What is the Five Minute Rule for ADHD? A Simple Life-Changer

Understanding the Five Minute Rule for ADHD

If you’ve ever found yourself procrastinating, getting distracted, or just avoiding tasks you know you should be doing, then the five-minute rule might be a game-changer for you—especially if you’re managing ADHD. I remember when I first came across this rule in a conversation with a friend. Honestly, I thought, "How could five minutes make a difference?" Well, spoiler alert: It does. Big time.

The five-minute rule is, in simple terms, a productivity hack designed specifically to help people with ADHD overcome their tendency to procrastinate and feel overwhelmed by tasks. The idea is straightforward: commit to doing a task for just five minutes, and after that, you can choose to stop. Sounds simple, right? But it works, and I’ll explain why.

Why the Five Minute Rule Works for ADHD

Overcoming Overwhelm

Let’s face it, when you have ADHD, the idea of starting a task can feel like staring at a mountain you need to climb. You know you need to do it, but the task feels so big, and there’s so much to think about. That overwhelming feeling? It’s enough to make you freeze and do... well, nothing.

The five-minute rule makes that mountain feel like a small hill. The thought of committing to just five minutes takes the pressure off. You might be surprised, but once you start, you’re often pulled into the task, and before you know it, an hour has passed. I’ve experienced this myself countless times—thinking, "Five minutes, I’ll just start." And next thing I know, I’m halfway through a project.

Reducing the Fear of Failure

People with ADHD can have a lot of negative self-talk. The fear of failing, of not finishing, or of messing up the task can make it hard to even start. It’s not about perfection. The five-minute rule tells you that you can mess up, you can stop early—whatever happens, you’re still winning because you started.

I remember telling a friend recently, who struggles with ADHD, "The first step is the hardest, so trick your brain into thinking it's just five minutes." The relief on her face when she realized it wasn’t about finishing the entire task was priceless.

How to Use the Five Minute Rule Effectively

Breaking Tasks Into Chunks

To really harness the power of the five-minute rule, you’ve got to break down tasks into manageable chunks. When you look at a big project—whether it’s cleaning your entire room or writing a report—the whole thing feels impossible. But when you commit to just five minutes, it's no longer intimidating.

A good example? Organizing your workspace. You might feel like cleaning your entire desk is too much to handle. So instead of focusing on the whole desk, you set a timer for five minutes. Just five minutes of picking up papers or wiping down surfaces. After that time is up, if you don’t feel like continuing, you’re free to stop. But often, you’ll find you’re already deep into it and don’t want to quit.

Tackling the Start, Not the Finish

Honestly, the hardest part for most ADHD brains is starting. Once you’re moving, things flow more easily. So, commit to starting a task for five minutes, and that's it. This eliminates the pressure of thinking you need to finish the task. You’re just easing yourself into it, slowly but surely.

Setting Realistic Expectations

Okay, let’s be honest here for a second. The five-minute rule isn’t magic—it doesn’t solve all your problems. It’s a tool, not a cure-all. If you’re dealing with long-term ADHD challenges, this rule can help you push past procrastination, but it’s not going to fix everything overnight. Don’t be hard on yourself if you still find yourself distracted or if you don’t make progress immediately.

I’ve made that mistake myself—thinking that this method would suddenly make me productive 24/7. Spoiler: it didn’t. But over time, it helped me develop a healthier relationship with starting tasks.

Benefits of the Five Minute Rule Beyond ADHD

Building Momentum

Once you start using the five-minute rule consistently, you’ll notice something incredible: momentum. You’re not just completing tasks in five minutes. You’re training yourself to focus for longer periods, and those five minutes often turn into 20, 30, or even more. Your brain starts to realize that it’s not as hard as it seems to get started.

This happened to me when I was doing a big work project a few months ago. I kept telling myself, "Five minutes, just five minutes." I ended up working for an hour straight, and by the time I took a break, I was halfway through the task I had been putting off for weeks. It was a little victory I almost didn’t see coming.

Reducing Guilt and Stress

One of the worst things about ADHD can be the constant guilt. You feel like you should be doing more or being more productive. The five-minute rule takes that guilt away. It’s not about how much you do; it’s about doing something, however small. And that feels like a win.

I had this exact conversation with a colleague last week. She felt guilty about not completing a project, but I reminded her: "Hey, you’re not procrastinating anymore, you’re moving forward. Don’t stress, just focus on five minutes."

Is the Five Minute Rule Right for You?

When It Might Not Work

The five-minute rule might not work for everyone, and that’s okay. If you find yourself stuck in a deep state of burnout or emotional fatigue, forcing yourself to do even five minutes might feel like an uphill battle. In those moments, it’s important to be kind to yourself. It’s not about always using this rule—it’s about giving yourself the space to use it when you can.

Experiment and Adapt

I’ll be honest—when I first heard about this rule, I was skeptical. But after giving it a shot, it became a regular part of my productivity routine. Everyone’s brain works differently, and what works for one person might not work for another. Try it out, tweak it to fit your needs, and see how it works for you.

Conclusion: A Simple Hack for a Complex Problem

The five-minute rule isn’t going to solve every problem ADHD throws your way, but it’s a simple and effective tool to help you get out of your own head and just start. With consistency and a little patience, it can help you break free from the cycle of procrastination and overwhelm.

Remember, the hardest part is often just taking that first step. And with the five-minute rule, you’re giving yourself permission to take that step without worrying about what comes next. Give it a try—you might just surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish!

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How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

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Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

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Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.