurotypical and being organized, nurturing, and productive. when these things go unrecognized and untouched, the symptoms like fatigue, disinterest, brain fog, and emotional depletion, which is often mistaken for depression.
What is executive dysfunction?
I’m going to explain why “trying harder” won’t truly help us. Not in a pessimistic way but in a “I want you to work with your brain instead of against it so you won’t be sent into shame spirals daily” kind of way. Many studies show that ADHD is associated with weaker function and structure of the prefrontal cortex, especially in the right hemisphere. This part of our brain plays a vital role in regulating attention, behavior, and emotion with the right hemisphere specializing in behavioral inhibition.
As a result, our executive functioning like organizing, staying on track, or following through with a goal or task is affected. Executive dysfunction describes the set of symptoms that disrupts a person‘s ability to control how they think, feel and act. This can lead to troubles with attention, memory, and emotional as well as self regulation.
But luckily for me, I’m kind of obsessed with learning and research (I also have shit to do) so I became my own experiment to see what works best. Here’s what works for me, and some science-backed tips for you to move past the paralyzing effects of executive dysfunction. I don’t take medication for my ADHD so these are truly my saving graces.
Work With Your Brain
Learn to work with your brain and not fight with it. Trying to fight against your brain is only going to create more mental frustration and lead to more cycles of burnout or harsh in a criticism, like we need any more of that.
Movement
Movement is my favorite method by far. I personally consider it my medication. Movement stimulates dopamine and activates the prefrontal cortex. According to a study, physical exercise can increase the central arousal that is associated with the release of certain neurotransmitters like dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and serotonin. It doesn’t matter how I feel before but after I finish a workout, I always have a sense of pride that carries me throughout the rest of the day and I am more motivated to do the things that I need to do. Find movement that you enjoy so that it will be sustainable and that you can stick to it and be consistent with it. Running, yoga, walking, Pilates are all excellent strategies.
BODY DOUBLING
Use the body doubling technique by working along side someone in silence or even on the phone. This can help to provide a strong sense of accountability as well as connection. Our brains often focus better when there’s another person around, even if they are not directly involved in what we’re doing. The most important thing is that both of you are engaged in something. Even the mere supportive presence can add motivation. Watching someone else stay focused on a task can naturally encourage us to do the same.
OFFLOAD MENTAL TABS
Express your mental weight on paper with intention by using visual tools to truly examine your thoughts as well as lighten mental load. I like whiteboards and sticky notes because I like putting pen to paper. It helps me to better recall what I am writing. Our working memory does enough extra, so sometimes low technology is best. You can also use planners if they work for you, voice notes, text to self, or alarms on your phone. Also creating visual checklists for even the simplest of task helps to reduce decision, fatigue.
BREAK IT UP
Breaking tasks into tiny, micro steps. We can often get overwhelmed by seeing the entire task laid out so just ask yourself what is the next tiny step that I can take? Instead of ‘write blog post’ try ‘open Google doc and write title and opening sentence’. Celebrate this completion of the micro step in order to create a momentum and build motivation as well as a sense of pride.
HONOR YOUR ENERGY LEVELS
Matching tasks to brain power is a beautiful way to honor our unique brain and to work with it instead of against it. Our energy levels as well as focus can fluctuate greatly throughout the day due to hormonal cycles, overstimulation, and emotional burnout. Aligning high-focus tasks with peak energy times and saving low-effort or creative tasks for slower moments greatly reduces, overwhelmed and increase his motivation. Because as you get more things done, you feel more of a sense of pride and this will motivate you to keep going. You also honor your unique rhythms and create more flow, ease, and self-trust in your life. And the times will vary for each person. For me, I am most focused in the morning after a workout. Test out different times of day to see where you perform the best.
MANAGE STRESS LEVELS
Do your best to reduce stress. Stress brings chaos and more things tend to get neglected when you lead a chaotic and disorganized life. Reduce chaos in your life when you can by adding routines (with flexibility) as well as healthy habits to take some of the workload off of sensitive brain functions that are better used on more Demanding tasks. Routines helped to reduce the mental load, but adding in flexibility prevents burnout. Build a core routine with no negotiables, but add in flexible timing such as a morning ritual that consists of movement, setting intention, and nourishment with a midday reset with a walk, yoga, or breath work and an evening grounding ritual like screen, free wind down time, brain dump from the day and Dim lighting.
INFUSE JOY INTO THE JOURNEY
When you enjoy the process, you make better choices and this can curate a sense of improved self-esteem. Credit yourself for taking positive actions and take pride whenever you make choices that align you with success. Romanticize your life by upgrading mundane tasks that you find boring. Put your morning hydration beverage in a beautiful cup or mug. Get a bright yoga mat that will make you want to roll it out every day and practice. Get you some cute gym clothes that will encourage you to move your body. Get pretty plates and put on a playlist while you cook a healthy and nourishing meal for yourself. Make it your own, and the processes that you create are for your benefit only.
The symptoms of ADHD and depression may overlap, and we all may experience them in varying ways. One size does not fit all. We can follow somebody else’s routine and be worse off than when we started. It is important to try different things and see what works best for you for the most powerful and individualized results. Executive dysfunction truly makes daily life hard. But compassion and leaning on tools for support can help greatly in our mood as well as our productivity levels when needed.
Honor your energy and your unique pace. Leave a comment and share your go to strategy when you feel stuck!
References
Arnsten AF. The Emerging Neurobiology of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: The Key Role of the Prefrontal Association Cortex. J Pediatr. 2009 May 1;154(5):I-S43. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.01.018. PMID: 20596295; PMCID: PMC2894421.
Mehren A, Reichert M, Coghill D, Müller HHO, Braun N, Philipsen A. Physical exercise in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - evidence and implications for the treatment of borderline personality disorder. Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2020 Jan 6;7:1. doi: 10.1186/s40479-019-0115-2. PMID: 31921425; PMCID: PMC6945516.
Roselló B, Berenguer C, Baixauli I, Mira Á, Martinez-Raga J, Miranda A. Empirical examination of executive functioning, ADHD associated behaviors, and functional impairments in adults with persistent ADHD, remittent ADHD, and without ADHD. BMC Psychiatry. 2020 Mar 24;20(1):134. doi: 10.1186/s12888-020-02542-y. PMID: 32204708; PMCID: PMC7092442.