ChatGPT and ADHD: A Surprisingly Good Match

I know that as an adult with ADHD, you’ve likely tried countless ADHD tools promising to make your life easier — but often, learning how to use them ends up feeling like more work than it’s worth. So when you hear about ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that’s all over the news, it’s totally normal to wonder:

• Is this just another complicated app I won’t stick with?
• Will it even make things easier?
• I’m not very tech-savvy. Will it frustrate me more?

I hear you. Before you decide, hear me out—because ChatGPT might just be the flexible kind of help you need, especially if you’re willing to approach it with an experimental mindset.

What is ChatGPT — Really?

Think of ChatGPT as a chat buddy who can help you brainstorm, plan, draft emails, organize your scattered thoughts, and more. It’s not magic or judgmental — it’s just a tool that responds to what you type, helping to reduce the overwhelm and make big tasks feel smaller.

It’s like having a patient assistant who never gets tired of listening to you and helping you accomplish what you want. And calms the swirl of ideas in your head. You can use it anytime, anywhere, as much as you want and it’s free!

Why You Might Feel Resistance — And That’s Okay

Let’s go back to the resistance for a minute. I know trying something new can feel challenging — especially when your brain is already juggling a lot. You might recognize that feeling of resistance when you hear about a “new tool” or “productivity hack.”

Just know that this resistance isn’t about laziness or lack of motivation. It’s your brain’s way of protecting you from overwhelm. Many of us have tried apps, planners, or systems that sounded helpful but ended up feeling complicated or hard to stick with. They ended up being a waste of time, making it harder to want to try something new.

Technology, especially something like ChatGPT, can also feel intimidating. You might worry about getting lost in setup, or that it won’t understand what you need and might cause more frustration.

The workaround to this is to remind yourself that you don’t have to figure it all out at once. It’s okay to start small, explore slowly, and use it in ways that feel manageable. Maybe start by signing up (instructions are at the bottom of this post) and experiment with just one prompt.

Learn how to use it on your terms and at your own pace.

Remind yourself that it’s an experiment, not an exam. You can’t fail!

How ChatGPT Can Help Adults with ADHD

One of the biggest challenges for adults with ADHD is decision fatigue—when every option feels equally important, making even simple choices feel overwhelming. ChatGPT can reduce that mental load by helping you identify a few clear priorities based on your input. With less energy spent deciding what to do, you can focus more on actually doing it.

Big projects can feel paralyzing, especially when you’re not sure where to start. ChatGPT can help by breaking things down into smaller, doable steps or drafting a rough first version for you. That way, you get momentum without needing a perfect plan upfront—a huge win when task initiation is hard.

When your thoughts are all over the place—sticky notes, voice memos, random ideas in your head—getting clarity can feel impossible. ChatGPT acts like a thinking partner, helping you sort and group thoughts so you can see what actually needs your attention. It’s a simple way to turn mental clutter into focus.

Getting stuck or doubting yourself is common with ADHD, and a little support can make a big difference. ChatGPT offers gentle, nonjudgmental nudges—helping you reframe challenges and keep moving forward. Sometimes that calm, encouraging voice is all you need to get unstuck.

Your ADHD Co-Pilot: 3 Ways ChatGPT Can Help

#1 Writing Emails With ChatGPT

Sometimes I start by writing an email in my own words — exactly how I’d say it, even if it feels too blunt or unfinished. Then I paste that draft into ChatGPT and ask it to help me rewrite it in a softer way while still sounding like me. Here’s an example:

Original Email:

Hi John,
I’m writing to ask if it’s possible to extend the deadline for the project. I have a last-minute deliverable and need more time to finish everything. Let me know if that’s okay.
Thanks,
Marla

I then submit this to ChatGPT with a simple prompt: “Please help me reorganize this email and soften the tone a bit, but keep it sounding like me.”

And this is the response I get back:

Revised Email:

Hi John,
I hope you’re doing well! I wanted to check if it might be possible to get an extension on the project deadline. I have a last-minute deliverable. I want to make sure I can give our work the attention it deserves before I send it to you. Please let me know if that would be okay.
Thanks so much,
Marla

The changes are small, to be sure. But I feel better about sending the second email. With everything on my plate, if left to my own devices, I might send the first one just to get it out of the way. And it doesn’t take that much more time to put it into ChatGPT.

Ethical Concerns: Using ChatGPT Authentically

Before I started using ChatGPT, I had concerns about whether it might cross ethical lines or feel like plagiarism. I also wondered if it would make my work feel less personal or authentic. Those questions mattered to me. Maybe you have similar concerns?

Here’s what I’ve found to be true for me.

• It doesn’t write for me — it helps me brainstorm and draft.
  
• I always review and edit the output so it reflects my voice and intention.
  
• I think of it as a collaborator, not a replacement for my creativity or authenticity.
  
• I use it responsibly — not to plagiarize, but to get unstuck and improve how I communicate.

The power is in how you use it. You stay in the driver’s seat or at least I think you should. 🙂

#2 Problem-Solving for ADHD Brains

As you know, for many adults with ADHD, problem-solving can feel like having a dozen browser tabs open in your brain. Thoughts come fast and furious, may just swirl about in your head, and can be emotionally charged. So, it can be hard to distinguish between what’s important and what’s just noise.

That’s where ChatGPT can come in — not to replace talking with real people. But you can use it to start sorting things out a bit before you engage with other people.

For example, let’s say you’re having a tough time figuring out how to approach someone you’re in conflict with — maybe a colleague, a friend, or a family member. You might just end up thinking about it without a solution, avoiding it altogether or, perhaps, jumping into a conversation without enough preparation. Oops! Obviously none of these are good solutions.

To minimize the chances of these scenarios occurring, you could open ChatGPT and type something like:

I’m feeling stuck. I want to talk to a colleague about a miscommunication, but I’m not sure how to start the conversation or explain how I feel without it turning into a conflict. Here is the backstory… Any thoughts on what I could do?

ChatGPT might respond by helping you name your emotions, organize your thoughts, and suggest some possible next steps. You might not like any of the responses. But as you continue the conversation it can help you decide what you do want to do. Even just writing out what’s on your mind can help you feel more grounded.

In the end you’ll be able to turn your mental clutter into something more concrete that can help you decide what to do next. That might be talking it out with a real person — whether that’s a family member, friend, coach, or therapist. Alternatively, you might be ready to take the next step(s) on your own, whatever those might be.

#3 Prioritizing Tasks When Everything Feels Urgent

Sort Out What to Do First When Everything Feels Urgent

Last, another challenge you may have that is common for adults with ADHD is looking at your to-do list and feeling that everything feels equally urgent and important. This makes it hard to start, right? So you may end up freezing, impulsively diving in or bouncing from one thing to the next without closing the loop. Sound familiar?

While I know yours is likely much longer, let’s say you had a list like this:

• Taxes
  
• Respond to client email
  
• Schedule doctor appointment
  
• Update website
  
• Clean kitchen
  
• Write report
   

And that’s it. There are no due dates, no time estimates, no context. Just a daunting list of tasks that you feel should all be done NOW! And you have no clue how to figure out what to do when.

This is where ChatGPT can be a surprisingly helpful thinking partner. You can paste in your list and say something like:

“Here’s what I need to do. Everything feels urgent, and I don’t know where to start. Can you help me sort this by what’s actually time-sensitive or high-value?”

ChatGPT might ask clarifying questions or begin organizing the list by:

• Time sensitivity (what’s due soon?)
  
• Energy level required (what’s low effort vs. high effort?)
  
• Impact (what would give you the biggest relief or move things forward most meaningfully?)

Your ADHD brain is just not wired to figure this out in your head. This kind of back-and-forth conversation with ChatGPT can help you externalize your decision-making process. And this will help you move forward with more clarity and less overwhelm. Really!

Teach ChatGPT Your Priorities

Of course, ChatGPT doesn’t automatically know your values or the context behind your decisions. For example, it doesn’t know that your family, health, or long-term goals matter more to you than inbox zero — unless you tell it.

When you share your personal priorities with ChatGPT, it can help you make decisions that feel aligned with your life, not just your task list. For example:

“When I’m prioritizing tasks, I want to remember that my family is my number one priority. Can you help me make decisions with that in mind?”

Or:

“I’m in a phase where I’m trying to protect my energy. Please help me prioritize tasks that are meaningful but not too draining.”

ChatGPT’s suggestions won’t be perfect, for sure. But, by articulating your values and having a more informed conversation with ChatGPT, you’ll get better feedback. And that will help you decide what’s most important to do right now.

How To Get Started With ChatGPT (Step-by-Step)

• Go to chat.openai.com
  
• Sign up for a free OpenAI account if you don’t have one (it takes just a couple of minutes)
  
• Once logged in, you’ll see a chat box. Start with something small and easy to see how it works. Maybe ask it to help you with an email you are writing. The more you describe what you want, the better the response.
  
• ChatGPT will respond! You can ask follow-up questions, tell it to rephrase or be done with your experiment for now.
  
• No pressure to do it perfectly — you’re just experimenting.
  

What’s Next?

If this feels intriguing but you’re not sure where to start, that’s okay — take your time with it.

For now, take a deep breath, try it gently, and remember: this is about making life a little easier, one small step at a time.