What is ADHD Paralysis: ADHD Paralysis Symptoms & How to Fix ADHD Paralysis
Picture this…
You have a deadline for a client, a to-do list of projects for yourself that you’ve been wanting to work on, summer camp sign ups to figure out for your kiddos, and darn it, you just realized the jersey your kid needs for their game tomorrow is still dirty from last week. And did I mention that the kids need to eat?
You would think that knowing you have to do all these things would get your butt in gear and make you work a little harder and a little fast.
But instead, because you’re already struggling with executive functions like motivation, task initiation, memory and decision fatigue because ADHD, your brain is like “that’s it, I’m tapping out.”
If this has happened to you, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced ADHD paralysis.
That’s why I wanted to discuss what adhd paralysis means and what the symptoms look like as well types of ADHD paralysis you may experience and some tips for recovery if you start to spiral.
What is ADHD Paralysis?
ADHD paralysis happens when your brain becomes so overwhelmed with the information it’s taking in and processing that it basically shuts down, making pretty much anything impossible.
Your brain might feel overwhelmed because your executive function is tapped out from struggling to focus, follow through, or organize thoughts.
Your brain might feel overwhelmed because you’re under a lot of stress or your hormone fluxuations are causing more emotional dysregulation than usual.
Your brain might feel overwhelmed because you’re overstimulated by too much sensory input around you.
Your brain might feel overwhelmed because it feels the need to complete a task or project perfectly or else risk being seen as a failure.
And because of all this overwhelm, you…just…freeze.
What Does ADHD Paralysis Feel Like?
You see…ADHD paralysis is not laziness, which is being unwilling to work, or procrastination, which is making a conscious choice to put off a task or project.
When your brain and body shut down due to ADHD paralysis, the response is typically out of your control.
You want to work and you don’t want to delay a task or project, you just cannot jump start your brain.
Other ADHD paralysis symptoms include struggles with prioritizing, organizing or making decisions.
Feelings of extreme anxiety because you don’t feel like you can make progress or low self-esteem because you’re struggling to complete tasks.
You may also find yourself using avoidance to avoid tasks or situations that may trigger your ADHD paralysis.
Types of ADHD paralysis
There are 3 main types of ADHD paralysis and while these aren’t official medical terminology, I think most of us ADHDers have experienced these types of paralysis on multiple occasions. They include:
ADHD Mental Paralysis
ADHD mental paralysis could also be described as sensory overload or overthinking.
You may find yourself overwhelmed by thoughts, emotions, or information.
Think of it as a “brain crash” that makes it difficult to figure out what to do or say next.
ADHD Task Paralysis
ADHD task paralysis happens when you feel hesitant or unmotivated to begin or continue work on a task or project.
This is where procrastination comes in because you make the choice to put off a task or project because you’re feeling scared or overwhelmed.
ADHD Choice Paralysis
ADHD choice paralysis aka analysis paralysis happens when you’re struggling to make a decision or you are overwhelmed with too many choices.
You may continue to gather information or overanalyze the options which actually makes the decision making process more difficult because information overload can lead to ADHD mental paralysis.
How to Deal with ADHD Paralysis
How can we overcome ADHD paralysis when it starts to rear its ugly little head?
Let’s wrap up with some strategies to stay ADHD paralysis before it starts as well as dig ourselves out if we’re experiencing a freeze.
Tips to Prevent ADHD Paralysis: Create Better Awareness
I know I go on and on about the importance of awareness as an ADHD mom or ADHD entrepreneur. But that’s because I’ve been caught in the cycle of “I forgot about something, now I’m rushing to do it, and I’m not happy with the results, and I feel bad about myself for forgetting and doing a sub-par job” far too many times.
Consistently reminding yourself of what needs done currently in both your business and home life, what is on the horizon, and what availability you realistically have can go a long way in helping tamp down the ADHD paralysis demons.
Tips to Prevent ADHD Paralysis: Break Tasks Down
Instead of writing something like “write podcast episode” on your to-do list, break it down into the steps like research the topic, research keywords, write out bullet points, write episode, etc.
For example, I know the overall process of writing a podcast episode takes me around 1.5-2 hours, and I rarely have a 2 hour block in my schedule. But researching keywords only takes me 10-15 minutes. So I can make progress when I have the time without feel as overwhelmed.
Tips to Prevent ADHD Paralysis: Avoid Overscheduling
This is where that awareness piece comes back in. Because many of us ADHDers are “yes” people because we don’t want to let anyone down, we often overload our schedules which can lead to feelings of overwhelm and freeze.
Creating and setting clear boundaries around what you commit to for your work and your family can go a long way in helping you prevent paralysis from sensory and schedule overload.
And if you find yourself stuck in a paralysis spiral, here are some strategies that may help you stop the spin…
Tips to Stop ADHD Paralysis: Add More Movement
Moving your body, even if you’re not exercising per se, stimulates dopamine levels in your system and lowers stress hormones.
More dopamine means your executive functions of motivation, task initiation, and decision making can return. And lower stress hormones mean less anxiety.
Movement can also signal to the brain at a very base level that the danger has passed and we can unfreeze.
Tips to Stop ADHD Paralysis: Let Go of Perfectionism
As a recovering perfectionist, I understand first hand how difficult letting go of perfectionism can be. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve just abandoned a task or project because I couldn’t make it exactly the way I thought it should be.
But if you’ve been around here awhile, you know that I champion the idea of creating a range of positive outcomes or what done looks like rather than staying beholden to one particular perfect outcome.
If the perfect version in your head would be the “best” version, then think about what the most basic version of complete would be and call that “good” and what would be somewhere between “best” and “good” for your better option.
Aim for good and if you have time and bandwidth, keep working towards the better or best versions.
Tips to Stop ADHD Paralysis: Verbally Process
I love when I can work with a client to take a task or project that they’ve been avoiding or struggling to continue and break it into pieces that make completion easier.
Typically what I’ll do is have them walk me through step-by-step what they would need to do to finish the task while I type out the steps. Then, instead of looking at the big overwhelming task on their list, they schedule time to work on tiny tasks that will help them make progress toward the overall goal.
You could do this with a spouse, a friend, an accountability buddy, and of course, with a coach like me. In fact, if you’d like to discuss all the different ways I may be able to support you in staying motivated and avoiding ADHD paralysis, click the button below to book your free, no-obligation call to see how I can help you.
