Physiology of why ADHDers may work so well under pressure

I’ve had a project sitting on my desk for several months and I’ve been pecking at it. Usually I will open the file, take a look, edit a note or two, then close the file. After all, it’s not due for another month. In clinical parlance, I find the project in the “not now” and it doesn’t exist. Three weeks from now it will slip into the “now” and it will rise in importance.

I teach there are four types of tasks: yellow, red, blue, and green. Yellow tasks are the ones you really don’t like doing and they deplete you emotionally and physically, and they’re not past due yet. Red tasks are yellows that are now past due (or almost past due). Blue tasks do not deplete you, they’re just not really exciting. Green tasks are the tasks you really enjoy doing that recharge your battery. These tasks are not necessarily stereotypically “fun” tasks. For example, a green task for my wife is folding the laundry. For me, it’s working in the garden.

As the yellow task becomes a red, there are no more “valid” excuses or time to side step the task. It’s crunch time.

So what is the neurophysiological basis for the “now” and “not now”?

There is a structure in the brain called the striatum. One of its tasks is to create anticipation of events in the future. When I show a neurotypical person a picture of a pot of gold, an fMRI of their striatum shows increased activity as it prods their brain to experience the future potential of having the pot of gold. An ADHD striatum sees the picture of the pot of gold and does not activate to the same level. The pot of gold exists in the “not now” and the striatum produces a lessened feeling of urgency or anticipation. Until something exists in “now”, it does not exist.

Another reason ADHDers may work well under pressure and tight deadlines may be due to an inverted default mode network. You can think of the default mode network as how someone perceives the status quo. Generally speaking, the default mode network is based on peace and security. ADHDers often live in a chaotic world. A person with an inverted default mode network finds security in chaos at is often experiences more “peace” in the chaos. Likewise, they may feel lost in calm environments where they’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Next time the ADHDer in your life procrastinates a project until the last minute, be kind, support them where they are, and understand there is a physiological basis for their actions. It’s a steep uphill climb to change.