I'm Busy Being Awesome - Sustainable Productivity for ADHD

Episode 334: ADHD Relaxation: Why Traditional Rest Doesn't Work & What Does

30 snips
Dec 22, 2025
Explore how ADHD brains process relaxation differently. Discover why traditional rest often feels impossible and how contrast avoidance theory plays a role in this experience. Learn about parallel tasking as a tool for relaxation and why unstructured downtime can lead to chaos. Paula presents five practical steps to redefine rest, from labeling your patterns to creating a personal rest menu. Shift your perspective on rest from a chore to a source of productivity, all while embracing the unique needs of your ADHD brain.
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ANECDOTE

Hands-Busy Relaxation Worked

  • Paula describes trying to watch a relaxing show but feeling restless, twitchy, and unable to settle.
  • She only relaxed when she added a simple hand activity like crocheting or puzzles alongside the show.
INSIGHT

Contrast Avoidance Explains Rest Resistance

  • Paula introduces contrast avoidance theory to explain why rest can feel unsafe for some brains.
  • The brain stays slightly stressed to avoid emotional whiplash from calm to sudden stress.
INSIGHT

ADHD Transitions Amplify Contrast Avoidance

  • Paula links contrast avoidance to ADHD struggles with transitions between 'on' and 'off' states.
  • Staying a little busy feels safer than risking the exposure of true stillness or criticism after relaxing.
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