What Is ADHD Shutdown? Plus How To Reduce It

Does your ADHD brain ever feel like it hits a wall, unable to make another decision? This is ADHD shutdown, and it’s more common than you might realize.

There are practical, actionable strategies to help prevent ADHD shutdown which can make a real difference in your daily life. So, if you’re ready for support to lighten the cognitive load and avoid burnout, you’re in the right place.

Below you’ll learn:

• What ADHD shutdown is
• Signs and Symptoms of ADHD shutdown
• How to reduce ADHD shutdown in adults to help you reset

You can listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app here.

Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for a summary of the key takeaways.

Episode #265: What is ADHD Shutdown? Plus How To Reduce It (Transcript)

Today, we are diving into a powerful technique to help us lighten our cognitive load and reduce the potential of ADHD shutdown.

We can reduce that experience of ADHD shutdown which makes it much easier to take care of ourselves first, and then others as well. This ensures that we are busy being awesome without burning out.

How can we put some support in place to help prevent us from slipping into ADHD shutdown?

What is ADHD Shutdown?

Before we talk about the specific strategy, let’s first explore what I mean when I’m talking about ADHD shutdown. It’s something that I think a lot of us experience, but we might not have a name for it.

ADHD shutdown is a state where our brain becomes completely overwhelmed—overwhelmed by tasks, decisions, stimuli, all of this different input—and we mentally and physically shut down.

It’s like our brain’s way of saying, “I cannot handle this right now. I am past my capacity. This is a no, does not compute.”

This leads to inactivity, avoidance, and complete withdrawal. This can last for a really short period of time or an extended period of time.

What are the symptoms of ADHD shutdown?

• Inactivity and withdrawal from tasks and responsibilities
• Avoidance of decision-making
• Stronger emotional responses, like anxiety, frustration, or feeling stuck

Here are some common triggers for ADHD Shutdown:

High Stress and Pressure Situations:

Times when we’re really feeling the pressure from a lot of different situations. Our brain freaks out, thinking, “I have to do all of this. There’s not enough time. How am I going to get it all done? Everybody’s relying on me.”

This overwhelming demand on our executive functions can lead us into ADHD shutdown.

Decision Fatigue:

When there are too many decisions to make, and we’re facing extreme decision fatigue.

Maybe we haven’t gotten enough sleep, maybe our executive functions just didn’t show up to work, or maybe we’ve been making decisions all day, and now it’s the end of the day, and we simply cannot make another decision.

Highly Stimulating Environments:

Places where all of our senses are just overloaded can also trigger shutdown.

Examples of ADHD Shutdown:

Overwhelm Before a Big Project Deadline:

You’re feeling really overwhelmed by the amount of work and the pressure. Your brain is thinking, “I can’t get it all done. How am I going to manage?” and then it can’t decide where to start.

Overwhelm from Multiple Requests and Tasks at Home:

You get home from work, and the kids are asking you all these different questions about what’s for dinner, can I have screen time, what can I watch, can you help me find this, I need help with homework, and don’t forget about that.

Your brain just goes into shutdown.

Decision Overload:

After a particularly busy day at work, you’ve made tons of decisions and really challenged your executive functions.

You come home, and your brain’s like,

“I don’t know what to eat for dinner. I have no idea what I want to eat. I’m so hungry, but I can’t possibly make another decision. And there’s no way in the world that I’m going to go through that stack of mail that I told myself I would do tonight. No way. No more decisions can be made today.”

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By understanding what ADHD shutdown is and recognizing the symptoms and common triggers, we can start to create awareness around it. This awareness allows us to put supports in place to help prevent shutdowns from happening as much as possible.

Will it still happen? Yeah, because we have ADHD, but it can happen less, especially in situations where it’s more predictable because we’ve found these patterns.

The Importance of Awareness

First and foremost, we want to start creating awareness. We want to get curious about where ADHD shutdown comes up for each of us without judgment, as always. This is key.

We want to get curious so we can think, “Oh, that’s where it happens for me quite often. Good to know. Now I can start putting in supports because it makes sense that this is happening for me.”

Awareness of Triggers:

Learning to Identify Personal Triggers: Begin by paying attention to the times when you feel overwhelmed.

When do you notice yourself slipping into ADHD shutdown?

• Is it when you’re trying to make a lot of decisions at work?
• Is it after work when you have a lot of people asking you different questions about dinner, screen time, and homework?
• Is it at social events?
• Note these situations without judgment.

Recognizing Patterns and Situations:

• Identifying the specific patterns and situations that lead to shutdown helps in anticipating and preparing for them.
• The more you recognize these triggers, the better you can put supportive strategies in place to manage them.

Non-Judgmental Curiosity:

It’s important to approach this process with a sense of curiosity rather than judgment. Understanding when and where shutdown occurs helps you implement strategies that can prevent it. This awareness allows you to be proactive rather than reactive.

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By learning when ADHD shutdown happens most for you, you can better understand how to support yourself.

>> Remember, this is about being kind to yourself and recognizing that these patterns are part of how your brain works. The goal is to work with your brain, not against it.

How To Reduce ADHD Shutdown: The Power of Pre-Decisions

Now that we have a better understanding of ADHD shutdown and have started to create awareness around our triggers, let’s talk about a powerful strategy to help manage and prevent it: making pre-decisions.

Pre-decisions are all about making certain choices ahead of time to reduce the number of decisions you need to make in the moment.

Pre-making decisions:

• Lighten your cognitive load: They can free up your mental energy for more important tasks. When done in a supportive way, pre-decisions can truly set us up for success.
• Offer flexibility and adaptability: They can be modified based on changing needs and circumstances. They are not set in stone; rather, they are there as a support when your brain feels overwhelmed.

Examples of Pre-Decisions

• Breakfast:
  • If you often spin and go into shutdown when trying to decide what to eat for breakfast, make a pre-decision. Decide that anytime you’re struggling to decide, you’ll have oatmeal.
  • This doesn’t mean you have to eat oatmeal every day. You can have whatever you want if you feel like it. But on those days when deciding feels too hard, you know oatmeal is your fallback.
• After Work:
  • If you have a hard time deciding what to do after work to unwind, make a pre-decision to read the latest book on your Kindle.
  • This gives you a go-to activity when you’re too tired to decide but leaves room for other choices if you’re up for them.
• Monday Mornings:
  • If you find yourself staring at your list of tasks on Monday morning, unsure where to start, have a pre-decision in place to use your prioritization matrix workbook.
  • Whenever you feel stuck, your pre-decision is to pull out the workbook and get started.

By incorporating pre-decisions into your routine, you provide yourself with loving support.

These fallback plans help reduce the overwhelm and decision fatigue that can lead to ADHD shutdown, making your day-to-day life more manageable and less stressful.

Using Containers of Time To Help with Pre-Decisions

Let’s dive into a concept I love to play with: thinking in containers of time. This idea is about setting predetermined time frames for maintaining decisions, which helps reduce the need for constant re-evaluation and decision-making.

By doing this, we create structure without feeling trapped, making it easier to avoid decision fatigue and ADHD shutdown.

Explanation of Containers of Time:

Setting Predetermined Time Frames:

• Think of containers of time as specific periods where you stick to certain pre-decisions. This can be incredibly supportive, as it reduces the mental load of making decisions on the fly.
• Instead of re-evaluating choices daily, you have a set period where your decisions remain consistent, providing a sense of stability and predictability.

Reducing the Need for Constant Re-Evaluation:

• By setting these containers of time, you’re giving yourself a break from constant decision-making.
• This helps to manage cognitive load and ensures that you’re not draining your mental energy on small, repetitive decisions.

Containers of Time Examples:

Seasonal Wardrobe Decisions:

• If you often feel overwhelmed by what to wear, decide on a few go-to outfits for the summer. Maybe you choose a button-down shirt and capris or three specific shirts that you can rotate.
• When the season changes, you can reassess and choose new outfits for the fall. This way, you have a supportive framework without feeling confined forever.

Meal Planning:

• Create a weekly rotation of meals with fallback options for those busy days. This might look like having a protein dish on Sunday, a salad on Monday, breakfast for dinner on Tuesday, and so on.
• Having these decisions made ahead of time reduces the stress of daily meal planning and ensures you always have a fallback option when you’re too tired to decide.

Social Activities:

• Decide the number of activities or commitments you’re willing to take on per season. This can help prevent overcommitting and ensure you have enough downtime.
• For example, you might decide that you’ll participate in three social activities per month. If additional invites come in, you can politely decline, knowing you’ve already set your limit.

More Practical Examples of Pre-Decisions

Now, let’s talk about some practical examples of pre-decisions that can help lighten your cognitive load. These small changes might seem simple, but they can make a significant difference in your day-to-day life.

Meals:

Weekly Meal Rotation: Plan a rotation of meals that you can rely on each week. For instance:

• Sunday: Make a protein dish with enough leftovers.
• Monday: Use leftovers for a salad.
• Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner.
• Wednesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce (make extra meat for tacos on Thursday).
• Thursday: Tacos.
• Friday: Order pizza.
• Saturday: Clean out the fridge.

This rotation ensures you always know what’s for dinner, reducing the stress of meal planning.

Wardrobe:

Simplifying Your Wardrobe:

• Create a capsule collection where everything matches, so it doesn’t matter what you grab.
• Choose a few go-to outfits for specific seasons to make getting dressed easier. For example, decide on a few key pieces for summer, then reassess and choose new ones for fall.

Household Tasks:

Scheduling Chores:

• Schedule specific days for household tasks. For example, wash your bedding every Friday or place your grocery order every Thursday.
• This creates a routine that reduces the mental load of remembering when to do these tasks.

Social Activities:

Limiting Commitments:

• Decide how many activities or commitments outside of work you’re open to each season.
• This might mean limiting the number of extracurricular activities your kids can participate in at one time or deciding how often you meet friends each week.

Relaxation:

Pre-Deciding Relaxation Activities:

• Have a few go-to relaxation activities like reading, walking, or crocheting.
• When you’re too overwhelmed to decide, you can fall back on these pre-decided activities to help you unwind.

Overstimulation or Dysregulation:

Pre-Deciding Strategies for Overstimulation: Have specific strategies in place for when you feel overstimulated or dysregulated. This could include:

• A playlist that helps ground you.
• Using a weighted blanket and sitting in your favorite chair with an eye mask.
• Calling a friend to talk things through while you go for a walk.
• Using a meditation app or practicing a 30-second breathing exercise.

👉 Check out Episode 247: 8 Discreet ADHD Emotional Regulation Strategies for Adults for more strategies and ideas

By implementing these pre-decisions and containers of time, you’re creating a supportive framework that helps reduce cognitive load and manage ADHD shutdown. Remember, these pre-decisions are not rigid rules but flexible supports that make your life easier.

Implementing Pre-Decisions in Your Life: Step-by-Step Guide

Now that we’ve talked about the benefits of pre-decisions and given some practical examples, let’s dive into how you can implement these in your own life.

Remember, the goal here is to reduce stress and make your life easier, not to add more rules or pressure.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

1. Gather Awareness:

Identify when and where ADHD shutdown occurs most frequently.

Pay attention to the times and situations when you feel most overwhelmed.

• Is it at work when you’re faced with multiple decisions?
• Is it at home when the family is asking for your attention? Is it in social settings?
• Make a note of these moments to better understand your triggers.

2. Start Small:

Choose One or Two Areas to Make Pre-Decisions:

• Begin by selecting one or two areas of your life where making pre-decisions could help. Example: what to eat for breakfast or setting a regular day for a household chore.
• Starting small ensures that you don’t feel overwhelmed by the process.

3. Allow Flexibility:

Adjust and Iterate Strategies as Needed:

• Your pre-decisions are meant to be flexible and adaptable. If something isn’t working, don’t hesitate to tweak it.
• Allow yourself to make changes based on what feels most supportive and helpful.

4. Implement and Review:

Try Out the Pre-Decisions and Assess Their Effectiveness:

• Put your pre-decisions into practice and observe how they impact your daily life.
• Assess whether they are helping to reduce your cognitive load and manage ADHD shutdown.

Make Changes Based on What Works and What Doesn’t:

• Regularly review your pre-decisions and adjust as needed.
• This iterative process ensures that your strategies remain effective and supportive.

How To Prevent ADHD Shutdown: Recap & Next Steps

Pre-Decisions Help Manage Overwhelm and Reduce Decision Fatigue:

• By making decisions ahead of time, you can lighten your cognitive load during overwhelming moments.
• They serve as fallback plans, ensuring you have a go-to option when making decisions feels too hard.

Pre-Decisions Are Optional Supports for ADHD Shutdown (Not Rigid Rules):

• These are not set-in-stone mandates but rather flexible tools to make your life easier.
• They provide structure without confinement, helping you avoid ADHD shutdown while allowing room for spontaneity.

Start Small and Implement Pre-Decisions in 1 or 2 Areas:

• Begin with a couple of areas in your life where you think pre-decisions could help. Over time, as you see the benefits, you can expand to other areas.

Regularly Review and Adjust to Ensure They Help with ADHD Shutdown:

• Continuously assess and refine your pre-decisions to keep them effective and supportive.