The ADHD-Anxiety Tango

Why Your Brain Won’t Sit Still

If you have both ADHD and anxiety, you know the feeling: your brain is constantly bouncing between “I need to do everything right now” and “I’m so overwhelmed, I can’t do anything at all.” One minute, you’re hyper-focused on something random (but definitely not what you were supposed to be doing), and the next, you’re spiraling into an anxious thought loop about that email you forgot to send three days ago.

This is what I like to call the ADHD-anxiety tango—a chaotic, exhausting dance where your brain won’t sit still, and no matter what you do, you feel like you’re two steps behind.

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ADHD and anxiety often show up together, but they’re not the same thing. They fuel each other. When you struggle with focus, forget important things, and constantly feel like you’re playing catch-up, it’s no surprise that anxiety follows. ADHD makes life unpredictable: deadlines sneak up, responsibilities pile up, and sometimes, it feels like you’re just barely holding everything together. That uncertainty? It’s a breeding ground for anxiety.

Here’s the frustrating part: ADHD makes it hard to start tasks, which leads to procrastination. But procrastination triggers anxiety because now you’re behind. Then, anxiety makes it harder to focus, which makes ADHD worse. It’s a vicious cycle.

So… I am sure you are asking yourself,

"How Do I Break the Cycle?"

Externalize Your Time and Tasks (your brain won't do it for you)

• Use visual timers to help with time blindness.

• Set calendar reminders for important tasks so you don’t have to rely on memory.

• Keep a “brain dump” list where you write down everything that’s swirling in your head—then sort it into priorities later.

Lower the Bar for Starting

Both ADHD and anxiety make starting a task feel impossible. Trick your brain into momentum by:

• Doing just two minutes of the task (once you start, it’s easier to keep going).

• Using body doubling (work alongside someone else for accountability).

• Setting a fake deadline (ADHD brains respond to urgency, but make it before the real one).

Recognize When You Need To Call In Support

• 📞 Call your bestie and have a “panic & productivity” session. Vent for 10 minutes, then tackle a task together on FaceTime.

• 🧹 Turn on your favorite hype playlist and have a cleaning dance party. (Nothing feels more powerful than conquering a sink full of dishes to Taylor Swift.)

• ☕ Work in a coffee shop for a change of scenery. ADHD brains love novelty, and a little background noise can help with focus.

• 👯‍♀️ Find an “Accountabilibuddy.” (Yes, that’s a thing.) Someone who struggles with the same stuff, so you can check in and cheer each other on.

• 💆‍♀️ Book a therapy session—or at least text your therapist to set one up. Your future self will thank you.

Reframe Your Self-Talk

Instead of:🚫 “I never get anything done."

Try:✅ “It’s hard for me to get started, but I always find a way.”

Instead of:🚫 “I’m so behind, I’ll never catch up.”

Try:✅ “I can only focus on one thing at a time, and that’s okay.”

Instead of:🚫 “I never get anything done.”

Try:✅ “It’s hard for me to get started, but I always find a way.”

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If you’ve been stuck in the ADHD-anxiety tango, you’re not alone (we have all been there). Your brain just moves differently, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t to force yourself into a rigid routine or “fix” yourself. It’s to find rhythms that work for you so you can step out of the overwhelm and into a life that feels a little more in sync.