Living with ADHD means your brain is running its own race — sometimes at lightning speed, sometimes in circles, and sometimes stopping completely for no reason.
People with this form of neurodivergence process things a bit differently, and that often shows up not just in the way they act, but in the things they say. From forgetting where they put their phone (half the time while holding it) to making impulsive plans they immediately regret, certain phrases just come with the territory. If you have ADHD or know someone who does, chances are, these will sound familiar.
1. “I just had it a second ago…”
Whether it’s keys, a phone, a wallet, or a pair of glasses, objects in an ADHD household have a magical ability to disappear immediately after being put down. One minute, the item is in their hand, and the next? Completely gone, as if it fell into another dimension. The worst part is, they often find it in the most obvious place — on their lap, in their pocket, or right in front of them. Yet somehow, in those frantic seconds of searching, it feels like it has ceased to exist. If they had a pound for every time they said this, they’d be rich enough to replace all their lost belongings.
2. “Wait, what was I saying?”
They can start a sentence with a brilliant point in mind, only to lose it completely by the time they reach the middle. Their brain jumps ahead, rewrites the script, or gets distracted by a random thought that popped up in the background. Conversations often include long pauses while they try to retrace their steps and figure out where they were going with that totally important thought. Sometimes, they recover it. Other times? It’s gone forever, lost in the mental abyss.
3. “I’ll do it later… probably.”
They fully intend to do whatever it is — respond to that email, clean the kitchen, pay that bill — but later somehow turns into never. It’s not that they don’t want to get it done; it’s just that their brain files it under “future me’s problem” and immediately moves on. The issue? Future them also struggles with executive function, so the cycle continues. Deadlines sneak up, dishes pile up, and that “quick” reply turns into a full-blown case of ghosting. The only real motivator is panic, usually at the last possible moment.
4. “Sorry I’m late — again.”
They meant to leave on time. They tried to leave on time. But somehow, time completely warped around them. Maybe they got distracted right before heading out the door, or maybe they underestimated how long things would take (again). Either way, it happens a lot. ADHD time management is a strange thing. Sometimes an hour feels like ten minutes; sometimes ten minutes feels like an hour. The result? They’re always either rushing or waiting awkwardly because they arrived way too early. There’s rarely an in-between.
5. “I know I should sleep, but my brain has other plans.”
Sleep sounds great in theory. In practise? Their brain suddenly decides to analyse every embarrassing moment since childhood, plan future projects, and hyperfocus on Wikipedia rabbit holes about completely irrelevant topics. Even when they want to sleep, their mind keeps running, flipping through unfinished thoughts, random worries, or urgent existential questions. It’s like trying to shut down a computer that refuses to update. They know they’ll regret it in the morning, but here they are, wide awake at 2 a.m.
6. “I have so much to do… but I’m just going to sit here.”
Procrastination doesn’t mean they’re lazy; they’re likely just mentally stuck. The to-do list is long, the tasks are important, but somehow, moving from thought to action feels impossible. So instead, they sit there, knowing they should be doing something but feeling physically unable to start. ADHD paralysis is real. Sometimes, breaking the task into smaller steps helps. Other times, they just have to wait until the last-minute adrenaline kicks in. Either way, sitting there thinking about all the things they need to do somehow takes up just as much energy as actually doing them.
7. “I’ll remember — no need to write it down.”
They won’t remember. They never remember. But in the moment, it feels so obvious that they don’t need to write it down. It’s only later, when they’re supposed to recall an important date, task, or detail, that they realise their mistake. ADHD memory is unpredictable. Some things stick forever, while others vanish within seconds. The worst part is that they’ll remember a random childhood fact perfectly, but completely forget something they were just told five minutes ago.
8. “Oh look, a new hobby!”
People with ADHD love discovering new interests, and when they find one, they go all in. They buy all the supplies, spend hours researching, and obsess over it… until the novelty wears off and they move on to something else. The result is a collection of half-finished projects, abandoned hobbies, and an impressive amount of random knowledge. They weren’t lying when they said they were really into that thing last week — it’s just that their brain already found something else to hyperfocus on.
9. “Why am I in this room?”
They walk into a room with purpose, ready to grab something or complete a task, only to completely forget what it was the moment they arrive. They stand there, confused, hoping their brain resets itself and reminds them. Sometimes, retracing their steps helps. Other times, they have to give up and wait for the memory to return at a completely random moment, usually when they’re already back on the couch.
10. “Wait, did I say that out loud?”
Their brain moves fast, and sometimes their mouth doesn’t get the memo that certain thoughts weren’t meant to be spoken. They’ll blurt something out mid-conversation and only realise later that it probably needed a filter. It’s not intentional; they’re just saying what’s on their mind, often before fully processing it. Fortunately, their friends are usually used to it by now.
11. “I’m listening, I swear.”
They want to listen. They are listening. But somewhere in the middle of the conversation, their brain takes a detour. Suddenly, they’re thinking about something completely unrelated, only to snap back and realise they missed half the conversation. It’s frustrating because they genuinely care, but sometimes, their focus has a mind of its own. If they ask you to repeat something, it’s not because they weren’t interested; their brain just temporarily glitched.
12. “I’ll just check my phone really quick…”
Five minutes later, they’re deep in a weird corner of the internet, reading about something completely unrelated to what they originally picked up their phone for. What started as checking a single message somehow turned into an hour-long distraction. It’s not that they meant to get sidetracked — it just happened. ADHD time perception mixed with digital distractions is a dangerous combo.
13. “I swear I was just about to do that!”
When someone reminds them to do something, the first thought is usually, I was literally about to do that! Whether that’s actually true or just something their brain convinces them of is another story. The task was definitely on their mental to-do list, just not necessarily at the right time. It’s frustrating because they want to be on top of things, but ADHD often means there’s a lag between thinking about something and actually doing it. Unfortunately, to the outside world, it just looks like procrastination. But to them, it’s more like a game of memory where the cards keep moving.
14. “I should really go to bed… but one more episode.”
They know they need sleep. They feel the exhaustion. But somehow, the idea of “just one more” episode, chapter, or article always wins. Their brain convinces them that 20 more minutes won’t make a difference until suddenly, it’s 3 a.m. and regret starts creeping in. Impulse control and ADHD don’t always mix well, especially when something is interesting. Even when they promise themselves they’ll be responsible tonight, their brain has other plans. The worst part is that they’ll still complain about being tired in the morning as if they didn’t see it coming.
15. “I need noise to focus.”
Silence? Way too loud. The idea of working in a completely quiet environment sounds nice in theory, but in practise, it just makes their thoughts race even more. They need background noise, whether it’s music, a podcast, or even the sound of a café, to keep their brain engaged. Ironically, sometimes the background noise also becomes a distraction, but it’s still better than absolute silence. ADHD brains thrive on stimulation, and without it, their thoughts can wander off into completely unrelated territory. The challenge? Finding the perfect amount of noise that keeps them focused without stealing their attention entirely.
16. “I have no idea how I got here.”
Driving, walking, or even just daydreaming, there are moments where they suddenly snap out of autopilot and realise they have zero memory of how they got to their current location. Their body handled the journey, but their brain was elsewhere, probably deep in thought about a completely random topic. It’s both impressive and mildly concerning how often this happens. One second, they’re in their driveway; the next, they’re at work with no real recollection of the drive there. Luckily, they haven’t ended up in another city yet—but at this point, it wouldn’t be surprising.
