How to Focus With ADHD?

Hi guys,

All throughout this summer, I have been thinking about my ADHD, and I was attentively observing my study habits. I have discovered a few things that help me focus without medication, and hopefully, it will help you too. Note that some, if not all of this, won’t apply to individuals without ADHD; in fact, they would require a completely opposite approach. Of course, if this does work for you – it doesn’t mean you have ADHD; but I thought it might still be helpful to some of you.

Before I get into my main points though, I want to mention, that organization is important in staying focused, but I have already discussed organization in previous blog posts. The reason why I won’t prioritize organization here is because, for some individuals, a little disorganization is their ideal environment.

Just a few general, quick works on organization:
- Keep your required resources available at the time of work  

     - Have a record of to-do tasks and dates

     - Aim for neatness in task completion, and in your environment

•          Focus doesn’t come when you repeat to yourself “FOCUS”

I have watched numerous videos on ADHD and attempts to cope with it. One of the most common practices - is repeating “focus” or “concentrate” to yourself for a trillion times. This strategy doesn’t help! It only further frustrates you, and you feel unmotivated to continue with the task.

I would, of course, say “look deeper into the problem of why you can’t concentrate”, but there might not be any deeper problems – you just can’t. So, to avoid further frustration, don’t overwhelm yourself with these phrases.

Focusing is like putting on glasses to correct your vision; saying “see” while having poor vision is not going to help. What will help though, hopefully, are some strategies you can derive from this blog, and a professional (therapeutic or medical) advice, if required.

•          Deal with distractions

Most often, we are advised to “eliminate” distractions, but turning off my phone makes me stressed (21^st century problems :) ). I always like to deal with the matter in question, so if I am texting with somebody, I will just let them know that I’ll get back to them in a certain amount of time; I don’t just stop answering all of the sudden. With games, YouTube videos, and similar types of distractions, I will finish whatever I’m watching, and then I will still have to block it. The point is, I don’t just pause the video (because I will feel unsatisfied) – I, first, finish it, and then block it to procees with whatever work I have to do. 

Also… if the organization just doesn’t come to you yet, the least you can do for yourself - is you have to make yourself comfortable. The right temperature, the right clothing, the right smell and taste, the ideal physical environment! Being too comfortable might make you sleepy, though; but what I mean is - avoid discomfort.

•           Simple and quick tasks first!

Here is something different that I like to do in comparison with other people – I like to complete the quick and simple duties first, and then approach the difficult ones. Often, we are suggested otherwise in order to have something easier to look forward to and not to waste our first couple of “productive” hours on something of a lower priority. I personally, prefer to complete simpler and quicker tasks first. I do this to feel the reward as I check off the tasks from my to-do list. Individuals who have ADHD have lower dopamine levels which means their “reward system” needs frequent and more stimulation to stay concentrated. The hardest and longest tasks I leave for the last because that way, I know that there is nothing for me to worry about afterwards, and I can pay attention to the only task at hand. The key is to take frequent breaks and potentially divide the difficult work across a few days.

Here is exactly how I personally prioritize tasks from first to last:
1. Quicker tasks
2.  Easier tasks
3.  Longer tasks
4.  Harder tasks

•          Background noise might help

If some (non-obnoxious) background noise is present, it can promote better concentration, because your brains would naturally try to “focus out of it”. This definitely doesn’t work with everyone, but it always works for me. The background noise maybe something like a working fan or refrigerator, rain, or the wind, but it can’t be obnoxious. It has to be something more or less monotone and “dull”.

•          Give it time

For anything you are working on, you have to give it time to bring back the mindfulness, since your mind might wander - in other words, you’ll get distracted. Not only frequent breaks are crucial, but sometimes you have to devote days to a certain project. That time will let you process everything you’ve done, collect the thoughts, and allow a fresh look on the problem. For example, I usually post the blog posts the day I write it, but ideally, I should wait a day or two before submitting it; otherwise, I won’t catch all of my grammar, punctuation, and formatting mistakes no matter how hard I look through it on the same day.

•          Practice “bringing back your mind”

If you are stressed or distracted, you can’t always control yourself, and you might do or say things you are not really aware of, to a certain extent. To avoid that, stop what you’re doing, and try mentally collecting your thoughts together. What also helps is closing your eyes, and imagining something detailed (like a face, a place, or an object). It’s best to imagine YOUR face, the place you are CURRENTLY in, or the object you are CURRENTLY holding. It is a 1-minute task, but you must completely take control of your focus at that time. 

And breathe…