ADHD has become a popular topic in the past few years. ADHD diagnoses, especially in adults, have increased since the pandemic of 2020. One possible reason for this is that the lack of structure during lockdown made people more aware of ADHD symptoms in their own lives. Another reason could be the increased discussion of all things ADHD on social media.
Whatever the reason, search queries around ADHD symptoms have also become more specific, and have led people to ask questions like, “What is ADHD paralysis?” That’s what we will be focusing on today.
What is ADHD paralysis?
ADHD paralysis is one of the many difficulties you may be experiencing if you have ADHD. It is a stress response that pops up when your ADHD brain gets overwhelmed by things like having too many tasks, excessive life stressors, or poor time management.
These can lead you to feeling incapacitated, which can in turn make it seem impossible to start doing what you need to do. What makes this feeling different from someone who does not have ADHD is that your ADHD brain is wired differently. In other words, you are not lazy or stupid; it’s in your brain biology.
What is ADHD paralysis? Breaking down 3 types
1. Mental paralysis
As you might suspect, mental paralysis has to do with your brain getting overrun by bombarding thoughts, or multiple external stimuli. This can make you feel like your brain is literally short circuiting from the overload.
An example of this is being in a well-lit room full of people chattering, with music playing loudly, and an action movie blasting on the TV. An appropriate, ADHD-sensitive response to this chaos might be to step outside for a moment to calm your nervous system.
2. Choice paralysis
Similarly, choice paralysis occurs when you are trying to make a decision, and you are faced with an extreme amount of information and abundant choices, or there are a plethora of steps involved.
Having to work through these options may turn into overanalyzing everything to the point that you are unable to make any decisions at all, even including something as ‘small’ as deciding what to eat for dinner.
In daily life, this can happen when you go to pay your bills and find out you owe way more money than you are bringing in, so you look through the numbers again to try to find a way to pay them all, and you can’t, so you end up not paying any of them. This inaction can snowball over time, causing you to get increasingly behind financially.
3. Task paralysis
Task paralysis is when you cannot get yourself motivated to start a task because you are afraid of failure, struggling with perfectionism, or don’t have the motivation to begin. The task you want to accomplish doesn’t have to be difficult for you to experience task paralysis; it is often something mundane.
For example, you could look around your home, knowing that you need to 1) clean the dirty dishes piled in the sink and 2) fold and 3) put away the pile of freshly laundered clothes… and instead you scroll on your phone for three hours. This will likely add to your anxiety because you have wasted time you could have used to make progress.
What are the causes of ADHD paralysis?
So, as someone with ADHD, what sets you up for ADHD paralysis?
- Low dopamine – this can affect your motivation;
- Executive dysfunction – when your brain’s wiring makes it difficult for you to plan ahead, focus on your tasks, and follow through;
- Emotional dysregulation – overwhelming mental stress can lead to your brain choosing to do something with lower priority;
- Understimulation or overstimulation – both of these may create a situation where your brain cannot motivate you;
- Excessive tasks or triggers – either of these are likely to send your brain into a meltdown;
- Perfectionism or fear of failure – when your main goal is to be nothing less than perfect, and you realize that you are highly unlikely to reach that goal, you could start overthinking to the extent that you never start the task in the first place.
How do you overcome ADHD paralysis? 10 practical tips
1. Know how to recognize your triggers
Knowing what can send you into ADHD paralysis could help you take steps to avoid it, or move out of it sooner than you normally would. Sometimes, it can help to have someone go over different triggers with you.
2. Break your tasks down
Sometimes, when a task seems daunting, it can help to break it into smaller chunks. You can create as many steps as you’d like, and then take them one at a time. That way, you could reward yourself with a small treat for each small win you get.
3. Nourish your brain
While it is very important to make sure you are eating well and staying hydrated, this can be difficult if you have ADHD. Forgetting to eat and drink is common. Try setting reminders on your phone or using sticky notes to jog your memory. Remember that being properly fueled could help you handle your other priorities better.
4. Get moving
Adding activity into your routine can help in a number of ways, first and foremost by breaking up the monotony of tasks you might otherwise find boring. For instance, you could work for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute dance break. Lower-energy activities, like, taking a walk, could also help you relax, give you time to think about things, and even help you reach your step goal for the day.
5. Brain dump
Doing a ‘brain dump’ can help you get your thoughts out of your head. Putting them on paper can help you decide what tasks to do, and which order to complete them in. Additionally, being able to see what you need to do visually may provide you with more clarity. You could try this with your daily to-dos, goals, bucket list, or feelings.
6. Pomodoro technique
This is a technique where you block out your day by choosing to do things in time blocks instead of by task. This means that you would work on doing the dishes for 20 minutes, then take a break and return to the original activity, or move on to a different project. The key is to stick to the manageable time block you have planned.
7. Body doubling
Body doubling is when you have someone with you as you do your work. They don’t have to talk to you or help you; they are just there as a sort of accountability partner. There are apps where other people with ADHD will body double for you, while you body double for them, and you both benefit.
8. Make it a game
Fire up your dopamine levels by turning your venture into an adventure! Create a point system for each task and reward yourself according to the difficulty of what you completed. You could get a small piece of candy for a 5-minute task, a 5-minute break for a 15-minute task, and 10 minutes’ phone time for a 30-minute task.
9. Change your environment
It can be easy to get bored by your environment, especially since many with ADHD crave new experiences. When you’re able to, switch it up. Maybe catch up on your email at a coffee shop, go exercise in a park, or read your reports at your local library.
10. Rest and reset
Making space for resting and allowing yourself to reset can make all the difference. This can be as big as taking a mini-vacation to reset your life rhythm, or as little as doing some breathing exercises; the point is just to do something that makes your soul sing.
Get help with Makin Wellness
Today, while we’ve answered the question, “What is ADHD paralysis?”, we know that reading through a wall of text can be a lot to take in, especially if you are actively struggling with ADHD paralysis. The first thing to know is that you are not alone and you do not have to struggle with this on your own.
The second thing to know is that, at Makin Wellness, we can provide a non-judgemental space to work through your ADHD paralysis together – to go beyond asking theoretical questions by working through real solutions.
Just as it could help to find an ADHD paralysis ‘body double’, meeting with a Makin Wellness online therapist who can act as a sounding board could help you gain professional perspective and personal clarity, with the freedom to meet anywhere you feel comfortable.
Specifically, our online therapy service provides a supportive space to:
- Learn more about ADHD paralysis;
- Practice therapeutic techniques with professional guidance;
- Build practical coping tools; and
- Set goals that reflect your values.
You deserve to feel capable of managing your life well, which is why your Makin Wellness online therapist is here to help whenever you’re ready.
And if you are still unsure whether this kind of treatment is right for you, don’t worry, your therapist can help answer any questions you have on your free initial consultation.
Call us at (833)-274-heal or click here to schedule an appointment with one of our caring online therapists today.
