Do you find yourself capable of intense bursts of productivity followed by periods where even simple tasks feel overwhelming? Have you noticed that your energy and ability to process things seem to fluctuate dramatically throughout the day? Could these patterns be connected to the executive function of effort regulation?

Executive Functions: Building Our Understanding

In my previous blogs, I’ve explored how activation helps us get started on tasks and how focus allows us to direct and sustain attention. Now we turn to the third executive function in Dr. Thomas Brown’s model: effort regulation.

What is Effort Regulation?

Effort regulation encompasses three critical abilities: managing alertness, sustaining effort over time, and maintaining consistent processing speed. If you have ADHD, this executive function often presents unique challenges that can influence your performance at work.

Some days it can feel like your brain is trying to swim up hill, others like you are behind the wheels of a high performance car and you can barely keep up with the output. What can be frustrating is knowing which one is going to show up on each day and what triggers the response.

This inconsistency isn’t a matter of motivation or character; it reflects genuine neurobiological differences in how the ADHD brain regulates energy and effort.

The Three Dimensions of Effort Challenges

1. Alertness Management

Do you struggle to maintain an optimal state of alertness? The ADHD brain often experiences difficulty regulating arousal levels, resulting in feeling either understimulated (sluggish, foggy, bored) or overstimulated (wired, overwhelmed, anxious).

Many with ADHD describe feeling caught between these two states, rarely experiencing the “just right” level of alertness that makes work flow smoothly.

2. Sustained Effort

Can you maintain consistent effort across extended periods, or does your energy come in waves? While most people experience some fluctuation in their ability to sustain effort, those with ADHD often describe more extreme patterns:

• Sprint phases: Periods of intense productivity, often fuelled by deadline pressure or novelty
• Recovery phases: Periods where energy seems depleted and even familiar tasks require enormous effort
• Variable performance: Inconsistent output that doesn’t necessarily correlate with importance or interest

3. Processing Speed

Have you noticed that sometimes your thoughts race ahead while at other times information processing feels frustratingly slow? Processing speed in ADHD tends to be inconsistent rather than universally fast or slow.

This variability can be particularly challenging in professional environments where consistent processing speeds are expected. You might finish one project in record time, only to find yourself moving at what feels like half speed on the next task.

The Sprinter in a Marathon World

I think a helpful metaphor can for understanding ADHD effort regulation is comparing it to being a sprinter in a world set up for marathon runner thinkers.

Most work environments are designed for “marathon runners” who maintain steady, consistent effort throughout the day and across projects. They pace themselves, conserve energy, and deliver predictable performance over time.

The ADHD brain, however, often operates more like a sprinter: capable of extraordinary bursts of speed, creativity, and productivity, followed by necessary recovery periods. Neither approach is inherently better, but they are fundamentally different energy management systems.

The challenge arises when sprinters try to conform to marathon expectations without proper accommodations or strategies.

Recognising Effort Regulation Challenges in Professional Settings

You might be experiencing effort regulation challenges if you:

• Feel chronically tired despite adequate sleep
• Experience dramatically different productivity levels from day to day
• Work best under pressure but struggle with consistent, daily progress
• Find routine tasks disproportionately draining
• Have been labelled as “inconsistent” despite your best efforts
• Notice significant fluctuations in your ability to process information

Transforming Effort Challenges into Professional Strengths

When properly understood and managed, the unique effort patterns of ADHD can become your most valuable asset:

1. Sprint capacity creates breakthrough moments: The ability to hyper mobilise resources and energy toward deadlines can drive completion of critical projects when they matter most.
2. Variable processing can enhance creativity: Periods of slower processing often allow for deeper, more nuanced thinking that generates innovative solutions.
3. Sensitivity to engagement creates passion: When properly engaged, the ADHD professional often brings exceptional energy and enthusiasm that inspires teams and elevates projects.
4. Recovery periods enable integration: Downtime, properly managed, allows for integration of information and recovery that supports subsequent performance.

Questions to Consider

1. When do you experience your most productive “sprint” periods? What conditions seem to trigger them?
2. How might you restructure your work to better accommodate your natural energy cycles?
3. What strategies have you discovered that help you regulate your alertness and energy levels?
4. How might your organisation or team benefit from both “sprinters” and “marathon runners”?

Where next?

Understanding your unique effort patterns is essential for sustainable professional success with ADHD. Rather than fighting against your natural energy cycles, effective strategies work with your brain’s wiring to create conditions where consistent effort becomes more manageable.

In my next blog, I’ll explore the executive function of Emotion, examining how ADHD affects emotional regulation and its impact on professional relationships and performance.

Remember: Success isn’t about maintaining the same pace as everyone else; it’s about understanding your unique rhythm and creating environments where your natural energy patterns can thrive.

Read more blogs from Chris

Chris Mitchell is an ADHD-informed coach and former corporate strategist who helps both neurotypical and neurodiverse business leaders transform their unique mind into their competitive advantage. If you’re curious about how executive function challenges might be impacting your professional life, let’s connect for a conversation about your unique brain wiring and how to leverage it for success.