ADHD Motivation Tips
By: Gina Romero, LICSW, LCSW, ADHD Specialist
Spoiler: Willpower has nothing to do with it.
So, you're an ADHDer who's trying to motivate yourself to do something. Or maybe you love an ADHDer, and you're baffled as to how they can deep-clean the house at 3 a.m. but haven't started that paper that's due in six hours. Welcome to the weird world of ADHD motivation.
My name is Gina Romero and I'm a licensed therapist who specializes in ADHD. I'm also an ADHDer myself, and you'll see some of my personal examples in this post. Let's dive in!
Let's be clear about something from the start: ADHDers aren't lazy, and I promise you it will make things worse if you call them lazy. As a therapist who has spent countless hours helping ADHDers un-learn the belief that they're lazy, I'm kindly asking you not to call your ADHDer lazy. Their brains just need different fuel to get going. Here's your cheat sheet:Here’s your cheat sheet:
What is PINCH?
P = Play
I = Interest
N = Novelty
C = Challenge
H = Hurry (or a Deadline)
If a task hits at least one of these? You’re more likely to get it done. Hit two or more? Even better!
1. Play
Play doesn’t have that you turn everything into a game show. For ADHDers, it means approaching tasks with a spirit of creativity, curiosity, or even just making things slightly less boring. Here are some practical ways you might do that:
Turning on a podcast while you fold laundry so it feels like your brain has something fun to do while your hands work? That’s play.
Making your to-do list in colorful markers because it feels more engaging than typing it into your notes app? Also play!
Play can look like putting on music while you clean, changing locations while you work, or wearing your favorite hoodie because it makes you feel more like yourself. If something feels lifeless or soul-crushing, ask yourself: How can I make this even 10% more enjoyable?
If it’s boring, make it a game. You don’t grow out of needing play.
2. Interest
You know that thing you (or your loved one) can hyperfocus on for hours? That’s interest. The hard part? Most of life’s tasks don’t fall into this category. Try pairing the boring thing with something you do care about. Here are some examples:
Let’s say you hate doing dishes, but love true crime podcasts? Pair those two together and you have a new dishwashing ritual.
Can’t focus on emails but love coffee from Coffee Religion? (one of my personal favorites in Las Vegas!) Bribe yourself with some [good] coffee and do your emails there.
Find a hook. ADHD brains chase dopamine like it’s a full-time job. Give yours something worth chasing!
3. Novelty
New = shiny. Shiny = motivating.
This is why ADHDers suddenly get super motivated when buying new planners, apps, or pens (and yes, those Amazon packages full of “productivity tools” are absolutely part of this). It’s also why we’re suddenly training for marathons after we buy new running shoes. The novelty might wear off, but it gets you started. And that counts! Here are a couple of ways you can use novelty to motive you or a loved one:
Rearrange your desk setup to make it feel fresh again
Try a new app just to get through the same old routine. Just don’t forget to cancel that subscription before you get charged!
Buy a new flavor of protein powder to try after your workouts
Try a Class Pass subscription to try out new fitness classes.
4. Challenge
ADHDers LOVE to gamify things and turn the mundane into something we can have fun with. ADHDers are also highly motivated by competition, which you already know if you’re parenting or married to one of us. What you might not know is that we can also channel our inner motivation by competing against ourselves. Try these:
Do the dishes 30 seconds faster than you did them yesterday
Set a 10-minute timer and race your partner to see who can clean more
Turn a to-do list into a bingo card
Make a spreadsheet because you “can’t wait to prove your partner wrong about your shared expenses”
5. Hurry (aka a Deadline)
We all know this one. You didn’t want to do the thing… and then there were exactly 17 minutes left and your brain finally said “oh shit!” Here’s what this looks like:
You might not want to do the project, but now it’s 2 hours before the meeting and you don’t want to get fired
You won’t get paid unless you complete this task by midnight
Your therapist has a 24-hour cancellation policy, and you REALLY don’t want to pay their $150 cancellation fee if you don’t email them RIGHT NOW
If you don’t have a real deadline, make one. Text a friend and say, “Ask me in 20 minutes if I’ve done the thing.” External accountability works.
How Loved Ones Can Help (Without Nagging or Micromanaging)
Maybe you’re not the ADHDer, but you live with one, love one, or work with one. Here’s how you can support without accidentally turning into a walking to-do list reminder.
Ask what part of PINCH might help. Sometimes it’s not “I don’t want to do this,” it’s “This task isn’t hitting any of my brain’s activation buttons.” Help them find a way to make it fun, fast, or fresh.
Offer structure, not pressure. “Want to body double while we both work?” is way better than “Why haven’t you done this yet?”
Celebrate the weird wins. They finally cleaned out the car at midnight? That’s still a win. The load of laundry sat in the dryer for four days but it's folded now? Also a win!
Take care of yourself, too. Loving someone with ADHD can mean absorbing a lot. If you're finding that resentment is building, or you feel more like a manager than a partner or parent, that's worth paying attention to. Therapy, whether for you individually or together, can help you build a dynamic that works better for both of you.
A lot of the friction in ADHD relationships comes from a mismatch in understanding, not a lack of effort on either side. When you start to understand why your person operates the way they do, it changes the dynamic.
If you’re looking for more tips after a new diagnosis, check out my resource page: https://www.wanderingpinewellness.com/new-adhd-diagnosis
Wondering if you might have ADHD? Request an assessment from us.*
*only available to adults in WA and NV
Ready to Work With Someone Who Gets It?
Whether you're an ADHDer who's tired of forgetting things or feeling unmotivated, or a loved one trying to figure out how to offer support, ADHD therapy can give you more than strategies. It gives you a framework for understanding yourself or the person you love.
At Wandering Pine Wellness, our therapists specialize in ADHD across the lifespan. We work with adults who were diagnosed yesterday and adults who spent decades being told they just needed to try harder. We also work with partners, parents, and families navigating ADHD together.
If any of this resonated, the next step is simple: reach out and tell us a little about what you're dealing with. We'll help you figure out if we're the right fit.
About the author, Gina Romero.
Gina Romero is a licensed therapist who’s clinical work focuses on ADHD and its intersection with chronic illness, such as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, MCAS, and POTS. Learn more about Gina here: wanderingpinewellness.com/ginaromero
