5 ADHD Coaching Mistakes That Sabotage Progress (And What to Do Instead)

Coaching ADHD clients isn’t just about productivity hacks—it’s about understanding how their brains work. Some of the biggest mistakes coaches make aren’t the obvious ones. Here are five sneaky coaching pitfalls that could be sabotaging progress—plus what to do instead.

1. Ignoring Energy Management

ADHD isn’t just about attention—it’s an energy regulation disorder. Clients might hyperfocus for hours and then crash, or struggle to start because they’re mentally drained.

❌ “We all push through things when we’re tired. You’ve got this.”

✅ “Let’s find a way to work with your energy instead of against it.”

Tips:

• Help clients understand their energy levels throughout the day, week, and month.

• Encourage task stacking (surrounding high-energy tasks with lower-energy ones).

• Build in short movement breaks or meditations to prevent burnout.

2. Assuming Motivation Comes Before Action

ADHD brains often need action first before motivation kicks in. If they wait to “feel ready,” they might never start.

❌ “Let’s help you find the motivation to get started.”

✅ “Let’s pick an easy place to start, and motivation will likely follow.”

Tips:

• Use low-pressure entry points: “Pick the thing that you’re most interested in” or “Pick the easiest place to start.”

• Build in small rewards for tiny, easy wins to create momentum.

• Suggest body doubling (doing tasks alongside someone else for encouragement).

3. Ignoring Emotional Regulation

Many ADHD productivity struggles are emotionally driven—like rejection sensitivity, perfectionism, or frustration intolerance.

❌ “Let’s not overthink things. Just get started.”

✅ “Let’s work with your emotions, not ignore them.”

Tips:

• Help clients name their emotions before tackling tasks.

• Normalize frustration cycles and build strategies for emotional resets.

• Introduce self-compassion techniques instead of just pushing discipline.

4. Expecting Linear Progress

ADHD progress is often nonlinear—clients might drop systems that worked simply because they’re bored or overwhelmed.

❌ “If you keep switching strategies, you’ll never make real progress.”

✅ “Boredom and burnout are signals to adjust our strategies. “

Tips:

• Build in refresh points to revisit and tweak strategies.

• Normalize strategy burnout and plan for it in advance.

• Allow for experimentation instead of rigid structures.

5. Giving Too Much Choice Without Structure

ADHD clients struggle with open-ended decisions—too many options can lead to decision paralysis.

❌ “We came up with a list of ideas. Just pick any one of them.”

✅ “Let’s decide which options you’re excited about starting with.”

Tips:

• Offer structured flexibility: “Would you rather do this in the morning or evening?”

• Limit choices to 2-3 clear options to reduce overwhelm.

• Use decision templates to make choices easier.

Final Thoughts

Coaching ADHD clients isn’t about forcing them into traditional productivity systems—it’s about working with their brains, not against them. If you’ve been making these mistakes, don’t stress—just tweak your approach, and watch your ADHD clients thrive.