Why Transitions Feel Harder with ADHD (and What Helps)
- Eliza Barach
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
As the days are getting longer and the temperatures are rising, albeit slower than we would like, you might be starting to feel a particular kind of friction that shows up during transitions.
At work, it might be the rush to get the big projects done before people start taking time off during the summer. In your personal life, it probably feels like everyone wants to make plans all of a sudden for after work and on the weekends because it's finally bearable to be outside.
On paper, these are normal shifts, but in practice for us ADHDers, they can feel disproportionately difficult to move through, even though we pride ourselves on adaptability.
Set-shifting with ADHD
At the center of transitions is a core executive function called set-shifting. Set-shifting is the ability to move from one task, context, or mental state to another (Miyake et al., 2000). It’s what allows us to transition from answering emails to making dinner, from vacation mode to our inbox, or from one Zoom call straight into deep-focus work.
Set-shifting sounds simple when you name it, but for us ADHDers that’s not always the case. Research shows that adults with ADHD tend to have more difficulty with set-shifting compared to neurotypical adults (Rohlf et al., 2012).
And it makes sense why they are hard for us when you consider how they require a coordinated recruitment of attention regulation, emotion regulation, and working memory. These are all areas where ADHDers tend to struggle.
Here’s what your brain actually has to do in order to transition:
Stop what you're doing
Mentally disengage from one task or context
Empty your working memory of the “old” task
Activate and hold the new task’s information in your working memory
Regulate your emotions around letting go and starting something new
Initiate action on the new task
That's a lot of executive function work just to do something new, especially when you have less fuel (i.e., dopamine) to make this magic happen.
Transitions with ADHD in Actual Life
Transitions come in all shapes and sizes:
Weekend mode to workweek mindset
Work brain to parent brain
Focus mode to social mode
Writing mode to meeting mode
They trip us up because our ADHD brains don’t switch gears easily—we often need a runway.
When we try to task-switch, our brains have to run through the entire transition protocol above. Additionally, when the things we’re switching between are vastly different (e.g., deep focus mode → social mode), the leap becomes even harder.
Understanding why transitions feel hard gives us the power to design strategies that make the leap smoother.
Designing for Transitions
Build in A Palette Cleanser: Don’t expect to jump from task to task like a robot. Give yourself decompression time, especially between different “modes” (e.g., parenting → work, meetings → partner time). I like to call it a “palette cleanser.” It’s a moment to wipe the mental slate clean so your brain can re-activate and absorb the new information.
Reduce the number of different transitions: Batch similar tasks together. Switching between “like” tasks (e.g., email → client check-ins) puts less strain on working memory than switching across domains (e.g., email → writing a chapter). The brain processes similar tasks more efficiently because related information is easier to activate and sustain. This lowers cognitive load and makes transitions smoother.
Externalize the start of a task: Initiation is part of the transition process and relying on internal cues alone can stall the shift. You can try using alarms, visual cues, or even physical movement such as standing up or changing rooms. These act as bridges between tasks, helping your brain complete the shift without holding every step internally.
Notice your patterns: I know this seems like a recurring tip, but self-awareness is where change begins. When are transitions easier for you? When are they harder? What kinds of shifts trip you up the most? Pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. Often, the answers are already embedded in your day and you just need to spot the patterns.
Transitions that Support You
Transitions are often treated like something that should be automatic. For us with ADHD transitions simply aren’t… well at least not consistently.
They can be complex, challenging, and highly sensitive to context. When a transition feels hard, it’s a signal that the demands of the shift exceed the support available at that moment.
When you adjust the environment, the pacing, or the structure around that shift, things tend to move differently. And as a result you create a process that becomes more workable.
Want Support Applying This to Your Life?
If you’re ready to build systems that work for your actual brain — not the one you think you “should” have — we can help.
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References
Miyake, A., Friedman, N. P., Emerson, M. J., Witzki, A. H., Howerter, A., & Wager, T. D. (2000). The Unity and Diversity of Executive Functions and Their Contributions to Complex “Frontal Lobe” Tasks: A Latent Variable Analysis. Cognitive Psychology, 41(1), 49–100. https://doi.org/10.1006/cogp.1999.0734
Rohlf, H., Jucksch, V., Gawrilow, C., Huss, M., Hein, J., Lehmkuhl, U., & Salbach-Andrae, H. (2012). Set shifting and working memory in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Neural Transmission, 119, 95–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-011-0660-3
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