ADHD

I’m not a neurologist, but my understanding is that ADHD is essentially caused by reduced reception to dopamine, the chemical the brain uses to signal feelings of pleasure or satisfaction. So while neurotypical folks might clean their room and have that “job well done” feeling, folks with ADHD may not get that reinforcement.

You’ve probably heard all that before, but I’m outlining it to set up the mechanics of the potential solution I’ll suggest: bribery! Find a simple reward that you can make contingent on completing your tasks. Whatever works best for you. Maybe when you finish your homework you can eat a piece of candy, or you can make an accomplishment chart like in preschool and fill it with the sparkliest stickers you can find. Personally I use an app called Habitica that reframes to-do lists as RPG-style quests; completing them gives you experience points and gold to level up your character and get them little outfits. It sounds silly, but those kinds of more-tangible rewards can sometimes be more effective at giving you that positive reinforcement.

Another thing I’ve found to be helpful is putting on music while I’m doing otherwise-boring tasks to make them more enjoyable.

Unfortunately it can take a lot of trial-and-error to find techniques that work for you, but hopefully these are helpful.

One other thing to note is that if you’re not enjoying the vast majority of activities, including things that you used to enjoy, then you might be experiencing anhedonia, which can be a symptom of depression. To be clear, I can’t diagnose you but if that sounds like what you’re feeling it’d be a good idea to bring it up to your therapist so they can evaluate you.