The ‘wall of awful’ and how it can sabotage the neurodivergent experience.

It can seem like a simple task, so why don’t we just get started?

The wall of awful is a phrase that can shed some light and validate this experience for many neurodivergent people, especially those of us with ADHD.

When we do a task, we aren’t just dealing with that one task. 

We are dealing with a whole list of past experiences (maybe seen as failures by ourselves) that create often unpleasant emotions. 

Feelings that we would like to avoid again at all costs.

These may include (but not exclusively):

Past rejections when we have made a mistake

Being found out for an error and being shamed for it

Letting someone down due to forgetting an important task

Missing an important date, birthday etc

We don’t just need motivation to complete a task, but also the time and strength to overcome the wall in front of it. 

So how do we manage this? How do we get that thing done?

Recognise the wall is there.

It is real. 

It triggers unpleasant emotions.

Other people may not understand this wall. (We are not other people).

Having awareness and recognising these experiences start to break down the wall, bit by bit.

Give yourself some time to process this trigger and what the wall looks like for you.

Get to know your wall of awful and how to break it down brick by brick.

Then take steps to climb over it, see through it, or maybe even knock it down!

The ‘wall of awful’ is a concept by ADHD coach Brendan Mahan, taken from Jessica Mccabe’s book ‘How to ADHD’.

#motivation #adhd #taskavoidance #autism #neurodivergentawareness #adhdsupport