The art of decompression for people with ADHD
Many people with ADHD tend to need more decompression time (downtime, time to re-set, rest, whatever you like to call it) than neurotypical people. This isn’t because ADHD equals 'low energy.' It’s because the ADHD brain works harder, more continuously, and with less automatic regulation to manage daily life.
It can be life-changing for people with ADHD to realise that if they take time to reset, they can get through their day and tasks often without the brain fog, overwhelm, irritability and shutdown. It presents differently for each individual, which tends to descend.
People with ADHD can get tired more easily because ADHD affects:
executive function (planning, prioritising, switching tasks)
attention control (choosing where attention goes)
emotional regulation
Doing everyday tasks that others find automatic requires conscious effort for someone with ADHD. That constant effort burns mental energy faster.
A nice analogy is driving a car. A neurotypical brain uses cruise control for many tasks, whereas someone with ADHD is manually steering all day long. This is more demanding, so more tiring. It could be described as those with ADHD having a racing car brain with rusty bicycle brakes.
Types of rest
Mindfulness is not always a popular term, but it’s worth trying to get involved. You can reset your nervous system in 10-15 minutes with effective breath work and re-energise yourself for the remainder of your day.
Some mindfulness methods you may find particularly helpful include Yoga Nidras, which are a good example of a guided body scan meditation - look on YouTube to find one you like! A couple of good apps to explore include OPEN, which includes breathwork/sound/movement and Evolutioner, which is music-based with timed tracks. Busy brains often find guided sessions more successful, as they keep their brains occupied.
People with ADHD often need:
sensory rest – quiet, dim spaces, weighted blankets, low input
cognitive rest – time without decision-making or responsibilities
emotional rest – time away from conflict, expectations, or social effort
physical rest – movement breaks and then stillness after exertion
stimulation balance – rest doesn’t always mean lying down – sometimes it means engaging in something mildly absorbing (music, crafting, games)
Rest is about reducing overload, not necessarily doing nothing.
Why some people with ADHD struggle to rest
guilt ("I should be doing something")
difficulty shifting into rest mode
dopamine-seeking – scrolling instead of truly resting
restlessness/anxiety when not stimulated
hyperfocus – forgetting the body is tired
So, rest needs to be accessible and encouraged, not just “allowed.”
Signs a person with ADHD needs more rest than they’re getting
sudden irritability
feeling “shut down” or flat
very low motivation
difficulty shifting between tasks
brain fog or emotional overwhelm
feeling like everything is “too much”
decision paralysis
These are not laziness – they’re signs of neuro-fatigue. This is why many people with ADHD can benefit from:
more frequent rest breaks
shorter intense working periods
low-stimulus recovery time
intentional downtime without demands
This is not because they’re weak but because their brains are doing more work behind the scenes.
The importance of compassion as an intervention
Compassion is the most important initial intervention to support people with ADHD. People with ADHD need to learn to have compassion for themselves and then receive it from those around them.
Many people with ADHD drive themselves harder than others, even if from the outside it may look like they’re “not doing enough.” The reality is usually the opposite.
People with ADHD are frequently:
working against their own executive functioning challenges
trying to compensate for difficulties others don’t see
carrying a history of being misunderstood (“lazy,” “unmotivated,” “not living up to potential”)
operating in environments designed for neurotypical brains
So they often push themselves constantly to keep up, mask struggles, meet expectations, prove their capability and avoid negative judgment. This is sometimes called “effort inflation.” It means the amount of effort required to achieve the same outcome is much higher.
The 'invisible effort' problem
Even simple tasks can feel like climbing a hill with a backpack:
TaskNeurotypical effortADHD effortStart a taskMinimalRequires activation and breaking inertiaStay on taskAutomaticConstant redirection and self-monitoringSwitch tasksSmoothEffortful and mentally drainingManage timeIntuitiveMust actively track and correctEmotion regulationBackgroundFront-and-centre, ongoing effort
Meanwhile, many people with ADHD also:
care deeply
want to do well
have high personal standards
put pressure on themselves
So they push harder to meet expectations that others meet with ease. This can look like:
overworking
burning out
saying yes when already overloaded
masking exhaustion
'crash and recover' life patterns
What people with ADHD actually need
Not discipline. Not “try harder.” Not motivation hacks.
They need:
compassion
breaks before burnout
realistic pacing
external scaffolding/supports
decompression time (not just sleep)
Rest isn’t a luxury – it’s brain maintenance.