ADHD makes adult tasks feel weirdly impossible. Here’s how to stop avoiding the dentist, taxes, and other “ugh” jobs—without relying on willpower.
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Get it on Play StoreI used to treat the dentist like a haunted house.
Not because I didn’t care about my teeth. I did. But the combo of phone calls, scheduling, waiting rooms, and the vague fear of “they’re going to judge me” made it feel like a 3-hour emotional event. Same thing with taxes. Same thing with oil changes. Same thing with literally anything that had a deadline and paperwork.
And that’s the annoying part about ADHD—the task isn’t just the task. It’s the memory of the task, the dread around the task, the executive function tax, and the shame spiral that starts before you even begin.
So if you’ve been avoiding the dentist, taxes, or any other adult chore that’s been lurking in your brain for weeks, no, you’re not lazy. You’re probably overwhelmed, under-supported, and trying to use willpower like it’s a magic trick.
It’s not.
I hate to break it to you, but “I’ll do it when I’m in the mood” is a trap.
With ADHD, the mood often never comes. Waiting to feel motivated can turn a 20-minute task into a 6-month background panic.
So the goal is not to feel ready. The goal is to make starting stupidly easy.
That means shrinking the task until it looks almost embarrassing. Not “do taxes.” More like:
That’s it. Seriously. Start with the tiniest move possible because once your brain crosses the starting line, momentum does some of the work for you.
This one saves me all the time.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and tell yourself you only have to work until it ends. Not finish. Not conquer adulthood. Just show up.
Here’s why it works: ADHD brains often resist open-ended tasks. But “10 minutes” feels contained, safer, and less dramatic.
Try this for dentist avoidance or taxes:
And if you’re still stuck after 10 minutes? Fine. Stop. You still made progress, and that matters more than pretending you’re a machine.
Most avoidance is not about the task itself. It’s about the annoying little barriers wrapped around it.
For example:
That stuff feels tiny to other people. For ADHD brains, it’s basically a boss battle.
So remove as much friction as possible before you need to act.
Do this once, and your future self will thank you:
I’ve literally had a “boring life admin” folder on my desktop that changed my life. Not glamorous. Extremely effective.
Big adult tasks are usually a pile of smaller decisions wearing a trench coat.
Taxes? You need to decide what docs to gather, where to file, whether to do it yourself or hire someone, when to start, and whether you’re behind. No wonder your brain bails.
So reduce the decision load.
Instead of asking, “How do I do all this?” ask:
This is huge for ADHD. The brain loves to flee when there are too many branches. So give it one path.
For example, taxes can become:
That’s much less scary than “deal with taxes.”
If you’ve never heard of body doubling, it’s just doing a task while another person is nearby or on a call. No coaching. No lecture. Just presence.
And yeah, it works absurdly well.
I’ve paid bills while on a call with a friend doing laundry. I’ve answered emails while sitting in a café next to someone else working. I’ve even done “serious grown-up admin” with a friend on Zoom, both of us silently tackling our own mess.
Why it helps: ADHD brains often do better when there’s a little external structure and accountability. Your brain basically goes, “Oh, we’re doing the thing now.”
Try it for:
And if body doubling isn’t possible, use the next best thing—work in a public place, or start a focus session with a timer and tell someone what you’re doing.
People act like grown-up tasks should be rewarding on their own. Most of them are not. I’m not getting a dopamine rush from renewal forms, sorry.
So cheat.
Attach a reward to the task so your brain has a reason to tolerate it.
Examples:
The reward doesn’t need to be huge. It just needs to be immediate and specific.
ADHD brains respond better to “now” than “someday.” That’s not a character flaw. That’s just wiring.
This part matters.
A lot of avoiding happens because the task now comes bundled with shame.
“Why did I wait this long?” “What kind of adult am I?” “They’re going to think I’m irresponsible.”
That shame is gasoline on the avoidance fire.
So when it shows up, don’t argue with it. Name it.
Say: “I’m feeling ashamed, and that makes this feel bigger than it is.”
Then move anyway.
You do not need to feel great about being behind. You just need to take the next step. The dentist does not need your self-hatred. The IRS definitely does not need your self-hatred. Nobody benefits from you freezing up.
ADHD brains are terrible at “I’ll remember later.”
No, you won’t. I mean this lovingly.
So stop asking yourself to hold important tasks in your head. Put them somewhere visible and annoying.
Try:
The key is to make the task hard to ignore and easy to return to. Out of sight really does mean out of mind for a lot of us.
If the full task feels impossible, do the smallest version that still counts.
Examples:
This rule is a lifesaver because it breaks perfectionism. You don’t need to do the “ideal” version. You need to do the version that gets the ball moving.
And honestly? Half the time the tiny step turns into the next step. That’s the magic.
I’m a huge fan of making life admin feel less like punishment.
Create a repeatable ritual for adult tasks:
When the setup is always the same, your brain stops treating it like a new threat.
I’ve got a little “admin mode” routine that tells my brain, okay, we’re not doing this forever, just now. That reduces the dread by like 40%. Maybe more.
Some tasks are just too sticky to do alone. That’s not failure. That’s data.
If you’re behind on taxes, call an accountant. If the dentist anxiety is intense, tell the receptionist you need extra time or have dental anxiety. If you freeze on paperwork, ask a friend to sit with you for an hour.
You are allowed to use support. In fact, you probably should.
Independence is overrated if it keeps you stuck.
If you want the short version, do this:
That’s enough to start.
Then repeat tomorrow.
Not glamorous. Not magical. But it works way better than waiting for a sudden burst of adulting energy that may never arrive.
And if you want help staying on track with the tiny steps, try using Trider (myhabits.in) to build a streak around the boring stuff—because sometimes the only thing standing between you and your dentist appointment is a little structure and a lot less self-judgment.
Try Trider and make the annoying stuff harder to avoid.