You’re at work and have been assigned a project to complete. The project is quite tedious due to the amount of work you need to put in. You look over the task and understand what is required of you. Once you start it, you find yourself “stuck”. You know you’re capable of getting the project completed, but something is preventing you from having that momentum to get started. But as a person with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, you find yourself being able to have that motivation with other projects that are more fulfilling.

*Ball of crumbled, yellow legal paper with blue lines and miscellaneous words written on it. The ball appears to be on a floor.*

You’re not alone. Amotivation—defined as the inability of having a drive to engage in activities or tasks—is a common problem for those with ADHD. Although amotivation is seen mainly in those with depression, amotivation for those with ADHD causes individuals to have difficulties completing tasks that are not entertaining, aka, boring. For instance, completing tedious homework when going to school throughout childhood might have been boring, causing you to not want to complete it at all and engage in a fun activity, such as playing video games. As an adult, it might be cleaning your house (or apartment) that is boring.

According to Volkow et al. in their article, “Motivation Deficit in ADHD is Associated with Dysfunction of the Dopamine Reward Pathway,” researchers conducted a study to examine the dopamine pathways (the “feel good” chemical in your brain) in those with ADHD to determine the relationship between the activity of those pathways and motivation. What they discovered was that those with ADHD who experienced amotivation had decreased availability of various dopamine markers compared to individuals without ADHD. Although Volkow et al. discovered this correlation, they have concluded that it’s just that: a correlation and not causation. At the same time, they expressed uncertainty about the nature of the relationship: the low dopamine causing the low motivation or vice versa. It's like that age-old question we all love: which came first, the chicken or the egg?

What can you do about it? If any of you are parents, you probably know the struggle when it comes to getting your children to do their homework and chores. Thinking about it like that (or remembering things your parents have done to get you to get things done), what are a few things that come to mind?

Bribes? Nah.

Taking phones away? Better, but try again.

For a moment, I want you to think about the following question: What if you can get that dopamine rush by completing a big, boring task in smaller chunks? Have you ever felt accomplished with finishing what you were working on?

Studies have shown that breaking down long and boring tasks into smaller tasks is much better than doing it all at once. Why is that? You’re not overwhelming your brain with doing tasks as much as you would if you did them all at once. When you do that, you’re much more likely to get them done. The same goes for doing tasks a few minutes at a time.

Positive reinforcements are another way to increase motivation. Something as simple as playing your favorite video game in 30 minutes if you finish that report your boss has been pestering you about. Or even giving yourself 3 days to consistently complete a household chore to prize yourself with that precious art set you’ve laid your eyes on for months. However, this is easier said than done.

Delay gratification is often the enemy of ADHD. Why? Because it prevents one from achieving that instant gratification one craves to get that dopamine rush. The more you engage in instant gratification, the more you reinforce not completing tedious tasks. In other words, you’re avoiding said task. However, by trying new ways to tackle those daunting tasks and projects, you’ll not only finish them but also get that dopamine rush.

Amotivation: How To Be Motivated

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