Breaking Down Tasks for the ADHD Brain: The Micro-Step Method

In this episode of the ADHD Mom Podcast, Jess introduces the 'micro step method,' a strategy for breaking down overwhelming tasks into tiny, manageable steps that cater to ADHD brains.

Transcript

Jessica: 0:01

This is the ADHD mom podcast. I'm Jess, and today we are breaking down tasks for your ADHD brain. The micro step method. How can we break down tasks into ridiculously tiny steps that actually work for our ADHD brains? First, let's talk about why traditional to-do lists often don't work for us. When we write clean the kitchen, our brains immediately go into overwhelm mode. Think about your kitchen right now, unless you're really organized, which is amazing. How does it feel when you have dishes piling up in a sink with like milk and cereal in them? Your coffee cup, last night's dishes? Yeah. It's overwhelming, right? And also the task clean, the kitchen, it's, it's too big and it can be too vague and honestly it's, it is kind of scary. So instead of writing down the task, clean the kitchen. We're going to use the micro step method. So here's how we're going to break down using the kitchen cleaning as an example. Instead of clean the kitchen, let's be very, very specific. We start with pick up one dish off the counter. Our next step is walk that dish to the dishwasher. Then our next task, open the dishwasher. And then our last task, put the dish in. I know. I know what you're thinking, Jess. This is absolutely ridiculous. But here's the thing. Our ADHD brains need these micro steps. Each tiny act builds momentum. So here's where the magic happens. We're going to pair each one of those micro steps with something enjoyable. Some people call this joy pairing. Which I don't know that I would say it's joy pairing. Maybe it's task pairing. But the idea is that you get a dopamine hit that combines with a task. So put on your favorite playlist. If you like nineties music or finding a playlist, like singing in the shower, uh, A CDC Thunderstruck is great for cleaning toilets. Maybe you'd rather listen to an audio book that you could never have time to listen to. Or maybe you should just put on a funny podcast'cause you need a little bit of comedy in your life right now. Or maybe you have another friend that you can body double get on the phone, put your earbuds in and do the dishes while you guys talk and catch up. The key is to choose something that makes a task less dreadful. Building a habit, doing the dishes, or doing that small task the same time every day. Also helps with the overwhelm because it becomes a routine and it's a part of what you do. I do micro cleaning every morning once the kids get on the bus, so before I sit down to do my inbox zero or clean out my inbox, I tidy up the kitchen and living room. I get laundry started and the dishwasher emptied or filled up and turned on, and that's now become my habit. I just work better in a cleanish environment, plus working from home has its benefits and distractions, and I just find ways to make it work. But it involves those micro tasks. Another thing I do, um, as soon as the kids get off onto the bus, um, the kitchen is overwhelming or the living room's overwhelming. There's stuff everywhere. I start with a simple microtask of walking around the house, turning all the lights out, and sometimes that's all the energy I have is just turn the lights out. But if I start with something really small, like turning the lights out, that leads to walking through the living room and seeing socks on the floor. So I'll pick up a couple socks, which leads to taking it to the laundry, which leads to, oh, maybe the dryer needs emptied. So I'll empty it into a laundry basket and take that to my room. And currently I have a pile of like six laundry baskets sitting there. But the thing is, it's clean laundry. So at least I got that far right. So when you pair a task with something you enjoy making it into those little micro steps. You can get into a state of flow. Those of you who are very creative understand the creative flow by combining small, manageable tasks with something you enjoy and the something you enjoy can also change. Because I have an ADHD brain, I like to switch things up every now and then. Sometimes I'm in a learning mode, so I'd rather do a business podcast. Other days I need a break from business stuff, and so I just listen to music. But it's also important to keep in mind this is a micro step, not full out cleaning mode, and it's really easy to slip into full on cleaning mode once you start getting into the flow. So I have to make sure I don't overdo it. I set a time limit. I give myself 10, 15 minutes to do the. Home tidy before I dive into my work, and then I can get into my inbox, zero answer emails, get my mind wrapped around what has to happen for the day. So how can the micro method work for you this week? Pick one task that you have been avoiding or that feels really big. Break it down into the smallest steps possible. Remember it wasn't clean the dishes or do start the dishwasher. It was pick up the plate. That's the micro step. So once you've picked something and you break it down into these smallest steps, teeniest steps possible to get your momentum going, then choose something enjoyable to pair it with. That's it. Remember, we're not aiming for perfection. We're just aiming for progress and a little bit of momentum, one tiny step at a time. Oh, and this works for our kids too. They also get overwhelmed. So as you're learning this method and as you're applying it to your life, teach your kids too, what works for you. I'd love to hear it. You can email me, jessica@theadhdmom.com, or visit us at theadhdmom.com. I'd love to see how creative you can get with us. Until next time, make it a beautiful day.