If you have ADHD, you’ve probably experienced this: there’s a basket of clean laundry sitting in your room. It’s been there for days, maybe weeks. You know you need to fold it. You’ve walked past it dozens of times. You’ve told yourself “I’ll fold it later” so many times that the phrase has lost all meaning.
But you don’t fold it. Not because you’re lazy, not because you don’t care, and not because you’ve forgotten. You don’t fold it because your brain simply will not cooperate with the task of folding laundry.
And then, one day, you turn on a movie – something you’ve been wanting to watch – and suddenly, almost without thinking about it, you’re folding the laundry. Your hands are moving, the clothes are getting folded, and it’s not even that hard.
What just happened?
Mundane Tasks and the Need for Stimulation
For people with ADHD, mundane tasks are uniquely difficult. Not because they’re hard in the traditional sense – folding laundry doesn’t require complex problem-solving or advanced skills. They’re difficult because they’re boring, repetitive, and provide almost no stimulation to a brain that’s constantly seeking it.
ADHD brains struggle with what’s called “task initiation” – the ability to start a task, especially one that’s uninteresting or unrewarding. This isn’t about motivation or willpower. It’s about brain chemistry, specifically dopamine, which plays a crucial role in initiating and sustaining goal-directed behavior.
When a task is boring, your ADHD brain doesn’t get the dopamine hit it needs to get started. So you sit there, stuck, unable to begin even though you know you should. You might feel frustrated with yourself, guilty, or lazy – but the reality is that your brain literally doesn’t have the fuel it needs to engage with the task.
This is where the movie comes in.
Why High-Stimulus Activities “Lubricate” Executive Function
When you pair a mundane task (folding laundry) with a high-stimulus activity (watching a movie, listening to an engaging podcast, or watching YouTube videos), you’re not multitasking in the traditional sense. You’re not trying to do two cognitively demanding tasks at the same time.
Instead, you’re using the high-stimulus activity to provide the dopamine and engagement your brain needs in order to initiate and sustain the boring task. The movie isn’t a distraction – it’s the lubricant that makes your executive function work.
Here’s what’s actually happening:
- The Movie Provides Dopamine – Watching something engaging activates your brain’s reward system, giving you the dopamine boost you need to overcome the inertia of task initiation.
- It Reduces the Perceived Boredom – The mundane task feels less painful when your brain is also processing something interesting. The movie makes folding laundry tolerable.
- It Occupies the “Noise” – ADHD brains often have a lot of mental noise – racing thoughts, distractions, restlessness. The movie gives that part of your brain something to focus on, which paradoxically allows the task-focused part of your brain to function better.
- It Creates a Routine Trigger – Over time, pairing specific shows or podcasts with specific tasks can create an association. Your brain learns “this show means we’re folding laundry,” which makes task initiation easier in the future.
This isn’t laziness or lack of focus. It’s a compensatory strategy that works with your brain’s wiring rather than against it.
Examples of Stimulus Pairing for Mundane Tasks
This strategy shows up in countless ways for people with ADHD:
- Folding Laundry – While watching a favorite TV show, movie, or YouTube videos.
- Doing Dishes – While listening to a podcast, audiobook, or music.
- Cleaning the House – While listening to upbeat music or watching something on a tablet propped nearby.
- Organizing a Closet – While listening to a true crime podcast or watching a series.
- Meal Prep – While watching cooking shows or listening to music.
- Ironing – While binge-watching a series or listening to an audiobook.
- Sorting Mail or Paperwork – While having background TV or a podcast playing.
- Exercising on a Treadmill or Stationary Bike – While watching a show or movie, because the physical movement alone isn’t engaging enough.
The specific pairing depends on the person and the task. Some people need visual stimulation for physical tasks. Others need narrative podcasts or music. Some people find that gamifying things is what is best for staying motivated. The key is finding what works for you – and recognizing that you’re not “cheating” by needing it.
Why This Feels Like Cheating (But Isn’t)
Many people with ADHD feel guilty about needing external stimulation to complete basic tasks. They worry that it means they’re not “really” doing the work, or that they should be able to just buckle down and get things done without needing a movie or podcast in the background.
But this guilt is misplaced. Here’s why:
- Neurotypical People Don’t Struggle the Same Way – People without ADHD don’t need the same level of external stimulation to initiate mundane tasks. Their brains produce dopamine more readily in response to task completion, which makes it easier to start and finish boring tasks.
- You’re Not Avoiding the Task – You’re still folding the laundry. The laundry is getting folded. The work is getting done. The movie isn’t doing the work for you – it’s just making it possible for your brain to engage with the task.
- Adaptive Strategies Are Valid – Everyone uses strategies to make difficult tasks easier. Someone might play music while they work out, or reward themselves with coffee after finishing a task. Using a movie to make a boring task tolerable is no different.
- It’s About Working With Your Brain – You can’t willpower your way into neurotypical executive function. What you can do is find strategies that work with your brain’s wiring rather than fighting against it.
Using a movie to fold laundry isn’t cheating. It’s problem-solving. That stimulus pairing works for your ADHD brain, and can actually be a powerful tool for getting things done. Instead of fighting against your need for stimulation, you can use it strategically.
When Stimulus Pairing Can Become Problematic
While stimulus pairing is a helpful strategy for many people with ADHD, there are times when it can create challenges:
- When You Can’t Function Without It – If you’ve become so dependent on external stimulation that you literally cannot do anything without a podcast or show playing, it may be worth exploring other strategies or talking to a therapist about increasing your baseline ability to tolerate boring tasks.
- When You Run Out of Content – If you only fold laundry when you have a new show to watch, you might find yourself with a perpetual pile of unfolded laundry when you run out of engaging content. Building some flexibility into your approach can help.
- When It Prevents You From Being Present – Some tasks benefit from being done with attention and presence – like spending time with family, having conversations, or being in nature. If you’re so habituated to constant stimulation that you can’t be present without it, that’s worth addressing.
- When It Interferes With Sleep or Schedules – If you’re staying up late to finish a task because you need to finish the episode, or if you’re avoiding tasks until you have time to watch something, the strategy may be working against you.
- When You Use It to Avoid Uncomfortable Feelings – Sometimes, the urge to always have something playing is less about task initiation and more about avoiding silence, uncomfortable emotions, or difficult thoughts. If this resonates, therapy can help you develop other ways to manage those feelings.
But for most people with ADHD, stimulus pairing is a tool, not a crutch. It’s a way to make everyday tasks manageable without requiring superhuman levels of willpower.
What to Do If Stimulus Pairing Isn’t Enough
If you find that even with a movie or podcast, you still can’t initiate mundane tasks, there are other strategies to try:
- Break Tasks Into Smaller Steps – Instead of “fold all the laundry,” try “fold just the shirts,” or even “fold three items.” Smaller steps reduce the overwhelm of task initiation.
- Set a Timer – Tell yourself you’ll do the task for just five or ten minutes (or for one episode). Often, starting is the hardest part, and once you’re moving, it’s easier to keep going.
- Body Doubling – Having another person nearby (even virtually) can provide the external accountability and stimulation needed to start and sustain tasks.
- Change Your Environment – Sometimes, physically moving to a different space or rearranging your environment can reduce the inertia around task initiation.
- Combine Multiple Strategies – Use stimulus pairing along with other techniques, like setting a timer, breaking tasks into steps, and creating a routine.
- Talk to a Therapist or ADHD Coach – If task initiation is a persistent struggle that’s affecting your quality of life, therapy or coaching can help you develop personalized strategies and address any underlying executive function challenges.
Stimulus pairing can be useful, but only as one tool of many. You still need to learn the skills required to stay motivated, especially since there are many times where this pairing is not going to be possible.
You’re Not Broken – Your Brain Just Works Differently
If you need a movie to fold laundry, you’re not lazy. You’re not unmotivated. You’re not broken.
You have ADHD, which means your brain requires more stimulation to initiate and sustain boring tasks than a neurotypical brain does. Pairing mundane tasks with high-stimulus activities is a smart, adaptive strategy that works with your neurology rather than against it.
So turn on that show. Put on that podcast. Listen to that audiobook. And get those mundane tasks done without guilt, without shame, and without believing that you should be able to do it differently.
Your brain works differently, and that’s okay. What matters is finding strategies that actually work for you.
If you’re struggling with ADHD and finding that executive function challenges are affecting your daily life, reach out to ADHD Training Center today. We can help you develop strategies, build skills, and understand your brain so you can work with it rather than against it.