Key Takeaways
- ADHD can make it hard to feel motivated, but this has nothing to do with laziness or not having enough willpower.
- People with ADHD are often more motivated by interest, connection, and urgency than by deadlines or long-term goals.
- With the right strategies and support, it’s possible to feel motivated in ways that make sense for you.
If you live with ADHD, you might have noticed that feeling motivated — especially for boring or tedious tasks — is extra difficult. ADHD motivation is different than it is for people without ADHD. That’s because research shows that ADHD affects the brain’s reward system in ways that make motivation harder to come by, especially for tasks that don’t feel interesting or urgent. This can make it feel impossible to get started, even when you know something’s important.
This experience can be frustrating — especially if people around you misunderstand it. You might be told that you just need to “try harder” or “stay focused,” but ADHD isn’t about “willing” your way through it. It’s a real neurodevelopmental condition that has to do with the way your brain works. Even though it can be challenging, there are ways to work through it and get the support you need.
How ADHD can affect your sense of motivation
Research shows that ADHD can impact your motivation in many ways. Both extrinsic motivation (your sensitivity to external rewards and consequences) and intrinsic motivation (being able to motivate yourself to do things) are affected.
This isn’t because people with ADHD are lazy. It’s because of differences in the brain. And it’s not a matter of willpower. ADHD brains just don’t get motivated by the same things as non-ADHD brains. Difficulty with motivation isn’t a key symptom of ADHD, but there are many evidence-based reasons why it may be harder.
These include:
- ADHD paralysis: ADHD paralysis can look like sitting at your desk with every intention to start a task, but somehow, you just can’t move. You might know exactly what you need to do but feel frozen, stuck in place, and overwhelmed by the thought of starting.
- Procrastination: You might put things off over and over again. It’s not because you don’t care but because it feels impossible to start.
- Disorganization: When your environment, schedule, or mental space feels disorganized, it can be even harder to stay focused or get started. You might lose track of what needs to be done, forget appointments, or spend so much time trying to find the right materials that you give up before you begin. It can make it harder to get motivated.
- Difficulty with tedious or repetitive tasks: If you live with ADHD, finding motivation for tedious tasks might be particularly hard. Folding laundry, updating spreadsheets, or answering emails might feel torturous. These kinds of tasks often don’t offer much immediate reward, which makes them even more challenging.
- Emotional overwhelm: When a task feels big or important, you might start to feel emotionally overwhelmed. You could spiral into anxiety or perfectionism. The more pressure you feel, the harder it gets to start or finish the task.
- Dopamine differences: ADHD brains often have lower levels of dopamine, the brain chemical that helps us feel motivated and rewarded. Tasks that should feel satisfying might not give you the same sense of accomplishment. This has been linked to the lack of motivation in people with ADHD. It can also make it harder to feel motivated for delayed gratification or external rewards.
- Co-occurring conditions: ADHD often co-occurs with depression. Depression can also sap you of motivation, making everything feel harder, more draining, or less meaningful — even with activities you used to enjoy. Depression-related fatigue can impact motivation as well.
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What people with ADHD are motivated by
While someone with ADHD might struggle with motivation, it’s not the whole story. People with ADHD can find motivation, but it just may be for different reasons.
Some things that can spark motivation with ADHD include:
Interest
A strong interest in the task at hand can motivate someone with ADHD. This is why it can feel like your motivation levels are so inconsistent across different areas of life. If the task at hand is exciting to you, it’s easier to get started. But if it’s boring or uninteresting, it could feel almost impossible to get motivated.
Connection
Research shows people with and without ADHD are motivated by connection with others. So if completing a task means not only getting it done but also increasing the closeness you feel with someone you care about, you may feel more naturally motivated to complete it. For example, if you’re in a book club, you might feel motivated to finish a book because it’ll help you connect and belong with your group.
Novelty
A study showed that adolescents with ADHD weren’t motivated by completing repetitive and familiar tasks, while young people without ADHD were. If you have ADHD, completing tedious tasks can feel boring and uninteresting. But if tasks are new and exciting, it might feel easier to get motivated for them.
Urgency
In the same study, adolescents with ADHD — but not those without ADHD — showed a strong aversion for tasks that made time feel like it was passing slowly. So any slow-moving task may feel particularly difficult to get motivated for. On the other hand, you might feel more motivated to complete tasks if time flies while you’re doing them.
Four tips to find motivation when you have ADHD
ADHD-related motivation difficulties can affect every area of your life. But there are ways to improve your motivation even with ADHD. Explore these suggestions:
Keep it fresh
Novelty and interest are some of the biggest motivators for people with ADHD. If you can find ways to make tasks interesting and fun, you might feel more motivated to complete them.
For example, you could try gamifying your to-do list, switching up your environment, or setting a timer and racing against the clock. You can also try tying the task to something you enjoy — like listening to music or treating yourself afterward.
Try body-doubling
You might also feel more motivated if you can use tasks as a way to connect with others.
Body-doubling is when you work alongside someone else — either virtually or in person — to stay focused and accountable. Even if they’re working on something completely different, just having someone there can help you start and stick with a task.
Make rewards more immediate
ADHD can make it difficult to rely on delayed gratification (or consequences) for motivation. For example, if you might get a promotion at work for completing your tasks, it might not be an immediate enough reward to get motivated for. So you might try creating your own rewards that are more immediate if external rewards aren’t enough.
For example, you might let yourself watch your favorite show right after finishing a project or snuggle with your dog after completing a boring task. The point is to give your brain a reason to care now, not later.
Get ADHD treatment
Getting qualified ADHD treatment, including medication and therapy, can help reduce the symptoms of ADHD and make this condition easier to live with. Medication can sometimes even address motivation problems directly through increasing dopamine levels, which can help your brain feel more rewarded by tasks and goals.
Therapy can help you understand your motivation patterns and work with them instead of against them. It can also teach you how to accept yourself for who you are and learn to understand that having ADHD isn’t a character flaw.
Your motivation challenges aren’t a reflection of lack of willpower. They’re rooted in how the ADHD brain processes interest, reward, and urgency. Understanding this helps you shift from self-blame to self-compassion and create strategies that actually work with your brain, not against it.
Find care with Rula
If ADHD has made it hard to stay motivated or follow through on your goals, strategies and treatments can help. With the right tools, you can learn how to support your brain and stay committed to what matters to you.
At Rula, we’re committed to delivering a comprehensive behavioral health experience that helps people feel seen and understood so they can get back to feeling their best.
Rula makes it easier to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who accepts your insurance so you don’t have to choose between affordable care and excellent care. With a diverse network of more than 15,000 providers, 24/7 crisis support, and appointments available as soon as tomorrow, we’re here to help you make progress — wherever you are on your mental health journey.
About the author
Saya Des Marais
Saya graduated with her Master in Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in mental health from the University of Southern California in 2010. She formerly worked as a therapist and motivational interviewing trainer in community clinics, public schools, mental health startups, and more.
Her writing has been featured in FORTUNE, GoodRX, PsychCentral, and dozens of mental health apps and therapy websites. Through both her clinical work and her personal OCD diagnosis, she’s learned the importance of making empathetic and accurate mental health content available online.
She lives in Portland, Oregon but you can find her almost just as often in Mexico or in her birthplace, Tokyo.
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