Navigating Working Memory Challenges in ADHD: Why We Struggle & How to Adapt
For many adults with ADHD, struggling with forgetfulness, poor focus, and difficulty following multi-step instructions is a daily challenge. These difficulties stem from executive function deficits, particularly working memory issues—a core aspect of ADHD that affects the brain’s ability to hold and manipulate information in real time.
Working memory is essential for everything from remembering a list of tasks to following complex instructions at work. When this function is impaired, tasks that seem simple to others—like recalling an important deadline or keeping track of multiple steps in a project—can feel overwhelming. The good news? There are ADHD-friendly strategies to compensate for these challenges.
Understanding Working Memory & ADHD
Working memory is a temporary mental workspace that allows us to hold, organize, and apply information. It helps us complete multi-step tasks, stay focused on goals, and recall important details. In ADHD brains, however, this system is less efficient due to differences in dopamine regulation and prefrontal cortex function.
As a result, adults with ADHD often experience:
✔ Poor focus: Difficulty sustaining attention or filtering out distractions.
✔ Forgetfulness: Losing track of conversations, deadlines, or where things are placed.
✔ Struggles with multi-step instructions: Difficulty keeping track of each step in a sequence.
These challenges aren’t a matter of intelligence or effort—they’re neurological. Understanding why these struggles occur is the first step toward finding practical, ADHD-friendly solutions.
Why Multi-Step Instructions Are Difficult
For someone with ADHD, multi-step directions can be overwhelming because:
🔹 Steps aren’t held in working memory long enough to execute them in order.
🔹 Task-switching is harder, making it difficult to move from one step to the next.
🔹 Mental overload leads to frustration, causing shutdown or procrastination.
ADHD-Friendly Solutions for Multi-Step Tasks in the Workplace
Break It Down Visually – Convert instructions into checklists or flowcharts instead of trying to remember them mentally.
Use External Memory Supports – Sticky notes, whiteboards, or task apps like Trello or Todoist help offload mental effort.
Verbalize & Repeat – Saying instructions out loud or repeating them to a colleague reinforces memory.
Time Anchoring – Assign time blocks for each step to prevent feeling overwhelmed.
Body Doubling – Having a coworker work alongside you (even virtually) can increase focus and accountability.
ADHD & Forgetfulness: Why We Lose Track of Things
Adults with ADHD frequently forget appointments, deadlines, or where they placed items.
This happens because:
🔸 Information fades quickly if it’s not immediately stored in long-term memory.
🔸 Attention shifts before encoding happens, meaning the brain never fully “saves” the detail.
🔸 Out of sight, out of mind—if something isn’t physically visible, it’s often forgotten.
How to Improve Memory & Reduce Forgetfulness
✔ Use Visual Cues ADHD Brains Respond To: Place sticky notes in high-traffic areas, color-code tasks, or set reminders on your phone.
✔ Anchor Items to a Location: Keep keys, wallets, and important documents in the same spot every day.
✔ Use Alarms & Timers: Time-based cues help bring important tasks back into focus.
✔ Create If-Then Routines: “If I finish work, then I immediately set out tomorrow’s clothes.”
Improving Focus with ADHD
Focus challenges aren’t just about willpower, they’re a direct result of dopamine imbalances in the ADHD brain. This makes task engagement inconsistent, leading to hyperfocus on some things and complete avoidance of others.
ADHD-Friendly Ways to Boost Focus
🟢 Leverage Interest: Attach an enjoyable element to a task (e.g., listening to music while working).
🟢 Minimize Distractions: Use noise-canceling headphones or work in distraction-free zones.
🟢 Set a Start Trigger: Commit to two minutes of action—often, just starting helps maintain momentum.
🟢 Use the Pomodoro Technique: Work in 25-minute sprints with breaks to keep energy levels steady.
