How to get motivated with ADHD

Getting motivated can be tough for anyone. But if you have ADHD, or think you might, you’re likely to have specific trouble when it comes to motivation. That doesn’t mean you’re lazy or a failure. Far from it.

Motivation is what propels you to act, usually to reach a goal. People with ADHD tend to be motivated by activities that are stimulating or that have an immediate reward or risk, according to David Fazzari, PhD, a cognitive behavioral psychologist and adult ADHD specialist.

Finding ways to get and stay motivated may not always be easy when you have ADHD. But there are strategies you can use to act on tasks that aren’t very rewarding — and feel good about doing it.

Definition and types

In the broadest sense, motivation is the reason you do something. That drive doesn’t just come from one source, though. There are four types of motivation: 

• Intrinsic

• Extrinsic

• Positive

• Negative

Intrinsic means internal motivation. Maybe you love reading science fiction, or watching old movies. You’re motivated to do these things even though no one is asking you to, simply because you enjoy them. 

Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is external: You’re doing the activity because of a potential reward or punishment. For example, you’re reading that science fiction novel or watching that old movie because it’s a class assignment and you want a good grade.

“Most activities we engage in have a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations,” explains Understood Expert Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, PhD. 

Then, there are positive and negative types of motivation, which basically means reward vs. punishment. “People with ADHD are much more likely to respond favorably to positive motivation than negative motivation,” says Sarkis. 

Imagine that you’re a soccer player during a training session. The combination of types might play out this way:

• Positive extrinsic motivation: You’re training hard because you want to win the game and take home the gold.

• Negative extrinsic motivation: You’re training hard because your coach makes you do 100 push-ups whenever you lose.

• Positive intrinsic motivation: You’re training hard because you love playing soccer, and it makes you feel good to get better at it.

• Negative intrinsic motivation: You’re training hard because performing poorly makes you feel bad.

ADHD and motivation

Why is motivation so difficult with ADHD? One reason has to do with a neurotransmitter in the brain called dopamine. This “feel good” hormone is involved in reward and motivation. “People with ADHD tend to have lower levels of dopamine in the brain,” says Fazzari. 

Dopamine increases the feeling of pleasure we get from a task or activity. Having less of it can make it harder to do things that aren’t interesting or urgent. But when there’s something positive at the end of a task or when something negative will happen if you don’t act, you’re likely to be more motivated.

For example, if it’s already 11 p.m. and your report is due by 9 a.m. tomorrow, you’re likely to be a lot more motivated to get to work than if your deadline is next week. It’s typical for people with ADHD to wait to take action until a deadline has become uncomfortably immediate.¹ 

Everyone needs to ramp up enough energy to dive into a task. But people with ADHD often need “significantly more energy to reach that threshold than people without ADHD,” says Fazzari. Getting motivated can be especially hard with long-term life goals, “because the reward is often far in the future,” he explains.

Other factors affecting motivation

Many common ADHD symptoms and challenges can also reduce your drive to act. These include:

• Stress

• Boredom

• Perfectionism

• Procrastination

• Strong emotions

• Anxiety

• Low self-esteem

Getting too little sleep can also have an effect. It “amplifies all the other factors that reduce motivation,” says Fazzari. Sleep problems are common with ADHD. 

6 strategies for getting motivated

There are plenty of ways to make it easier to get and stay motivated. Here are some to try:

1. Chunk out tasks into smaller steps — and take breaks. 

Got a big project on your to-do list? If you start early enough, you won’t have to plow straight through. Rather than facing down one daunting task, break it up into 10 totally doable ones. 

Remind yourself to stop and stretch. “External cues and reminders are essential for people with ADHD,” says Sarkis. “Use alarms on your devices to remind yourself of tasks you need to complete, and when to take a break.”

2. Play to your strengths. 

You’re much more likely to dive into tasks or reach for goals that you find personally rewarding. Keep that in mind when you sign up for projects, do volunteer work, divide up chores at home, or think about career moves. 

“People with ADHD can have some really amazing talents and abilities. So if you have a job that taps into your strengths, it will be much easier to perform up to your potential,” says Fazzari. 

3. Find inspiration and motivation from others.

One way to find motivation through other people is with “body doubling.” This strategy involves working alongside or near someone else. You don’t need to talk or be working on the same thing. Just being near someone who’s staying focused on their work can help you stay focused on yours.

Another option is working together with someone. Whether you’re creating a presentation or preparing a meal, working with a partner builds internal motivation. 

4. Monitor progress. 

Keeping tabs on your work is often a challenge with ADHD. But seeing how far you’ve progressed can be motivating. You may want to set a timer, so that you can stop and take stock. 

Another way to monitor your progress can be working with a mental health professional or a coach. “It helps to have someone to check in with when you’re completing a task,” says Sarkis.

5. Make regulating your emotions a priority.

Emotions play a central role in organization and motivation, according to Sarkis. How are your emotions influencing the strategies you’re trying to use?

“Ask yourself, ‘How am I feeling? Can I think about this in another way that would give me more motivation?’” Sarkis says. Journaling is a simple way to capture and think about your emotions.

6. Look into treatment options.

There’s no easy fix for motivation challenges, but Sarkis believes treatment for ADHD is essential. “The most effective treatment for ADHD, according to decades of research, is stimulant medication,” she says.

Therapy can also help many people talk through feelings and learn to regulate emotions. This includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

While there are strategies for improving motivation, it may take time and practice for them to take hold. Some strategies might not work for you at all. Go slow, and try one thing at a time. You may end up looking back, pleasantly surprised by how much you’ve gotten done.

Summary

Motivation is the drive to act — the reason for doing something. Struggling to get and stay motivated is common with ADHD. It happens because of differences in how the brain functions. 

One difference is lower levels of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. This “feel good” hormone increases the pleasure you get from a task or activity. 

There are four types of motivation: internal, external, positive, and negative. 

If you have ADHD, you may struggle to tap in to internal motivation. Immediate external rewards may be more compelling.

Other factors also have an effect on motivation. They include boredom, procrastination, emotional challenges, and not getting enough sleep. These are all common in people with ADHD. 

Strategies to improve motivation include: 

• Breaking tasks into smaller steps

• Finding enjoyable aspects of tasks

• Taking inspiration from others, like with “body doubling” 

• Regulating your emotions

• Monitoring your progress

It can take time and patience for these strategies to take hold, and not all of them may work for you. Go slow and try them one at a time.