Make it smaller: a one-minute CBT skill for ADHD
When you can't start. Big tasks stall because the first move isn't clear. Breaking it down and deciding exactly when you'll do the first step makes starting automatic.
How to do it
- Break the task into steps until the first one takes about 2 minutes.
- Turn that step into a plan: “When I put my phone down, I'll open the doc.”
- Do just that step. Stopping after is allowed.
That’s the whole skill. It takes about a minute, and you can do it with or without an app.
Where it comes from
Make it smaller is drawn from the Procrastination: break it down, plan the first step part of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programs for adults with ADHD. Those programs teach practical skills in short, repeatable steps; this is the practical core of one of them.
How Nuri offers it
When you can't start, Nuri can offer Make it smaller right in the moment, with the steps on screen and the plan adjusted for you. It’s one of the three skills included free.
Related skills
- Time check: when something takes longer.
- Prioritize A, B, C: when there's too much today.
See all ten skills, or read about time blindness.
This is an everyday self-help skill, not therapy, and it doesn’t replace care from a professional. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988 in the US, or your local emergency number.