ADHD and Uncertainty: Transform Fear into Possibility

ADHD Coach Katherine Sanders

Facing Uncertainty: How to Lean into Possibility with ADHD

In today's episode of ADHD Powerful Possibilities, we're diving deep into the role of uncertainty in procrastination and the impact it has on people with ADHD, especially those diagnosed later in life. We explore why we often hold onto the familiar, even when it doesn't serve us, and how building tolerance for uncertainty can unlock new possibilities.

I'll also share practical strategies you can use right away to expand your capacity for uncertainty—one of the most powerful skills you can cultivate for growth.

Episode Highlights:

• The link between uncertainty, avoidance, and procrastination for people with ADHD.
• Understanding the fast and slow life history strategies and how they shape our approach to uncertainty.
• Practical steps you can take today to increase your tolerance for uncertainty and lean into new possibilities.
• Cognitive restructuring as a powerful tool for breaking the procrastination cycle.

Common Questions:

• Why does uncertainty feel so overwhelming for those with ADHD?
• How does a history of unpredictability impact our ability to plan for the future?
• What are some simple ways I can expand my tolerance for uncertainty?

Notable Quotes:

• "In the universe of possibility, we set the context and let life unfold." - Ben Zander
• "Procrastination is an adaptive response to uncertainty. The trick is moving from a fast life strategy into a slower one, where planning for the future becomes possible."
• "Growth only happens when we take steps forward without knowing the answer."

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Permission Ignition: My current hybrid group and 1:1 coaching program designed to expand possibility thinking. Learn more at lightbulbadhd.com

Connect with Katherine:

• Join my upcoming group program: Permission Ignition.
• Sign up for my email newsletter for more ADHD-friendly strategies and support from my website.
• Find more resources at lightbulbadhd.com.

Sirois, F. M., & Giguère, B. (2018). Giving in when feeling less good: Procrastination, action control, and social temptations. British Journal of Social Psychology, 57(2), 404-427. Available at: [https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/126516/](https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/126516/)

Gagnon, J., Dionne, F., & Pychyl, T. A. (2016). Committed action: An initial study on its association to procrastination in academic settings. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 5(2), 97-102. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joel-Gagnon-4/publication/301743242_Committed_action_An_initial_study_on_its_association_to_procrastination_in_academic_settings/links/577bb37d08ae213761caae05/Committed-action-An-initial-study-on-its-association-to-procrastination-in-academic-settings.pdf

Clayton, M. et al. (2023). The Impact of Emotion Regulation Improvements on Intolerance of Uncertainty During Emotion Regulation Therapy. Journal of Emotion and Psychopathology, 1(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.55913/joep.v1i1.36

Topel, S., Ma, I., Sleutels, J., van Steenbergen, H., de Bruijn, E.R.A., & van Duijvenvoorde, A.C.K. (2023). Expecting the unexpected: a review of learning under uncertainty across development. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 23(3), 718-738. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-023-01098-0

Lim, A.J., & Javadpour, S. (2021). Into the Unknown: Uncertainty and Procrastination in Students From a Life History Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717380

Fay, D., & Sonnentag, S. (2012). Within-person fluctuations of proactive behavior: How affect and experienced competence regulate work behavior. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 85(2), 516-536. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2011.631647

Dugas, M.J., & Robichaud, M. (2007). Cognitive-behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: From science to practice. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 2(1), 1-10. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203891964

Sahib, A., Chen, J., Cárdenas, D., & Calear, A.L. (2023). Intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation: A meta-analytic and systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 101, 102270. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102270

Hunt, C., Exline, J.J., Fletcher, T.L., & Teng, E.J. (2022). Intolerance of uncertainty prospectively predicts the transdiagnostic severity of emotional psychopathology: Evidence from a Veteran sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 86, 102530. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2022.102530

Life History Theory References

Del Giudice, M., Gangestad, S. W., & Kaplan, H. S. (2015). Life history theory and evolutionary psychology. In D. M. Buss (Ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology (pp. 88-114).

Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J. M., Del Giudice, M., (2013). The influence of mortality and socioeconomic status on risk and delay discounting.

Ellis, B. J., Figueredo, A. J., Brumbach, B. H., & Schlomer, G. L. (2009). Fundamental dimensions of environmental risk.

Chen, B., & Chang, L. (2016). The positive association between procrastination and a fast life history orientation. Journal of Individual Differences, 37(4), 230-239.

Chen, B., & Qu, Y. (2017). The role of environmental unpredictability in procrastination. Journal of Adolescence, 62, 18-26.