Adult ADHD · A tool to try
Adult ADHD: a smaller place to start
You sit down to answer an email, open the message, and find yourself doing something else. The email stays on your mind for the rest of the afternoon. You know it needs an answer. Getting started feels harder than you expected.
Adults with ADHD can have difficulty with planning, organization, attention and finishing tasks. Your experience also matters: the size of the task, uncertainty about what to do, or worry about getting it right. I want to understand what happens for you at the point where you get stuck.
A practical adjustment can help us learn something about that moment. Try the exercise below with one task you have been putting off.
Try this with one task
- Name the task. Choose something specific, such as answering one email or putting away the papers on your desk.
- Choose a small first action. For the email, you might open a reply and type the greeting. For the papers, gather three into a pile. Choose an action you can picture yourself doing.
- Give it a short interval. Try two to five minutes, if that feels workable. At the end, decide whether to continue, take a break, or change the plan.
- Notice what happened. Did you begin? Did you get stuck at a different point? Were you missing information, feeling distracted, or worried about the result? Use that observation to choose the next adjustment.
For example, “finish the report” might become “open the file and write three rough headings.” You can revise them later. The next action gives you something concrete to try.
A starting point for today
Choose what is getting in the way.
Think of one task. Select the closest fit to see a small step you could try.
Your selection stays in this page. The tool does not save or send it.
Pay attention to how you speak to yourself.
You may bring a history of criticism or disappointment to a task before you have begun. If you notice yourself saying, “I should have done this already,” try describing the difficulty: “I’m unsure how to start this reply.” Then choose an action that fits the problem you have named.
You can also ask for support. Someone might clarify the task, help you choose the first step, or agree to check in after a short work interval. Notice what helps you, including the support you need.
Bring what you notice into our work.
In therapy, we can look at the practical difficulties and the feelings that come with them. I ask questions, offer feedback, and help you consider what to try next. We start with what you are facing now and bring in earlier experiences when they help us understand a present concern.
You might bring a recent example: the task you chose, the step you tried, and what happened. That gives us something specific to work with.
This exercise offers a way to reflect and experiment. It does not assess whether you have ADHD or replace an individual treatment plan.
Background reading: ADHD in Adults: 4 Things to Know, National Institute of Mental Health.