Executive Dysfunction at Work: When Your Brain Freezes but Deadlines Don’t

Last week, a client of mine – let’s call him John – told me the following story:

„Last Monday, I sat in front of my laptop for two hours. Doing nothing.

Okay, not nothing exactly. I checked my inbox. I scrolled through Slack. I stared at my to-do list and reorganized it five times. I even made a new playlist titled “Focus, please!”

But the actual thing I was supposed to do, the big report due the next morning, remained untouched.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care. I cared a lot. It’s just that the more I thought about starting, the heavier it felt. Like my brain was trying to run through wet cement. And that’s when I realized: oh, hello again, executive dysfunction.“

When our brain presses “pause” and refuses to hit play

If you have ADHD (or another form of neurodivergence), you probably know this feeling intimately. You want to start. You need to start. But your brain… just doesn’t cooperate.

It’s like being trapped in a car with the engine running but the gearshift jammed in neutral. The harder you press the gas, the louder it revs but you’re not moving anywhere.

Many people might mistake it for laziness. Or maybe poor discipline. But it’s not. It’s a brain thing.

Executive dysfunction happens when the brain’s “CEO,” the prefrontal cortex, can’t quite get the team moving. This part of the brain handles things like planning, prioritizing, and starting tasks. When dopamine (the neurotransmitter that fuels motivation) is low, it’s like the CEO can’t find the meeting room key.

And under stress? It gets worse. Because when we’re anxious about performance, the brain switches into survival mode. The amygdala (our built-in alarm system) takes over, flooding us with stress hormones and hijacking the parts of the brain we need for thinking.

So instead of calmly working on the report, we end up doom-scrolling or alphabetizing the spice rack. Anything to avoid the thing that feels impossible.

“Frozen” moments

Many people may have stared at their laptop, paralyzed, knowing exactly what they needed to do but feeling unable to bridge the gap between intention and action.

It’s often the high-stakes tasks that trip us up. The ones that matter. When something feels important such as a presentation, a client project, a big decision, our brain mistakes importance for danger.

And once that switch flips, our body goes into freeze mode. Our thoughts blur, our shoulders tighten, and even the idea of starting feels unsafe.

If you’ve ever felt that invisible wall between you and the task, please know: you’re not lazy. Your brain is just overwhelmed and trying to protect you.

So… what actually helps?

I’ve spent the past few years collecting little strategies that my clients have shared with me and that I’ve tried out myself. Strategies that work with an ADHD brain instead of against it.

Here’s what I’ve learned, and how my clients actually use those tips on their hardest days.

1. The “two-minute win”

When we feel completely frozen, we can pick something so tiny it almost feels silly.

We open the document. Type one sentence. Make the title bold.

We can set a timer for two minutes and tell ourselves, “Just do anything for two minutes.” Most days, once we get going, our brain realizes, Oh, this isn’t as scary as it seemed.

The other day, I couldn’t bring myself to start writing a workshop proposal. So I told myself: “Just open the Google Doc and write the title.” That was it. Ten minutes later, I had three paragraphs.

It’s not magic. It’s physics: an object in motion stays in motion. You just have to start rolling.

2. The “Ugly First Draft”

Oftentimes, our inner perfectionist is sneaky. It whispers, “You can’t start until you know exactly what to say.”

To counteract that voice, we can write intentionally messy first drafts. I even call them “brain dumps.” I tell myself, “No one will ever see this, not even my future self.”

When we give ourselves permission to do it badly, the pressure lifts. And once the words exist, editing feels so much easier than starting from zero.

It’s a trick — lowering the stakes so our brain stops panicking.

3. Body doubling or the “silent companionship”

This one changed my life. More often than not, I work alongside my husband at the kitchen table. We both sit their with our computers, and say, “Okay, 45 minutes of focus — go.”

It’s crazy how much that helps. My brain seems to borrow my husband’s calm. Just knowing my husband is there, doing his own thing, keeps me from drifting off into avoidance.

I’ve also joined virtual “focus spaces” for professionals and it’s one of the few productivity tools that consistently works for me.

4. Externalizing everything

ADHD brains are not designed to hold information inside. The more we try to “just remember,” the more we forget.

Thus, it makes sense to externalize as much as possible. We can write tasks on sticky notes, put visual timers next to our computers, use color-coded blocks on our calendar for every meeting, break, and focus sprint, etc.

It’s not about being hyper-organized. It’s about freeing mental space. When our brain doesn’t have to juggle everything, it can finally do the work that matters.

5. Reward first, not last

This one might feel a little radical at first: giving ourselves a reward before we get started.

But it works. If I arrange some cookies on a plate, make a cup of my favorite tea, or put on a cozy playlist before diving in, my brain thinks, This is pleasant. Let’s stay here.

Dopamine before discipline. That’s my motto.

How John talks about it at work

For a long time, John hid this part of himself. He thought admitting that he struggled with focus would make him seem flaky or unreliable.

But over time he realized that so many other people feel this way, too. They just don’t have language for it.

Now, when John needs to explain his working style, he keeps it simple:

“I sometimes take a little longer to get started on big tasks, but once I’m in, I’m completely absorbed.” or “I do my best work with clear priorities and written follow-ups.”

That’s it. No diagnosis, no oversharing, just practical context. Most people appreciate John’s clarity. And it helps him protect his energy instead of apologizing for his brain.

Building systems that fit

Success with ADHD isn’t about forcing ourselves to work like everyone else. It’s about designing systems that fit our wiring.

It can mean visual structure (Trello boards with colors and emojis), rhythmic routines (morning focus block, afternoon admin), or forgiving flexibility.

When we stop expecting our brain to be consistent, we can start building in safety nets: reminders, timers, notes to our future selves.

Because the truth is, executive dysfunction doesn’t disappear but it gets friendlier when we stop fighting it.

The big picture

Executive dysfunction can make even simple things feel impossible. But it’s not a character flaw. It’s a neurobiological bottleneck. The prefrontal cortex gets overwhelmed, dopamine drops, and the brain does what it always does under pressure: protect.

When we understand that, we can stop asking, “What’s wrong with me?” and start asking, “What does my brain need right now?”

Sometimes the answer is structure. Sometimes it’s connection. Sometimes it’s a snack and a walk.

Whatever it is, it’s okay! We’re not broken. We’re just wired differently, and that wiring needs care, not criticism.

The gentle truth

If you take nothing else from this article, take this: you don’t have to conquer your brain to do meaningful work. You just have to partner with it.

When your brain freezes but deadlines don’t: start small. Give yourself grace. And remember: momentum often begins with one tiny, imperfect step.

Because even on the days when your executive function packs up and leaves the building, you are still here: a capable, creative, and resourceful human being who is completely enough!