If you have been having a hard time motivating yourself or trying to find the energy for daily tasks, it’s easy to assume you are lazy. However, not all people who appear to be lazy are, and having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) can make you lack motivation.
No matter what the cause is, it can be difficult and frustrating when you need to get things done but just can’t. You end up feeling constantly at odds with yourself, and that isn’t a good feeling. Ultimately, you may wonder, “what’s wrong with me?”
And there likely is a more in-depth answer than you can envision. You might have ADHD.
ADHD affects many aspects of behavior, and in turn, people who have it can be thought of or labeled as lazy. In reality- they are struggling with maintaining focus.
Since executive function is impacted in ADHD, it can make it hard to get started, stay organized and maintain consistency. Here are 7 signs you aren’t just lazy- you likely have ADHD.
1. You move from one task to another without completing it.
With ADHD, you may feel a strong initial interest in something that captivates you and then put much effort into it. Then, if you lose interest or become distracted, you may find that you stall out and move on to another task. Eventually, your brain may create the connection that when you start something, you won’t finish and will have a hard time finding the motivation to even start tasks.
2. You regularly forget about appointments.
ADHD can cause you to hop from one thought to another. No matter how important an engagement is- you may get caught up in something else, and completely forget about an important appointment. This can be frustrating because you won’t forget due to a lack of trying to remember.
3. You are easily bored.
Those with ADHD can become easily bored. Because of this, even when you start something, it doesn’t mean you will finish with it, even if it’s something you need to do. As your attention jumps from subject to subject, without even trying to, you may accidentally lose focus.
4. You lose track of time.
One of the most common complaints of those with ADHD is that they lose track of time. While 5 minutes may feel like just that to a normal person, someone with ADHD may feel five minutes go by in the blink of an eye, and 25 minutes later, realize they became distracted.
5. You are easily distracted.
When your thoughts hop around a lot, it can be easy to get distracted. This can be especially frustrating when you are trying to talk to someone, and you find your focus is all over the place. No matter how hard you try to focus on the moment in front of you, your brain may get carried away.
6. If something doesn’t interest you- it’s hard to muster the motivation.
A person who has ADHD has so much going on in their mind that unless something just jumps out at them, they may begin to feel stuck. In turn, unless something captivates them or truly interests them, they may appear to lack motivation.
7. You go from feeling hyper-energetic to crashing and burning.
And when you do finally get the motivation, you may run at tasks full force, exerting all of your available energy into a task. Then, when you have burned yourself out, you may pull back leaving yet another task unfinished.