Has this ever happened to you?

You’re sitting somewhere really comfortable maybe on your sofa or your favourite chair and you’re thinking about starting an activity you love to do.

For example:

• play the piano
• start an art project
• or whatever enjoyable activity it is for you

But you don’t move.

It’s not because it would be logistically difficult to start.

The piano is in the same room.
Your art project is waiting for you in the next room.

You have the time.
There isn’t anything else you “should” be doing.
And you really do want to do this activity.

You know that once you begin, you’ll probably enjoy it for hours.

So you feel puzzled and think,

“Why can’t I start?”

It feels like a mystery.

But it’s actually because of something called activation resistance.

Activation resistance happens when the problem isn’t the task, it’s difficulty starting.

The Inertia Effect

Newton’s First Law of Physics says that:

An object at rest stays at rest.
An object in motion stays in motion.

Our brains work in a similar way.

If you’re on the sofa scrolling on your phone, your brain wants to stay there.

But if you’re in the middle of painting, you can go for hours.

The difficult part is the state shift.

You’re sitting on the sofa.

You think:

“I’d love to play the piano.”

But between sofa and the piano there is a transition.

Your brain quietly says:
“Stay here.”

That’s inertia.

Once you sit at the piano?

Three hours whizzes by.

The hardest part is the transition from one state to another.

Once you’re in motion, you’re often completely fine and wonder why it was hard to start.

How do you get started?

It can be helpful to think of activation resistance as having three components.

1. Transitions

ADHD brains often find it difficult to shift from one activity to another (this is related to inertia—the tendency for the brain to stay in its current state). Changing from one activity to another can require more mental effort than people expect. You can read more about transition in this article Navigating Change: ADHD and the Art of Transitioning.

2. Setup

There are often practical steps that need to happen before you can begin. Even if those steps are small, the thought of doing them can delay you from starting.

3. Underestimating your enjoyment

You forget how fun the activity is and how good you feel once you start, so your brain doesn’t see it as worth the effort of getting started.

Activation resistance doesn’t only show up with tasks you enjoy.

It can happen with any task where the main barrier is starting.

For example, the task can be:

• Fun
• Neutral
• Mildly unpleasant

The key feature is inertia and transition difficulty, not how enjoyable it is.

Where Activation Resistance can pop up in your life.

Tasks You Enjoy

This is where it’s easiest to spot if activation resistance is present, because you know that once you start the activity, you’ll enjoy doing it.

You know you’ll enjoy it once you start but the transition from what you’re doing now to starting the activity is difficult.

Neutral Tasks

Activation resistance can also show up with tasks that are neither exciting nor scary.

Examples:

• Starting to cook dinner
• Opening a document to begin writing
• Replying to routine emails
• Beginning a workout

These aren’t scary or overwhelming for you. The brain just doesn’t switch states easily.

Tasks That Are Slightly Unpleasant

Activation resistance can even appear with mildly unpleasant tasks.

Examples:

• Tidying up
• Starting the dishes
• Beginning a work task

But these are slightly harder to identify because they might fall into the boredom resistance category instead.

The difference is:

• Boredom resistance task feels dull and under-stimulating
• Activation resistance starting is the barrier

A helpful question to untangle which is which.

What happens after you have start?

If you notice

• “Once I start I’m fine”
• “I can keep going for quite a while”
• “I love it”

Chances are, you are dealing with activation resistance.

If you find:

• “I hate it the whole time”
• “My brain keeps drifting away”

That’s more likely boredom resistance.

What’s the difference between activation resistance and ADHD paralysis?

The terms activation resistance and ADHD paralysis (sometimes people say ADHD paralysis or executive dysfunction paralysis) are both connected to not being able to start, but the underlying reason is different.

With Activation resistance, you might find yourself saying

“I can’t start even though I really want to.”

With ADHD paralysis, you might find yourself saying

“My brain feels frozen and I feel overwhelmed.”

ADHD paralysis is usually stronger and more overwhelming than activation resistance.

It often happens when:

• You have too many tasks
• Your task feels complex or unclear
• There is stress or pressure
• Your executive functions are overloaded

You might feel:

• Feeling mentally frozen
• Not knowing where to begin
• Overthinking

You might:

• Look at your long to-do list and shut down
• Avoiding starting a work project because it feels too big
• Sitting at your desk, but feeling unable to move forward

How to Reduce Activation Resistance

So now you know how to spot activation resistance when it appears in your life, how can you override it?

It isn’t trying to force your motivation.

Instead, the goal is to reduce the friction between where you are now and starting the activity.

Here are a few ways to do that.

Lower the entry point

Make the starting point as small as possible.

Instead of telling yourself:

“I’m going to play the piano.”

Try:

“I’ll just sit at the piano.”

Or:

“I’ll play for one minute.”

Then when you start, you’ll want to keep going.

Reduce setup friction

Make the set up easier.

For example:

• Leave the piano lid open
• Keep your sheet music on the music stand
• Keep your art supplies ready
• Put your running shoes by the door

Even though these seem very small things, they are super helpful because the fewer steps between you and starting, the easier it becomes.

Create a transition bridge

Instead of trying to jump straight into the activity, focus on the first tiny movement to from where you currently are.

For example:

• Stand up
• Walk to the room where the activity will take place
• Sit in the chair where you normally do it

You’re not committing to the activity yet.
You’re simply changing state.

Another helpful strategy is Mel Robbins’ 5-4-3-2-1 launch technique.

Count down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and then physically move toward the activity you want to start.

The countdown interrupts hesitation and helps your brain shift from thinking about doing something to actually beginning.

Learn practical strategies to move from “I can’t start” to “I’m in motion” inside the Untapped Brilliance Club. Discover more here!