Why Traditional Productivity Techniques and ADHD don’t mix - and what you can do instead.

In this episode of ADHD: Powerful Possibilities, Katherine explores why traditional productivity systems fail for those of us with ADHD.

We explore the struggles many ADHD brains face when trying to follow typical planning methods and shares practical, ADHD-friendly alternatives to make productivity more flexible, sustainable, and enjoyable.

🐸 If you've ever felt frustrated with traditional advice like "eat the frog," this episode is here to provide you with insights and supportive strategies that actually work.

🧡 Key Points Discussed:

Why Traditional Productivity Systems Fall Short for ADHD Brains

• Conventional methods, like linear to-do lists or strict time management, are designed with neurotypical executive functions in mind, which can lead to overwhelm for ADHD individuals.

• The "Eat the Frog" method and systems that rely on consistent emotional regulation often clash with how ADHD brains operate.

The Role of Executive Dysfunction in Productivity Struggles

• Dr. Barkley's insights: Executive dysfunction is a core challenge for those with ADHD, affecting planning, emotional regulation, task initiation, and follow-through.

• How rigid systems fail to consider emotional factors that disrupt productivity, such as anxiety, frustration, and boredom.

Understanding Dopamine and Motivation

• Katherine discusses Dr. Nora Volkow's research on reward deficiency in ADHD, explaining why traditional reward-based planning often fails.

• Dopamine's role in ADHD brains: why we struggle with future rewards and how this impacts motivation for non-urgent, non-interesting tasks.

Then we explore alternative, ADHD-Friendly Productivity Alternatives

Notable Quotes:

• "The key to productivity isn't just structure—it's finding the right kind of structure for your brain."

• "It's not about trying to fit into productivity molds that were never designed for us; it's about tweaking them until they actually feel doable."

• "Short-term, immediate rewards work best for ADHD, and there’s nothing wrong with making it fun—confetti, points, or cats, whatever gets you moving."

If today’s episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might find it helpful.

😀 Remember, your experience can help others overcome their own challenges!

📝 Please don’t forget to leave a review—every bit of support helps us bring you more strategies for an ADHD-friendly life.

Key Questions:

1. What is the habenula, and how does it affect emotional regulation in the ADHD brain?

2. Why is dopamine so important for decision-making and motivation, especially in ADHD?

3. What are some actionable strategies to build emotional resilience and reduce avoidance?

4. How can a better understanding of our brain's response help in managing stress?

Related Resources:

📘 The CLEAR ADHD Procrastination Cure Ebook – For more on ADHD-friendly strategies.

🎓  Function Junction Course – Transform your approach to creating habits and routines with powerful brain-based methods.

✉️ Subscribe to Katherine’s ADHD Emails – Get actionable advice and tools directly to your inbox.

💡 Schedule a Coaching Session with Katherine - a one-hour meeting to help you untangle your noodles and make progress on what matters.

📈 Discover your ADHD Growth Archetype Quiz - personal growth looks different when we have ADHD. Discover your best plan forward with my free quiz.

Episode Chapters:

• 00:30 Introduction: Why Traditional Productivity Fails ADHD Brains

• 02:15 The Problem with Conventional Productivity Systems

• 06:45 Executive Dysfunction: The Core ADHD Challenge

• 07:30 Dopamine's Role in ADHD Productivity Struggles

• 09:14 Flexible Productivity Solutions for ADHD

• 12:01 Making Productivity Fun: Gamification and Rewards

• 13:20 Body Doubling: Leveraging Social Motivation

• 16:12 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

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Transcript

Introduction to ADHD and Productivity

[00:00:00] Welcome back. My friend. It is ADHD. powerful possibilities. I'm Katherine, your coach and friend. And today we are going to talk about productivity. In particular, why are so many productivity systems? No good for people with ADHD.

[00:00:18] If you are a bit of a planner addict and you've tried one solution after another. And you're still struggling to get started on things or to stay on top of the many tasks you face. This is the episode for you.

Challenges with Traditional Productivity Systems

[00:00:32] We are going to unpack why traditional productivity systems. Are so challenging for people with ADHD.

[00:00:40] And, more importantly, I am of course, going to share some ADHD friendly alternatives.

[00:00:45] The key is to understand how your particular brain works.

[00:00:49] Or if it doesn't work. What can we do to support it?

[00:00:53] This is key. When we want to design a system that is going to be sustainable, flexible, and supportive.

[00:01:00] So, if anyone has ever told you to eat the frog and you have, frankly said, frogs are gross and slimy and walked away. Hang around.

[00:01:07] Let's start with a big question. Why did traditional productivity systems. Really not suit our brains.

[00:01:14] There are so many parts of this, uh, that we could be here for ever really talking about it. The first one is, how are these systems designed?

[00:01:24] Most of them assume we all have average. Adult executive functions.

[00:01:29] Which means we find it easy to plan, organize, sustain attention. Set our priorities manage our emotions. Have flexibility around priorities and changing things. And that we can finish projects without too much trouble.

[00:01:45] We've talked many times before about how this just isn't the average picture for somebody with a neurodivergent or ADHD brain.

[00:01:55] And Dr. Barkley has said many times executive dysfunction is the core of ADHD. It's literally how you are diagnosed.

[00:02:03] And of course, when we struggle with things like task initiation, Motivation sustaining attention, being consistent. All of these are related to executive functions, but that is what most productivity advice relies on.

[00:02:18] If you think about the classic to do list - it is linear.

[00:02:22] You go from one item to the next.

[00:02:24] You're supposed to write out each task, be able to prioritize them logically in order.

[00:02:31] And then work through them one by one until "hurray!". Your work is done and you can sit down and relax.

[00:02:37] For ADHD brains, that linear process in itself. Is a significant cognitive demand.

[00:02:44] Our attention moves from one thing to the other. We are drawn by things that catch our interest.

[00:02:51] It doesn't take account of how overwhelm. Can shut us down and make us. You know, just unable to do anything more.

[00:02:59] And it completely ignores the hyper-focus, where we get sucked into something. That is interesting, but not important or urgent. In fact, I would say the more overwhelmed and anxious you are, the more enormous your to do list is the more likely that is to happen.

Understanding ADHD Brain Function

[00:03:17] And that's because the prefrontal cortex and those neural networks that are connected to organising, attention, prioritising, planning. They are different when we have ADHD.

[00:03:29] The reduced physical volume of the grey matter, literally a smaller or thinner connected part of your brain. Has been shown in many studies.

[00:03:39] And that means that we are going to struggle more to do all of these things that are just kind of average. At the same time, people with ADHD. Do to incredible things every single day. I see it in my work. Every single day, there are ADHD adults who struggle with planning and organizing. But who can do incredible things when they are interested and passionate about a subject.

[00:04:03] And again, traditional organization systems don't factor in emotional dysregulation. That "hot" circuit, the ' Why?" That lies at the heart of everything.

[00:04:14] You could have the most perfectly executed a logical. , broken down list of tasks to do that. If your emotions are running very high. You had an argument with somebody that you care about, or somebody did something that was really unfair at work and you feel like you're under attack. That's not going to happen.

[00:04:33] Is it.

[00:04:34] when do we feel frustrated? Anxious.

[00:04:37] Even bored. Boredom is such a strong emotion.

[00:04:40] The ability to follow through and finish things, especially the last 10 to 20%. It's not there and it's not because we don't want to. And we don't understand that it's our job and it's important. The dopamine. The neurotransmitters are not there.

[00:04:57] When you throw in our competing priorities. Like we know that tax returns are important. but they're not urgent right now. And they're definitely not interesting. They're going to go to the end of the pile. Aren't they.

[00:05:11] So things like the Eisenhower matrix, where we are told to categorize things like important, important, and urgent, not urgent, not important. That's so difficult for adults with ADHD because not many things. Are interesting on that list but they could be important and there could be urgent. And if we end up relying on things, being urgent, we're in a constant stress response.

[00:05:37] And that's when we get into the habit of using shame and guilt and panic and deadlines to get things done. And it feels horrible. So then your brain removes the neuro-transmitters you need. To actually get things done.

[00:05:50] Let's talk about what's going on in your brain. So we know that dopamine is really important for rewards. And it's the anticipation of that reward that makes us feel good and allows us to continue the action to achieve that reward. With ADHD brains. All bets are off. Our transporter cells remove the dopamine.

[00:06:11] Before we are finished a task, we may not get any more. If we are experiencing any anxiety or shame.

[00:06:18] And that inability to maintain a stable dopamine level required for a task. It's why so many of us reach for the quick fixes. The quick scroll on the phone, the quick snack at the fridge, the cigarette. The betting the gambling or more. We're constantly trying to stabilize our dopamine. So when people talk about dopamine detox and dopamine diets and avoiding these things. Generally speaking, they are not dealing with a neuro divergent audience who have a physically different brain.

[00:06:52] Dr. Nora Volkow explained that this reward deficiency. as, she called, it means that for many people, with ADHD, traditional planning and productivity advice. It's just impossible for an ADHD brain.

[00:07:07] Because planning for a future reward is too far away. And the return on investment isn't enough.

[00:07:14] And that's why we can do incredible things. If we're interested and we're motivated. But nine times out of 10, it's very rare for something that's important and urgent. To also be interesting enough for us to have access to that dopamine.

[00:07:31] So we know why traditional planning and productivity advice just doesn't work. and, we can ignore the people that say, well, you know, you just need to wean yourself off of dopamine producing activities.

ADHD-Friendly Productivity Techniques

[00:07:43] So, what can we do?

[00:07:44] How can we work with our brains? The first thing is, of course, understand which of your executive functions you need to build a support for. I know some people with ADHD who can plan incredibly Z. They are really good at organizing. They have trained themselves. They've got a system and it works. I know other people who are so time blind, it's really dangerous for them.

[00:08:09] And it has cost them dearly. You don't need to be an, either of these extremes, but you do need to know. Which executive functions, your particular structure and productivity needs to support.

[00:08:22] For example. Let's look at time. Time is something that many of us find a challenge. And one of the suggestions is time blocking. And it time blocking can be brilliant. But it has to be done. In an ADHD friendly way. That does not mean you literally fill your diary from six 30 or 7:00 AM until 10:00 PM with blocks of color. Because your brain is going to look at that and say, Nope. I think I've said this before, but. Give yourself some space.

[00:08:52] And try to think in. Group blocks. So you might want admin time. You might want creative time. You might want. House cleaning time or family time. It doesn't need to be a specific thing, but it can live inside that general bucket or category.

[00:09:10] And then make sure you have enough time. Many of us struggle with anything less than an hour. And that's because it takes time to focus and then it takes time to shift onto the next activity. Neuro-typical brains that they've studied and, you know, productivity, um, research. Task switching, going from one site to the next takes you 20 minutes to regain your focus. So when we are planning blocks, anything less than an hour. You're going to lose a big chunk of that.

[00:09:38] Just being absorbed in the task and getting started.

[00:09:42] And there was a study on ADHD and structured flexibility (I have included the link in the show notes).

[00:09:48] that showed the flexible planning, reduces the pressure, the emotional pressure. of a really rigid timetable. And we knew that when we are less emotionally pressured, We can get things done.

[00:10:02] The more pressure we put on ourselves with these very rigid outline plans. The more procrastination we're going to experience because we're trying to avoid that negative emotion.

[00:10:11] You might have also heard of the Pomodoro technique and some people swear by it. Personally, I find that 25 minute blocks are just not quite right for me. Experiment with what works for you. See if it works used to the group task idea you know, say if, you've got your admin. A couple of hours. But have a way of making it fun and flexible for you. You might say ". Hmm, I'm going to try a 15 minute focus block. And see how you feel at that. Did that go well? Then how would you feel, do you want to do another 15 minutes and extend it to 30?

[00:10:49] Or do you actually need a break? Because how much energy and focus you have is going to change from day-to-day.

[00:10:57] Personally I work for about 45 minutes and then I need a 15 minute break. Then I can go back.

[00:11:03] and related to the Pomodoro technique. You want to add some gamification and rewards? with does the Pomodoro technique? I found a website called the Pomodoro kitty. Where you actually have a cat that helps you with the timer. And it sounds ridiculous, but anything that makes it fun. and interesting and exciting. Uh, confetti animals, whatever works for you. That is going to allow you to be more productive.

[00:11:29] And the reason is we respond better to immediate rewards. So when you get to the end of a time period, does the kitty give you a high five?

[00:11:37] Maybe you're the kind of person who's motivated by points. And if you earn, say 10 points over the course of a day, you can watch an extra half hour of your favorite TV show. What is going to work for you? Try not to stretch it out over a day - if you do. Pay attention to when that starts to wear off. And when it becomes ineffective. When you stop doing it. Remember short term, immediate rewards are more effective for ADHD.

[00:12:05] For me.

[00:12:06] I give myself five minutes of knitting time for every admin task. I start. And that goes up to 10 minutes. If I actually finish it.

[00:12:14] And yes, I use one of my sticky notes to keep track of it.

Practical Tips and Conclusion

[00:12:17] Another thing that is really helpful for many people with ADHD is body doubling. body doubling is exactly what it sounds like. You know, if you're in the library and everybody else is sitting quietly reading and studying. Suddenly. That feels a lot more possible because. We're all doing it right. And our brain wants to copy what other people are doing. We want to be part of a community.

[00:12:40] A lot of people think that a co- working environment would be perfect for people with ADHD. It can be helpful, but you need to think about distractions from noise. From people coming and going.

[00:12:53] From not having your own desk to go back to. So co-working in person can be terrific. But it can also bring some challenges for people with ADHD.

[00:13:04] Sometimes when I am really struggling to get something finished, like my recent course function junction. I got to the point where I just had to edit the videos. That I had recorded a couple of weeks ago. And upload them to the website. I literally could not bring myself to do it because it was the last part of the task. And I was nervous to be honest about sharing the course with people. So I ended up giving myself a 10 points every time. I edited a section and then uploaded it. And 10 points.

[00:13:37] Every time I added a transcript for the course. And if I go to a certain number of points, I could sit and watch my favorite film by myself. And, uh, have a complete "pamper" kind of evening. It was brilliant, but it took that level of conscious reward within one day for me to actually get the task done.

[00:13:59] And with body doubling. Use the one that's online or in person. But be aware of your processing modalities and notice which ones are getting in the way. If you are somebody who has a very strong visual processing modality. You might find that being in an environment with other real life people is too distracting because your body's using all that information. And actually you just need to focus on the task in front of you. So virtual coworking and body doubling may be better for you.

[00:14:29] So traditional productivity, we can take parts from it. In general, it's going to need a bit of a bit of tweaking if it's going to work for people with ADHD. And if somebody knows how to spell Please let me know. I have no idea how that's going to look in the transcript.

[00:14:48] The important thing is to find the one that works for your brain. And has enough structure. with flexibility for it to feel sustainable and allow you to have enough interest in there. As well as fun.

[00:15:01] So when we tweak traditional productivity advice for ADHD. It means? Yes, we use time-blocking but we make the time blocks bigger, we use. Groups of tasks or buckets as I call them. And we make them flexible. We give ourselves permission to do something different if we need to, so you can swap them in and out. You know what? In printers, you have to change the cartridge. We're swapping one thing for another. That we need to be doing that wholeheartedly and on purpose with permission. And I'm going to talk about permission in future. But for now. What else can we do?

[00:15:39] Remember your brain is not designed to be forced into a mold. Nobody's is, but some brains find it less stressful than others. Our brains. Don't like productivity, molds that are designed for other kinds of brains. So you're going to have to do a little bit of tweaking upfront.

[00:15:56] If today's episode was useful, I would be so grateful if you would share it and leave a review. I've also created a function junction course. Where you can learn about your own executive function profile. Your strongest processing modalities and bring them together. To help design a system that works for you.

[00:16:14] Until next time.

[00:16:16] Remember that progress is progress.

[00:16:18] It doesn't matter how small it is. You can do this and I'm cheering you on.

[00:16:23] stay curious. stay powerful and take care of yourself.

[00:16:27]