What Is Procrastination? (aka ADHD Inertia)

Struggling to get moving with tasks, even on things you know are important? You’re not alone. If you have ADHD, you probably know this feeling all too well: you know what you need to do… so why can’t you just start?

Let’s talk about why this feels so hard when you have ADHD—and what you can do to overcome procrastination (or as I prefer to call it, ADHD inertia).

Procrastination for me, feels like a judgmental word. It sounds like we’re just being lazy or avoiding something on purpose. But the truth is, what we’re feeling is more like inertia—a heavy, stuck sensation making it almost impossible to move – like wading through treacle.

As ADHD expert Dr. Russell Barkley puts it:

“ADHD is not about knowing what to do, but about doing what one knows.”

 

The ADHD Hierarchy of Getting Started

(This framework came from a conversation I had with my husband – love a bit of external processing!)

Imagine all your to-dos come with one of three different levels of difficulty:

Level 1: The Want To’s

These are the easiest tasks to start because they feel good in the moment.

• They’re interesting or fun
• They are new / shiny
• They give us a quick win
• They feel excitingly challenging 

These tasks are associated with positive emotions and feel-good neurotransmitters like oxytocin, and serotonin—making them much more doable for ADHD brains.

Level 2: The Have To’s

Next up are the tasks that are more urgent. Not doing them comes with a consequence:

• Pay a bill (or get a fine)
• Submit work (or risk a warning)
• Go to the dentist (or deal with pain)
• Respond to a friend (or risk damaging the relationship)
• React to an emergency/ injustice (or someone will suffer)

These tasks are associated with negative emotions such as anxiety, anger and shame. They involve stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Not ideal if we rely on them in the long-term – but they do get us moving when the pressure’s high enough.

Level 3: The Ought To’s

These are the tough ones that often don’t get done:

• Start saving for retirement
• Fill in application form
• Look after teeth/ other self-care
• Plan meals for next week
• Stay in touch with xxx (who lives abroad)

These tasks don’t feel urgent, even though they matter. The reward is longer-term, vague, or delayed – and they may feel almost impossible to begin. Worse still, they often come wrapped in shame, which shuts down our problem-solving abilities.

These Ought To’s need good dopamine function, and dopamine function is what’s impacted in ADHD. No surprise that these are the tasks where procrastination & ADHD inertia hit the hardest.

So why do Ought To’s feel so difficult?

Here’s the science bit: ADHD is linked to dopamine dysregulation. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that fuels motivation and helps us feel rewarded by a task. If you have ADHD, your brain doesn’t operate on dopamine in the same way as it does for others.

That’s why the Ought To’s feel so hard to start. It’s not a lack of discipline. It’s the way our brains work.

What happens to the Ought To’s on our To Do list?

Our Ought To’s often end up as:

• Emergencies: Time ticks by and those Ought To’s suddenly become Have To’s. (We feel stressed/ exhausted).
• Lower standards: Now they’re Have To’s, it’s easier to get them done – but limited time may mean limited quality. (We feel shame and disappointment).
• Not done: Our Ought To’s often don’t get done at all. (We feel shame and a sense of failure).

How to Crack ADHD Inertia (& Get That Boulder Moving)

Once we notice we are avoiding our Ought To’s we can begin to tackle them. (And the more you practice this, the easier it gets!)

Think of something that you’re feeling stuck with – for example a tax return, meal-planning for next week, or even a phone-call you’ve been dreading. Imagine this task is a big boulder in front of you – how on earth can you get it moving? Everyone (ADHD or not) recognises this feeling. But with our ADHD dopamine dysfunction, our boulder is actually bigger – it feels impossible to get it moving. What can we do to overcome that inertia? 

Imagine your task is a giant boulder sitting in front of you. You know it needs to shift, but it feels immovable. For those of us with dopamine dysfunction, the boulder is heavier – so we need to use additional tools.

Here’s some ways to get moving:

🪨 “It’s too big” → Break it into smaller pieces

“Do tax return” becomes:

• Find receipts
• Open spreadsheet
• Write email to accountant
  

🛹 “It’s too hard” → Oil your path

Reduce the friction:
Write down bullet points before a call you’re dreading. Lay out clothes the night before you do an early morning workout.

📞 “I can’t do this by myself” → Bring in support

Body doubling is a great tool – try working alongside a friend or phoning someone while you tidy. Test out some online body-doubling services. Or even delegate – there’s no shame in that! 

🛠 “I need a tool” → Use a lever

Meal planning apps, timers, grocery services – whatever makes life easier is worth it.

🧭 “It feels too vague” → Work out where you are going

Spend five minutes getting clear:
What IS the task? What’s the first step?

🥱 “It’s boring” → Find your why / make it more enjoyable

Why are you even moving the boulder? What makes this task important to you? (If you have to do it to keep your job, what makes that important?) 

Find a way to find it more pleasurable. Need to fill in a form? Treat yourself to a coffee first. Brush your teeth with a brush you actually like. 

 

Reminder: You’re Not Lazy. You’re Wired Differently.

If you’ve blamed yourself for procrastination, please know: this isn’t a character flaw. It’s a real, brain-based challenge—and there are ways to work around it.

You can still do hard things. You just might need different tools, different timing, and a whole lot more self-compassion.

 

Summary

Why is procrastination so common in ADHD?
Because ADHD impacts dopamine, making it harder to start tasks that don’t offer an immediate reward. It’s not about laziness—it’s about how the brain processes motivation.

What is ADHD inertia?
Inertia is the stuck feeling many ADHDers experience when trying to begin a task. Even simple jobs can feel overwhelmingly hard to start, especially without urgency or interest.

How can I beat ADHD inertia?
Break tasks into smaller steps, reduce friction, find accountability, and reward yourself before you start. Body doubling, visual tools, and external structure can help too.

 

Tips for Starting (When You Feel Stuck)

• Identify any Ought To’s. (Can any of them be ditched, delegated, or delayed?)
• Name the very first step. (Start with a ‘doing’ word: “call,” “open,” “write.”)
• Reward before the task. (Feeling good first, helps turn an Ought To into a Want To.)

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I offer 1:1 ADHD coaching for adults navigating neurodivergence in daily life. Head to Free Your Space to find out more or book a free intro call.

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💬 Coming Soon on the Blog:

Overwhelm – the ultimate ADHD challenge!

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