“I know what needs to be done. I even know how to do it. But I’m stuck. Frozen. I can’t just DO THE THING.”

Yep. Been there. Many times. And if you’re neurodivergent, that freeze isn’t a character flaw. It’s often the result of:

– nervous system overload– task overwhelm or unclear starting points– perfectionism or fear of failure– low dopamine (a.k.a. no motivation fuel in the tank)

When your brain sees “a task” and your body feels “a threat,” it makes total sense that you can’t just start.

So what can help?

🌀 Make it smaller Shrink the task until it’s laughably doable. Instead of “write the report,” try “open the doc and type the title.” That counts.

🌀 Anchor it to something you already do Pair it with a routine action. “After I make tea, I’ll respond to one email.” This lowers the activation energy.

🌀 Co-regulate with someone Body-doubling (working alongside someone, virtually or IRL) can help you bypass that frozen state without forcing yourself.

🌀 Let it be imperfect Sometimes “I’ll do a messy first version and clean it up later” is the only way to break the seal.

🌀 Name what’s hard out loud Saying “I’m stuck because this feels impossible” to someone safe (or even to yourself) can shift the power dynamic between you and the task.

Getting things done doesn’t have to mean grinding yourself down. There are gentler ways forward. You deserve to find the ones that work for you.

If you’re tired of white-knuckling your way through your to-do list, I help neurodivergent folks build kinder, more sustainable relationships with work—and with themselves.

You don’t have to push through alone.🌀 www.thelowachiever.com