Task Transitioning - How to Get Things Done
What happens when your computer reminds you it’s time to stop working on a project and go to a meeting? Or when you’re watching a Netflix show, but your phone reminds you it’s time to begin your bedtime routine? For many of my ADHD clients the answer is: Nothing.
Switching between tasks can be a difficult ask for individuals with ADHD. There are a lot of articles out there to explain what is going on with the brain and why this is difficult, but I am more interested in what to do about it. I have found one technique to be quite successful, but it starts with a strategy most of my clients hate: set an alarm.
“I’ll just turn it off or snooze it until I turn it off,” a lot of my clients reply.
“Yup, I know,” I assure my clients. “But let me explain the next step and then you tell me what you think….”
“The alarm is not to tell you to stop. The alarm is to tell you change is coming, task transitioning is on the deck.”
The next step is the key step. The alarm is not to tell you to stop. The alarm is to tell you change is coming, task transitioning is on the deck.
I can almost hear your brain snapping back a resounding, “No.”
And that is what the snooze button is for, to give your brain the time it needs to deal with the resistance.
I am encouraging you to hit the snooze button! Then your brain knows, you have seven minutes (or whatever your magic number is) to get your head around the transition that is about to take place.
What should you use those seven minutes for? Whatever your brain needs to make the shift. Here are a few things my clients do with that time:
“And that is what the snooze button is for, to give your brain the time it needs to deal with the resistance.”
Remind yourself of Your Big Why. Why do you need to Switch Tasks? What’s the reasoning? Why is it important. Your brain cares, remind it.
Calm your brain. Reassure your brain that the next task isn’t terrible (or if it is, it won’t last forever). “You’re shutting down your laptop to go visit with friends. Remember friends? You like friends. This is going to be nice.”
Acclimate to the next task. “Next is payroll. I hate payroll. Well, actually it’s never as bad as I think it’s going to be. I can turn on some music while I work on it. That usually helps….”
Wrap up the present task. This one is important. Individuals with ADHD frequently move their finish line in the desire for perfection. Stopping a task is hard because it’s never perfect. Giving yourself the time to find a stopping point helps make the transition easier.
Negotiate with your brain. Maybe you need to bribe it. “You can make that run to the coffee shop for your favorite pastry right after you finish this next task, so c’mon let’s do it.”
Check in with yourself and see if there is anything else you need to help the transition. Food? A walk? Some stretches? A little dance music? Maybe a bathroom run?
Part of this approach relates to my belief in talking to your ADHD brain. It is multifaceted. There’s a part that hates change and a part that thrives on change. There’s a part that gets easily distracted and a part that can focus for hours. There’s a super sunny optimistic part and a stormy dark pessimist. Learning to control who comes to the conversation and what they contribute can be powerful. This technique allows for an inner dialogue between those different characters. While the part that hates change and loves hyperfocus may be blocking the task transition, letting a conversation occur that includes the part that loves change or the part that loves to plan next steps or the creative part that can find the fun in the next task, or the empathetic part that understands the resistance but is committed to your higher goals can often help override the more resistant parts of the ADHD brain.
“I can task switch! My ADHD brain just needs time!!!!!” One of my clients joyfully pronounced after using this strategy for a week with success.
I think there is a lot of truth in this statement for more than just task transitioning. Your ADHD brain needs your patience to learn how to work with it, to help bring out its best and to learn what it needs to help it through the tough times. Once you master that, task transitioning is just one of the many aspects of your life that can become a lot easier! But don’t ever take my word for it, try this out and then let me know how it went for you. Not every tool works for every person, so if you have a different tool that helps you through task transitioning I would love to hear about it in the comments below!