ADHD Paralysis: How to Overcome It and Move Forward

People living with ADHD often face difficulties in getting work done. Fortunately, nowadays, there's knowledge of mental health conditions as well as specially-made ADHD medication and technologies that can help manage ADHD symptoms. But sometimes, the symptoms get a bit too out of control, leading to what some describe as a literal "freeze"--an inability to get started on a particular task due to a cognitive overload and overwhelming feelings of increased anxiety, stress, and fear. This is called ADHD paralysis, and it can be debilitating for people experiencing it.

Sounds a bit scary, doesn't it? But don't fret! It is possible to manage ADHD paralysis symptoms, once you understand what they are and why they occur. Read on to know everything about ADHD paralysis.

What is ADHD Paralysis

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects both children and adults. It leads to problems in executive functioning, and people with ADHD show symptoms such as inattention and hyperactive or impulsive behavior. With a little help, though, they can manage ADHD and get work done.

Please note: ADHD is a recognized neurological condition that must only be diagnosed by a licensed healthcare provider. Even if you display any symptoms of the condition, contact a medical professional for an official ADHD diagnosis.

ADHD paralysis, on the other hand, is not an official condition, and so it does not have a medical diagnosis. The term is more commonly used by people in the ADHD community to describe situations when they've experienced great overwhelm and have been unable to do anything. According to experts, ADHD paralysis can manifest itself as indecisiveness, an inability to direct your attention to one thing feeling stuck, or getting majorly distracted.

Here are some examples of scenarios where you may experience ADHD paralysis:

At work, you have to finish two reports. One report is relatively easy and is not due for a few weeks, while the other comes with a short deadline but needs a lot of work. Which one do you start first? The decision becomes more complicated as you think about it, and you can't make a choice. So, both reports stay unfinished.

Or, say you have a small disagreement with a family member or friend. The argument has not escalated, but the dispute has overwhelmed you to the extent that you do not feel like talking to anyone at all. You keep running the conversation over and over in your head, thinking about all the different things you could have said or done.

ADHD paralysis can even occur during a routine task, such as grocery shopping. You may have made a proper list of things you need, but you're confused by all the different brands and variants available and do not know what to pick. Even worse, things that are not on your list keep catching your eye, and you forget the items you came to initially get.

In all such situations, your brain may see a challenge and trigger a fight, flight, or freeze response by either shutting down or giving in to distraction. This then stops you from being productive.

What causes such a response in the brain? It could be one or more of these factors:

Executive Dysfunction

Executive functioning skills allow a person to think, plan, analyze, organize, and stay focused. People living with ADHD face difficulty with one or more of these skills. Sometimes you may experience is active executive dysfunctioning, in which any situation that requires thinking or analysis brings up negative thoughts and makes you feel stuck.

Low Dopamine Levels

People with ADHD sometimes report a dopamine imbalance, which affects their motivation. A lack of motivation can make it difficult to take any decision at all or complete even simple tasks.

Fear of Failure

Sometimes, people with ADHD get hyperfocused on perfection--any task taken up must be completed with zero errors. So you put off tasks till the "right time" or until you feel the pressure of the deadline as a motivating factor. All of this is driven by the fear of failing at the task--you can't fail at something until you start doing it.

Lack of Emotional Regulation

Some people with an ADHD brain have trouble processing emotions such as anxiety, stress, frustration, or anger. They may also be prone to rapid and frequent changes in mood. When a situation becomes overwhelming, the brain may take it as a signal to get away by focusing on another task or distraction.

Overstimulation

Sensory overload has become common, with multiple screens on at the same time, tons of ambient noise and a drive to multi-task to get work done. In such a case, sometimes you are unable to  process everything going on around you, leading to a virtual shutdown.

Types of ADHD Paralysis

Broadly speaking, there are three types of ADHD paralysis people may experience, depending on the specific kind of executive dysfunction they experience. Like most ADHD symptoms, this paralysis may rise and wane in different triggering situations. People can also experience more than one kind of paralysis at a time.

ADHD Mental Paralysis

ADHD mental paralysis refers to the inability of a person to organize their thoughts or sustain their focus. It may feel like a "brain fog", when the mind is overloaded due to information or stimuli, because of which the person is unable to think clearly or concentrate on what they're trying to do. People with ADHD mental paralysis may have trouble retaining focus, solving complex problems, or shifting from one task to another quickly.

ADHD Task Paralysis

This is when a person experiencing ADHD paralysis finds it difficult to either start or complete tasks. ADHD task paralysis occurs when there is a lack of motivation to analyze and understand what needs to be done to start a task, hence, it may be kept pending forever or abandoned altogether. Difficulties in prioritization or overwhelm when faced with a big goal are also symptoms of ADHD task paralysis.

ADHD Choice Paralysis

Also called decision or analysis paralysis, ADHD choice paralysis occurs when a person cannot make decisions, especially when they have multiple options. The different possibilities and their consequent impacts can be overwhelming, so the person chooses to avoid making a choice or procrastinates on it, eventually relying on others to decide for them.

ADHD Paralysis Symptoms to Watch Out For

Now that you know what ADHD paralysis means and can look like, let's see some common symptoms of it that may hinder your daily productivity.

Procrastination and Delay in Tasks

Procrastination is not an official symptom of ADHD, but is associated with executive dysfunction. A person with ADHD paralysis symptoms may go to great lengths to procrastinate or delay the completion of tasks because they're not really sure how to move forward.

Avoiding Unpleasant Goals

Any goals that invoke negative emotions or overwhelming feelings, such as giving a speech in front of people, making a big career choice or even socializing with strangers, can bring up ADHD paralysis symptoms.

Poor Time Management

When ADHD paralysis occurs, a person may spend a long time just deciding how to start a goal or fixate on minor details. As a consequence, they don't pay attention to the time they're taking to finish the task--this is called time blindness. It derails all the planning done for the goal and may also affect other tasks.

Problems in Organization and Comprehension

Problems with executive functioning most commonly impact organizational skills, leading to a haphazard work environment, pending goals, and a lot of confusion. The lack of clarity and stress can also impact comprehension and analytical skills.

Inability to Make Decisions

Indecisiveness doesn't just come with ADHD choice paralysis. People with ADHD may second-guess themselves with even personal responsibilities or making important decisions for work.

Giving in to Distractions

Overwhelm, confusion, and indecisiveness will lead to an urge to keep all work aside and give in to less important tasks or simple distractions, further affecting productivity.

Measures to Overcome ADHD Paralysis

Symptoms of ADHD paralysis can seem daunting and disruptive, but like the condition itself, they can be managed with a little bit of resolve. Let's see some ways to manage ADHD paralysis.

Aim for Small, Achievable Goals

The bigger a goal is, the more pressure one may feel. So, when planning for a goal, break into into tiny, measurable tasks. Take it one step at a time and treat every task finished as a separate goal. This will boost your confidence and give you some momentum. For convenience, think of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, Time-bound) Goals.

Not sure how to create SMART Goals? Try our simple tool here!

Simplify your Schedule

Having too many big goals in a day can be confusing and lead to an information overload. Plus, if you have problems with time management, packing a lot of goals in a short time will simply lead to more delays and failed deadlines. So, keep your daily schedule simple--focus on a smaller number of things that you know you can accomplish. You can also try setting up an elastic to-do list, in which you aim to do several tasks but prioritize one or two things, or time-box your day to help you stick to your schedule.

Keep Moving

Staying static can affect your attention and make you feel bored. People who get hyperfocused due to ADHD also tend to spend long hours in one place, which affects their physical and mental health. Try to bring in a little exercise in your day to keep your body moving and active, and your mind fresh and motivated.

Bring in Novelty

Repetition and routine are difficult to maintain with ADHD, and can kill your motivation if you tend to do the same things over and over again for too long. Try to keep things interesting by finding new places to work, learning a new skill that will help with your goals, or simply changing up the order in which you do routine tasks.

Focus on Completion, not Perfection

When you're trying to achieve important goals, you want to make sure every little detail is perfect. But this pursuit of perfection can be paralyzing in itself, as you're so hung up on the details that you never get started on the actual work. Try to forget about making things perfect and just focus on getting them done.

Reward Yourself and Celebrate Success

Keep up your motivation through the day is positive reinforcement--give yourself little rewards for completing the tasks you've planned, and take the time to appreciate your wins. This can be as simple as maintaining a record of your successes, allowing yourself a little treat now and then or even promising yourself a big reward at the finish line.

Make Brain Dumping a Habit

Try a brain dump at the end of the day to process and organize all the information you have picked up. You can do this by writing down everything important you learned that day, how much time you took on your tasks, what you need to remember to improve the next day. Having all this in front of you will free up your mind space so you can start organizing and planning.

Do the Things you Love

There's no need to punish yourself by taking away the things that you love and want to do. Make time away from work to simply relax, indulge in your favorite TV show, movie or activity, or pick up a new hobby that interests you. Keeping yourself happy and calm will really boost productivity.

Seek Help from Professionals

Despite trying everything, if you still feel stuck and unable to move forward, seek professional help. ADHD paralysis may not be an official condition but trained mental health professionals will know the best way to help you manage the symptoms and feel better about yourself. Never shy away from seeking help.

How BaaS helps with ADHD

Looking for a way to stay productive with ADHD? Why not try Boss as a Service? Our human Bosses will check in with you every day to make sure you're planning your goals, making progress on them, and managing your time well. We have tons of helpful tips and tricks to boost productivity too, to help you overcome any challenges you may be facing in initiating or completing a task.

Final Thoughts

Manage the debilitating symptoms of ADHD paralysis by taking little measures to improve your productivity and do the things that are important to you.