Why Am I So Slow with ADHD? Understanding the Struggle

The Hidden Link Between ADHD and Mental “Slowness”

People often assume ADHD means hyperactivity, bouncing off walls, go-go-go. But here’s the twist: many folks with ADHD feel the exact opposite — mentally slow, foggy, stuck. It’s confusing and frustrating, right?

The truth is, ADHD isn’t about being dumb or lazy. Not even close. It’s a difference in brain wiring, and that difference messes with how we process time, tasks, and energy.

It's not about intelligence

You can be brilliant and still feel slow. ADHD brains might take longer to activate — that “startup delay” is real. It’s called executive dysfunction, and it’s like trying to boot up a computer from 1999 with 50 tabs open. Things eventually load… but painfully slow.

Cognitive Fatigue: The Silent ADHD Drain

Why everything feels 10x harder

Imagine your brain is a phone battery. For neurotypical folks, it charges overnight and works steadily. With ADHD? You wake up at 60%, and every task drains you faster than it should.

Even simple stuff — emails, brushing teeth, getting dressed — can feel like climbing a mountain. Not because you don’t care. But because your brain is constantly multitasking, even when you’re doing "nothing."

I once spent 3 hours trying to write a two-paragraph email. I kept zoning out, overthinking every word, opening and closing the tab like 20 times. Classic ADHD.

The burnout loop

You push through your sluggishness, maybe with a deadline breathing down your neck. Then you crash — hard. That’s not laziness, that’s mental exhaustion. The kind that coffee won’t fix.

Time Blindness and Task Paralysis

Time flies, then drags… then disappears

With ADHD, time doesn’t feel linear. Five minutes can feel like forever, and two hours can vanish in a blink. This makes it insanely hard to plan ahead, start on time, or even estimate how long things will take.

So yeah, you might move slowly — not because you're slow, but because you’re fighting time itself.

Stuck at the starting line

Ever stare at a task for an hour, unable to start? That’s task paralysis. Your brain sees 100 steps at once, and it just… freezes. While others begin and move on, you’re still thinking about thinking.

It’s frustrating as hell. You want to move, but it’s like your internal gears are jammed. That’s not your fault. It’s your ADHD brain getting overwhelmed.

Rejection Sensitivity and Performance Anxiety

The fear of being “too slow”

Let’s be honest: we live in a fast-paced, productivity-obsessed world. So if you have ADHD and things take longer? You start judging yourself harshly. Maybe you were told you're lazy or careless. That sticks.

And then — boom — anxiety kicks in, making everything even slower. It's like running in sand with a backpack full of shame.

This isn’t some drama. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is a thing with ADHD. It makes you fear failure so much, you delay even starting. Brutal combo.

So... what can actually help?

Break tasks down (like, really small)

Not “write essay,” but “open doc → write title → type first sentence.” The smaller the step, the easier the start. Sounds dumb, works wonders.

Use timers and body-doubling

Pomodoro. 25 mins on, 5 mins off. Or even better: body doubling — work with someone else around (even virtually). Just having another human nearby can keep your brain from wandering into the void.

Meds, therapy, grace

Sometimes, the right ADHD meds can help unlock your mental energy. But tools alone aren’t enough. Self-compassion is key. You’re not broken. You’re just wired differently. And yeah, that means some days will be slow. That’s okay.

Final Thought: You’re Not Lazy, You’re Navigating ADHD

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why am I so slow with ADHD?” — you’re not alone. It’s not because you don’t care. It’s not because you’re not smart. It’s because your brain is doing its best in a world that wasn’t built for it.

Be kind to yourself. Take breaks. Breathe. And remember: slow progress is still progress.

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

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).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

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

How to get taller at 18?

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.