Metacognition and ADHD: Understand Your Thinking

Metacognition is a powerful executive function skill, and it is the second topic I am exploring in this series on ADHD and executive function skills. Executive function skills help us accomplish tasks and manage our daily lives (Dawson and Guare, 2016). For those with ADHD, some executive function skills may be significant strengths, while others present complex challenges.

Metacognition is the ability to reflect on our experiences, learn from that information, and apply it in the future (Mutti-Driscoll, 2024, p.87). This skill is valuable for anyone striving toward personal growth but for individuals with ADHD—who often face challenges with self-awareness, planning, and reflection—working to boost metacognition can be transformative.

What Is Metacognition?

Metacognition consists of two key components:

1. Understanding how you think and learn.
2. Regulating your ability to plan, monitor, and adjust strategies.

For people with ADHD, both aspects can be tricky due to difficulties with working memory, self-monitoring, and impulse control. Common ADHD-related challenges—such as struggling to pause before acting, experiencing "time blindness," inaccurately predicting effort, and managing emotional reactivity—can make self-reflection harder. As someone with ADHD, I relate deeply to these struggles. However, because metacognition can be a powerful tool for growth, I’m always looking for ways to strengthen these skills. I have found many small practices and habits that can significantly improve my metacognitive skills.

How to Strengthen Metacognition with ADHD

There are many ways to build self-awareness and improve reflection. Here are some practical strategies to integrate metacognition into daily life:

1. Externalize Your Thinking

• Use journaling, voice memos, or mind maps to track your thoughts.
• Discuss problems with a trusted person like a good friend, a therapist, or a coach to engage in external processing.

2. Build a Habit of Self-Questioning

Ask yourself key questions before, during, and after tasks:

• Before: What is my goal? What steps do I need?
• During: Am I on track? What’s working, not working?
• After: What did I learn? What would I do differently next time?

3. Use Visual and Concrete Tools

• Timers, planners, and checklists help bridge gaps in self-awareness.
• Color coding or progress tracking can make our actions more visible and tangible.

4. Develop Flexible Thinking Strategies

• Experiment with strategies, using trial-and-error learning without fear of failure.
• Normalize adjusting instead of quitting approaches when you hit a roadblock.

5. Practice Self-Compassion

• People with ADHD often challenge themselves, and this can make metacognition harder but not impossible.
• As you become increasingly self-aware, try to recognize your patterns without judging yourself, and use mistakes as opportunities to learn and progress.

Conclusion

Metacognition is a skill that you can develop over time. As you work to improve your skills, start small and focus on one or two strategies that seem accessible to you. With practice, these habits can help you build self-awareness, improve problem-solving, and ultimately make life with ADHD more manageable over time.

What metacognitive strategies have worked for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.