ADHD: interesting more important than priority in completing tasks

To the non-ADHD brain, an important task is just that: a priority to be accomplished in an expeditious manner. The brain can allow uninspiring tasks to be readily accomplished before an interesting one.

It’s not so for the ADHD brain. Interest and excitement in a task is the primary factor in deciding which task on a list is completed first. Then second. Then third. The important— and boring— one could become maybe never on the list.

The reasoning behind this is relatively straight forward neurochemistry. As I’ve said before, ADHD is not a deficiency in attention; it’s a deficiency in dopamine. As you recall, dopamine is the feel-good brain chemical we release when we complete a task. I call the dopamine experience when a task is finished “completing the dopamine cycle”.

#adhdtips

Here’s a way to hack your ADHD brain to perform better with non-exciting tasks that really don’t pique your interest: commensurately reward yourself when you complete a non-exciting task. The more often you complete the dopamine cycle with a reward, the more your brain will believe a reward is coming and will become more willing to engage with tasks.

As you begin to hack your brain by completing the dopamine cycle, I really don’t care what the reward is. As you progress in the hack, I’d recommend making the reward less sugary and more healthy. The reward doesn’t need to be food— could be extra screen time, a walk with the dog, or a dip in the jacuzzi. Make the reward appropriate to the complexity or undesirability of the task.

Want to get to the next level and spike your dopamine even higher? Research with monkeys has shown that making the reward a non-guaranteed event increases the dopamine released significantly when a reward is achieved. Complete a task. Roll a dice. Roll a 1 or 3: no reward. Roll a 2, 4, 5, or 6: get the reward.

It might take a bit of time, but you will find your mind looks forward to knowing that boring, important tasks get rewards, too.

ADHD IRL

People often ask me if I struggle with the issues I write about. For the most part, the answer is yes. This is one I personally have strong feelings about... and get in trouble for. I contribute to several websites. When I’m not excited about the topic, it often doesn’t get submitted on time. When the topic interests me, I’m all over it.