ADHD and Switching Tasks: Make Transitions Easier

Bandai Choi
Clinical Psychologist | Board-approved supervisor
Breathe-n-Smile Psychology, Essendon North, Footscray and telehealth across Australia

Why task switching can be difficult

You need to leave a spreadsheet for a meeting or move from an interesting task to routine administration. You know the change is needed, yet part of you remains attached to what you were doing. When you switch, you may lose your place or drift between both tasks.

Executive functions help us hold goals in mind, inhibit one response and shift flexibly when circumstances change.¹ ADHD can affect how attention and working memory are regulated, and the impact varies across people and situations.² An absorbing task may have strong momentum. The next task may have no obvious first action. An abrupt interruption can also leave unfinished thoughts competing for attention.

A difficult transition points to a demanding handover. What would help you leave this task with a route back and make contact with the next one?

Where Transition fits in the STARTS framework

The STARTS task-flow map separates six parts of getting something done:

• Spot it: notice the task, capture it and bring it back into view.
• Target it: decide what you are trying to complete now.
• Act: begin the first physical action.
• Remain: stay connected to the task or return after distraction.
• Transition: pause, switch or enter the next task.
• Sign off: complete the final check, handover or record of completion.

This article focuses on Transition. If you have moved to the next task but cannot choose its target, the sticking point may be Target it. If the target is clear but the first action will not start, it may be Act. If the previous task is actually ready to be sent, filed or marked complete, the sticking point may be Sign off. The optional STARTS self-check can help you look across all six stages, but you do not need to complete it before trying these tools.

Tool 1: use Stop–Park–Bridge–Enter

This routine preserves the current task and makes the next one easier to enter.

1. Stop. Make the switch visible. Say, write or acknowledge: “I am stopping the budget task now.”
2. Park. Leave a return ticket with where you stopped, what is complete and the next physical action.
3. Bridge. Use 30 seconds to three minutes for a small change, such as standing, stretching, getting water or moving to the next workspace.
4. Enter. Put the first action for the next task in front of you and do only that action.

Before leaving a report for a 2 pm appointment, write: “Sections one and two are checked. Next, compare the final table with the source file.” Refill your water and open the appointment notes. You no longer need to remember everything while entering a new context.

Tool 2: use a countdown warning

A countdown warning announces a change before it happens, before the next commitment becomes urgent.

1. Choose the real transition time. Work backwards from when you must be ready, not only from when the next event starts.
2. Set an early warning. Ten minutes is a useful experiment for many everyday switches.
3. Give the warning a job. At the first cue, finish the smallest sensible unit and prepare your return ticket.
4. Set a final cue. Two minutes before the switch, close or put away the current materials and begin the bridge.

Use a label such as “Park report and open meeting notes” rather than “Meeting”. Adjust the timing to what the transition actually requires.