ADHD individuals should focus on doing less and prioritizing tasks that truly matter in order to accomplish more of what they want to do.
Reducing the number of commitments on to-do lists and minimizing the creation of new ones can help individuals with ADHD better prioritize and focus on their important tasks.
Deep dives
The Importance of Doing Less
One key reason why people with ADHD often feel overwhelmed is their tendency to take on too much. Despite having a full plate, they still feel the need to add more tasks. However, doing more is not always the best solution. ADHD individuals struggle with prioritization and often prioritize urgent tasks over important ones. This leads to a misalignment of priorities and an overload of responsibilities. In order to accomplish more of what they truly want to do, it is beneficial for individuals with ADHD to focus on doing less and prioritizing the tasks that truly matter.
The Impact of Cognitive Overload and Open Loops
Cognitive overload, referring to the amount of information that can be held in working memory, is a challenge for individuals with ADHD. Open loops, or unresolved commitments, constantly occupy mental space and make it harder to focus on important tasks. When too many open loops exist, cognitive capacity is diverted away from the desired areas of focus. While it may not be possible to close all open loops, individuals can exert control over creating new commitments. By consciously choosing to take on fewer tasks, individuals can reduce cognitive overload and free up mental resources for meaningful work.
Tips for Prioritization and Task Management
Prioritizing tasks can be challenging for ADHD individuals. By reducing the number of commitments on their to-do lists, individuals can better prioritize the tasks that truly need attention. It is important to accept that not everything on the to-do list needs to be done, and it is okay to eliminate tasks from the list. Managing cognitive capacity is crucial, and minimizing the creation of new open loops can help individuals focus better on their priorities. By consciously practicing doing less, individuals can paradoxically achieve more of what they want to accomplish.
Over the last few weeks, I have hit a number of points where it all just felt like too much - now there are a number of things that have contributed to this, but one of the keys always behind when I get overwhelmed is doing too much. This is despite the fact that even when I have too much on my plate it always feels like I should be doing more. That I could squeeze in just a few more things and then… well then I’d probably also still be trying to add more things to do.
In today’s episode, we’re going to be exploring why doing more isn’t usually the best thing for us to pursue and how doing less can actually help us actually accomplish the things we really want to do. Support me on Patreon Feel free to ask me a question on my Contact Page Find the show note at HackingYourADHD.com/111This Episode's Top Tips
Prioritizing with ADHD can be difficult and that is only made more difficult as we add more and more to what we’re doing. When we’re able to pare down the amount we’re doing we can then better prioritize all the things that actually need to get done.
We don’t have to do everything that ends up on our to-do lists - it’s okay to cross things out even if we haven’t completed them.
We only have so much cognitive capacity to focus on any given thing and the more open loops we the more we are going to be drawing on that cognitive capacity. Our best bet for dealing with open loops is to work on simply opening fewer of them by taking less on.
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