We’ve spent some time dispelling myths about ADHD and how it has many symptoms that many people don’t know about. It’s not just racing thoughts and fidgeting—ADHD can affect your executive functioning.

One of the ways it does that is by making you freeze up when there’s too much stimuli. It’s called ADHD paralysis.

We’ll talk about what it looks like, why it happens, and how you can combat it if it happens to you.

What is ADHD Paralysis?

It’s not a literal, physical paralysis, but a cognitive one. When there’s simply too much going on, someone with ADHD paralysis can’t sort through all of that information to move forward. 

Think of it like a traffic jam in your brain. When there are too many cars on the road, the traffic comes to a standstill. When someone with ADHD is faced with too many or too big thoughts, feelings, or information, their cognitive function bottlenecks, and they can’t process anything.

ADHD paralysis can be seen in three distinct ways: Task paralysis, decision paralysis, and mental paralysis.

Task Paralysis

Task paralysis makes that thing you need to do feel like Mount Everest. You just can’t bring yourself to start because it seems like too much to do. 

Whether it’s a work project, a college essay, or a sink full of dishes, task paralysis keeps you from accomplishing things that you really need to get done, especially long-term or time-consuming tasks.

When you experience task paralysis, you put off the task by doing something else that feels like a quick win. Instead of your big work project, you color-code your planner for the next week. Instead of your college essay, you play games on your phone. Instead of doing all of your dishes, you go through your closet and throw out old clothes.

Decision Paralysis

When choosing feels like a chore, you may be experiencing decision paralysis. It happens to people with ADHD when facing either a big or small decision, or when they have too many options to choose from.

Decision paralysis, also called analysis paralysis, makes every decision feel impossible to make. You might find yourself agonizing over whether you made the right decision, even if it’s something as inconsequential as your coffee order. 

Decision paralysis can look like:

• Not making a decision without someone else’s input
• Asking different people for opinions
• Spending a long time on each decision
• Over-analyzing small decisions

While a lot of decisions do require a lot of thought and even others’ inputs, those with ADHD seem to have extra difficulty.

Mental Paralysis

This is the closest version of ADHD paralysis to truly just freezing. When all of the stimuli feel like too much—you can’t keep up with your thoughts, there are too many noises, your feelings are overpowering you—so you mentally shut down.

Many describe it as “sensory overload,” and they just need to escape to someplace calmer. It’s common to get upset or even angry because you’re mentally tapped out. 

ADHD Paralysis vs Executive Dysfunction

Executive functioning refers to someone’s cognitive capacity to simply exist. It refers to things like time management, planning ahead, and organizing and performing tasks. Someone with executive dysfunction has trouble with a lot of this mental labor.

Those with ADHD usually suffer from some degree of executive dysfunction, though people with other mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, can also suffer from it.

ADHD paralysis is simply one of the symptoms of executive dysfunction. ADHD paralysis is also a short-term thing, though it may be recurring. It describes behavior in specific circumstances. On the other hand, executive dysfunction is the umbrella term for a pattern of these behaviors that can include a number of other actions besides ADHD paralysis.

Why Do I Feel Paralyzed By a Task List?

People with ADHD take in more stimuli than neurotypical people. The “attention deficit” is really paying attention to so many things that they can’t zero in on just one. They also frequently fall victim to hyperfixation: focusing on a single activity to the point of neglecting all other tasks.

Both of these aspects of ADHD contribute to paralysis. When everything seems important, or the important thing isn’t what triggers your brain’s reward circuit, it can feel completely impossible. 

Both bouncing between thoughts and priorities, as well as hyperfixations, can throw a roadblock into executive functioning. They can make you feel like you can’t possibly get something done, make you lose track of time, or move on to something else to do.

How to Combat ADHD Paralysis

ADHD paralysis can feel unfair. Why can other people keep their house clean or stay on top of work tasks? Why don’t other people get upset in loud crowds or take days to decide which color jacket to buy?

If you’ve experienced ADHD paralysis, you know that it gets in the way of some very important parts of your life. However, you can lessen its hold on you by practicing a few strategies.

Break Down Tasks Into Smaller Steps

When the paralysis hits for large, important tasks, you need to find a way to tell yourself that you can. Break down large tasks into smaller, easy wins.

Let’s take, for example, deep cleaning the kitchen. It’s not something you need to do a lot, but it’s a big task that you absolutely need to do from time to time. Instead of your task list being…

• Clean the kitchen 

…create a list of multiple easy wins. These could be, 

• Throw away food in the fridge
• Scrub the stovetop
• Clear off the counters
• Wipe down the counters

It also helps to order these small steps from easiest to hardest. It’s satisfying to cross things off your list, and that will motivate you to do the next job.

Body Doubling

It may seem silly, but sometimes an audience is a good motivator. Body doubling is when someone simply hangs out with you while you’re working on your task. They don’t have to be helping or even doing anything at all. Just being in the same room helps with ADHD paralysis.

Accountability can be the motivation for someone with ADHD to start a task. For some people, having a friend by their side, even if they aren’t actively encouraging them, can feel like having a cheerleader during a tough time. 

Even for decision paralysis, just talking out the quandary can help guide you to your decision faster.

Focus Blocks

Another way to break down a big task is by giving yourself a time limit. Rather than breaking a task into smaller to-dos, split it up into blocks of time.

Think about a task that will take you several hours. You’d want to do it in 20-25  minute chunks with small 5-10 minute breaks in between. This helps you in several ways:

• Manageable amounts of time to do some work
• Getting up and moving around during your breaks
• Structure that helps you focus
• The illusion of moving through multiple tasks

Focus blocks are helpful for a lot of people, not just those with ADHD. They’re incredibly useful for school projects, and a lot of people use them to get through the work day, no matter what they have planned.

Reward Yourself

It’s always ok to give yourself a pat on the back. Giving yourself something to earn can be extremely motivating. 

If you mark something off your list or you finish a large task, reward yourself. Whether that’s by indulging in another task, a small walk, a snack, or five minutes on social media, small rewards can keep you from losing interest in the next task. If you want a little more structure in your tasks, use the “when-then” technique. When you finish this task, then you get a reward. When you do the dishes, then you can watch your show.

Overcoming your ADHD paralysis can be a bit of a trial and error process. You may find out that one technique works best for you, or that you may need to change your strategy over time.

ADHD Treatment in Arizona

At Inner Balance, we know that ADHD symptoms go far beyond the stereotype of “being fidgety.” It’s something that can truly interfere with your social life, your career, and your relationships. 

Part of managing ADHD and ADHD paralysis is learning the tools so you can be the version of yourself that you want to be. We’ll use cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy tailored for people with ADHD. 

Schedule a free consultation today. We offer online therapy for anyone in Arizona, as well as in-person therapy in Tempe and Mesa. Reach out. Show up. Feel Better.

Read more resources about ADHD:

• Gender Differences in ADHD 
• Autism vs. OCD vs. ADHD
• Anxiety vs ADHD: Differences and Similarities| Inner Balance