“Oh, you have ADHD? So you must have tons of energy, right?”
Well… not exactly.
The truth is, many people with ADHD operate in two extreme modes:
🟢 Can’t stop – you’re on fire, ideas popping nonstop, and everything flows. It feels amazing, and honestly, hard to stop – why would you slow down when you finally feel in sync?
🔴 Can’t start – everything feels too heavy. Even simple things like making tea or replying to a message can feel out of reach. Not because you don’t care. Just because your energy is gone.
Sound familiar?
Why does energy fluctuate so drastically with ADHD?
First, your brain probably never truly rests. Even when you’re not physically busy, your mind is constantly thinking, processing, reacting. That kind of invisible, mental effort adds up – and drains you fast.
Second, there’s often a disconnect from the body. You might get so locked into what you’re doing, you don’t notice you’re tired, hungry, or overstimulated – until it hits you all at once.
And when everything feels urgent or equally important, it’s easy burn out trying to do too much at once.
You’re not doing anything wrong – your energy level is just not constant, it fluctuates.
That’s why energy management for ADHD isn’t about more discipline.
It’s about learning to notice, earlier and more gently, when your energy starts to shift.
How to manage your energy without constantly crashing
🚦Identify early warning signs
Imagine our energy in three zones: green, orange, red. Red is when you’re already done. Orange is when you still have a chance to shift before crashing.
Your job? Get to know your orange zone and what triggers fatigue.
How do you know you’re approaching state of burnout?
What does it feel like – physically, emotionally?
Name it for example like – irritability, restlessness etc.
🧍♀️Check in with your body
Daily, briefly, and without pressure. While drinking your coffee, walking, or even brushing your teeth – pause and ask:
- How am I feeling right now?
- What is my body trying to telling me?
- Do I have the energy for this?
Over time, these small questions change how you move through your day.
It may be useful information for planning your day in alignment with your current energy level.
👇Adjust based on your energy
Make your own list:
✅ Things that give you energy → add them when you need more
❌ Things that drain your energy → limit them when you feel tired
When your energy is low, pause and ask: What is missing? What is too much?
For example, group meetings take a lot out of me. Knowing that, I schedule my most important work before a meeting, because afterwards I’m usually exhausted. This small piece of awareness lets me arrange each day and the whole week – in a way that works with my energy instead of against it.
🔋Respect your limits
We won’t be at 100% every day. Our energy is limited, our personal capacity won’t magically expand.
This doesn’t mean we’re broken, this means that every moment allows us to decide where to place our attention and energy.
In doing so, moment by moment, we shape our lives through the rhythm of choosing what to commit to and what to release. Paradoxically, there is a lot of freedom and relief in that.
Burnout is not your baseline
Constant fatigue is not “part of being an adult with ADHD.” It’s a signal that something needs to be taken care of. You can live differently – with more awareness, and more alignment with what actually supports you. Just start noticing what shifts your energy, and what steals it.
If you want company on that road – I’m here.
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