The #1 Skill for Getting Things Done Faster for a Scattered Creative: Slowing Down
“A person with ADHD has the power of a Ferrari engine but with bicycle-strength brakes… Strengthening one’s brakes is the name of the game.”
— Edward M. Hallowell, ADHD 2.0
Why the Pause is Your Secret Weapon
If you’re a sensitive, capricious, creative flower—welcome. That same brilliant mind that spots connections others miss is also wide open to distractions, emotions, social cues, and sensory input. That openness is both your superpower and your challenge. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, reactive, and out of sync with what truly matters.
Do you often find yourself… Saying yes too quickly? 🙋, Working for hours but not finishing what matters?, Missing appointments—or laser-focused on the wrong thing?
If so, you’re in good company.
Here’s the wild part: the #1 game-changer for my ADHD and creative clients? Pausing.
Not a big productivity system. Not a fancy app. Just learning how—and when—to stop.
Slowing down isn’t a waste of time; it’s the gateway to clarity, intention, and getting your real work done faster. In fact, it’s the keystone habit behind every other executive function skill.
As one client said, “I had to slow down to speed up.”
So What Does the Pause Actually Do?
“Pausing is the difference between reacting with old patterns of negative behavior that result in dire consequences, versus consciously responding by discerning your optimal options—before taking action.”
— David Giwerc, Founder/President of the ADD Coach Academy
It helps you:
Filter what’s important from what’s just noise
Shift from automatic reacting to conscious choosing
Catch yourself before falling down the rabbit hole
Actually hear yourself think
In short: pausing is your brain’s version of hitting the brakes before a sharp curve.
Without it, you’re skidding off-course—again and again.
With it, you’re finally in the driver’s seat - and getting the right things done.
But don’t take it from me. Here’s what clients have said about the power of the pause: “I’ve started saying ‘let me think about it’—and that’s changed everything.” “Pausing feels counterintuitive under deadline, but it’s essential to getting it done.” “When I pause, I can return to a better place. This is THE practice to implement.”
What Exactly Is This “Pause”?
When I say “slow down,” I don’t mean zoning out. I mean stopping—pausing—long enough for your brain to catch up with your intentions.
This “pause power” isn’t a luxury. It’s a foundational brain function—and it’s one people with ADHD struggle with at a neurological level.
According to Dr. Russell Barkley, ADHD is, at its core, a disorder of response inhibition. That means:
ADHD brains struggle to hold back automatic reactions
The ability to stop and think is compromised
Without that pause, planning, prioritizing, or regulating emotions becomes nearly impossible
Barkley compares this to a delay in activating the brain’s “CEO” functions. Reflexes are fast, but executive function is slow. You need a moment of pause for the CEO to even show up to the meeting.
Without the pause, you’re not lazy or careless—your brain is simply skipping the critical step where thoughtful action could emerge.
Training Your Pause Muscles
Pausing is a skill. A muscle. And for many of us, it’s one that’s been underdeveloped—or even discouraged—in fast-paced, productivity-obsessed environments.
But it can be trained.
Step 1: Build Awareness
• When was the last time you jumped into or out of a task without thinking?
• What typically trips you up—emotions? incoming emails? a vague to-do list?
• After a milestone, do you stop to reflect—or dive straight into the next thing?
• What have the consequences of impulsive actions been for you?
Step 2: Support the Pause with External Tools
You don’t have to rely on willpower (and you shouldn’t).
Set up the world around you to help you stop:
• Catch natural breaks: Before working, after the bathroom, before meals—pause and reflect.
• Build in structure: Schedule mini-pauses throughout the day.
• Create friction: Put your phone in another room. Use blockers. Add steps between you and distractions.
• Use social cues: Time focus blocks before meetings or ask someone to call you for dinner—natural bookends can do the heavy lifting.
Step 3: Strength Training (Internal Pause Muscles)
These internal strategies help make stopping second nature, not a struggle.
• Mindfulness Practices
Even two minutes a day helps. Sit, breathe, and label each distraction as it arises: “thought”, “feeling”, “sound”, “itch”, “bird…” then return to your breath. No judgment—just presence.
• PQ Reps (Positive Intelligence)
From Shirzad Chamine’s framework: short, sensory-focused exercises to shift from autopilot to grounded awareness.
→ Rub two fingers together slowly, feeling the ridges.
→ Listen to 10 seconds of sounds around you.
• Time Delay Rules
Try: “If it’s not urgent, I wait 10 minutes (or one sleep cycle) before replying, posting, or purchasing.”
You’re not saying no—you’re just buying time for your wiser brain to catch up.
• Pause and Picture
Ask: “How do I want to feel on the other side of this? What will I wish I had done?”
Visualizing the next 10 minutes—or the end of the day—helps you course-correct.
• Verbalize the Pause
Say it out loud: “Let me think about that.” or “I’m going to take a moment.”
This makes the pause real and sends a cue to both your brain and others.
• Use a Script
Short, repeatable phrases interrupt momentum.
→ “Stop. Think. Go.”
→ “Pause. Plan. Proceed.”
→ “I’ll get back to you on that.”
Practicing the Pause in Real Life
How some of my clients have used this powerful space between stimulus and response to exercise choice and claim their freedom:
Emotional Regulation – Brenda’s Practice
The Awareness: My emotions are overwhelming me and holding me back from working on my business.
The Practice:
Notice body sensations (tight chest, heavy shoulders).
Stop.
Name the emotion.
Focus on breath and touch (e.g., fingertips).
Ask: What do I need right now?
Choose a calming next step.
💡 Emotional intensity is often amplified in ADHD brains, making it harder to shift out of a reactive state. The pause creates a gap—just enough space to name the emotion, re-center, and respond instead of being swept away. This practice helps move from overwhelm to grounded action.
Spending Time with Intention – Calvin’s Practice
The Awareness: “I don’t have a habit of pausing before saying yes—it’s been all or nothing.”
The Practice:
Notice – I want to / am being asked to do something.
Stop.
Check commitments: importance, deadline, time, money, energy.
Decide: Yes, no, maybe, or partial yes.
💡 With ADHD, defaulting to “yes” is often easier than pausing to assess. But all those yesses can add up to burnout. A small moment of thinking gives you a real shot at success—and it feels so much better. And with a little practice, it gets easier.
Dodging Rabbit Holes – Alan’s Practice
The Awareness: “I get sucked into my phone and before I know it, it’s 5pm and no real work is done.”
The Practice:
Slow Down – keep my phone in another room during working hours. I can still check it, but the walk gives my brain time to set intention and a stopping plan before I dive in.
Notice – What’s driving me to use my phone?
Ask – Is this necessary? Can it wait? What else isn’t getting done? How and when will I pull myself away?
Choose: a specific phone task, time and walk-away strategy.
💡 You’re likely all too familiar with getting sucked into research and social media time warps. Practice building some space between that ever-powerful “I need to look this up / post this thing” feeling and taking action on that feeling.
*Note: Clients’ names have been changed for privacy.
Implementing Your Pause Practice
Here’s your mini-experiment: Pick one moment today to pause.
Try it:
Before checking your phone or email
Right before saying “yes” to something
At a natural break—like a stretch or pee break
After reading this blog!
In that pause, ask: What am I about to do? Is this aligned with what matters? What’s the next right action?
Even a five-second pause is a huge win. 🏆
Try using this simple framework:
Notice (thought, emotion, distraction, behavior) & Pause
Ask (quick question(s) to help you to proceed with clarity, value alignment, emotional stability)
Decide (proceed with more intention and empowerment)
Want Help Making This Stick? 🎯
The pause isn’t just a tool—it’s a radical shift in how you relate to time, decisions, and yourself. And like any new habit, it’s easier (and faster) to build with support.
If you want help strengthening your internal brakes and making space for more intentional, energizing choices—I’d love to help.
Ready to give your Ferrari brain the braking system it deserves?
Let’s build that together.