Finding ways to focus better with ADHD can often feel impossible when your mind is full of distractions and your body has endless energy. But by exploring and implementing various strategies, from task chunking and body doubling to therapy and medication, you can discover how small changes can lead to major improvements in your concentration and productivity.
Chunk Your Tasks
People with ADHD frequently find it difficult to begin tasks, often feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of what needs to be accomplished. Chunking breaks down larger projects, tasks, or information into smaller, more manageable pieces, making it easier to work through your to-do list and keep focused.
Chunking your tasks can help you manage your time more effectively, maintain your motivation, and improve your focus by helping you concentrate on a single task.
Start by identifying a large task, then divide it into smaller activities that can be completed in less than an hour. Prioritize and set realistic time limits for each task, and take short breaks between them to stay refreshed. Celebrate each completed task to maintain motivation. If any part still seems overwhelming, break it down further. For example, if you’re writing a report, chunks could include outlining, researching each section, writing one section at a time, and then revising and editing.
Schedule Breaks
Incorporating scheduled short breaks into your daily routine is a powerful way to fend off mental fatigue and maintain high productivity. Consider trying the Pomodoro Technique: work in focused bursts of 25-30 minutes followed by a 5-minute break.
You can also tailor the method to suit your needs. If your attention span allows, extend work periods to 45 minutes with 15 minutes of relaxation. This flexibility ensures you find a rhythm that improves your efficiency and focus.
During your break, take a quick stroll, perform some light stretching, or do a short meditation session. But avoid checking social media, emails, or doom scrolling on your phone. Make these breaks a consistent part of your daily schedule, and adjust rest intervals based on your focus and productivity feedback.
Body Double
For people with ADHD, distractions are a major hurdle to completing activities. Body doubling offers a simple way to create a structured environment and minimize the temptation of distractions and disruptive behaviors.
Body doubling is having someone sit with or near you as you tackle your tasks. This person acts as a subtle accountability partner, creating a shared work environment that encourages concentration and productivity. Also, knowing someone else is there can motivate you to start and continue working, making work sessions less isolating and more enjoyable.
To get started, find a willing participant like a friend, family member, or coworker who wants to increase their productivity. Make sure everyone understands that the purpose is to work independently but together without interaction.
Pick a location where both of you can work without distractions, whether it’s a quiet room at home, a library, or a café. Have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish during your body doubling session, and maintain a respectful, quiet environment to support each other’s focus.
If you’re working or studying from home, platforms like Deepwrk and Focusmate offer virtual body doubling, allowing you to enjoy its benefits from anywhere.
Thought Dump
If you feel like you have too many thoughts swirling around your head, making it hard to concentrate, a thought dump is a simple yet effective technique designed to free up space in your mind, allowing you to focus better on your priorities.
A thought dump is the process of jotting down all your unfiltered and unstructured thoughts onto a piece of paper or a digital document. This simple act of moving thoughts from your mind to another medium can alleviate feelings of being overwhelmed, enhance concentration, and decrease stress by clearing out mental clutter.
Choose your medium (paper or digital), set a timer for 5-10 minutes, and start writing freely. Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, or how it looks; just get your thoughts out. Afterward, organize these thoughts into categories like tasks, worries, and ideas. This helps prioritize what needs immediate attention and what can wait.
Doing a thought dump regularly, such as daily or weekly, can keep your mind clearer, make managing tasks less daunting, and help you focus on what matters.
Front Load
Sometimes, when you’re engrossed in a task, switching gears to the next item on your to-do list can throw off your mental momentum and make it harder to get started on the task you need to concentrate on. This is a common experience for people with ADHD, where hyperfocus locks you into one activity, making it tough to move on. Front loading is a strategy that can help you get your priorities right and make transitions between tasks go more smoothly.
Front loading means tackling your most challenging or important tasks first thing when your energy and focus are at their peak. At the start of your day (or even the night before), identify the tasks that are the most important or require the most energy. These are your priorities. Then, when you start your work or study session, begin with these tasks immediately before starting anything else, like checking emails.
Since shifting from one task to another can be challenging, define a clear endpoint for your priority work. It could be a time limit or a specific milestone in the task. And, before you wrap up your current focus, take a moment to jot down where you left off and what’s next. This prep work makes it easier to switch gears.
Use Organizational Apps
Organizational apps are designed to help manage tasks, reminders, and schedules all in one place. With tasks neatly organized, it’s easier to prioritize and tackle them individually.
Picking the right organizational app can transform how you manage tasks and deadlines. Popular choices include Todoist for task prioritization, Trello for visual project tracking, Evernote for comprehensive note-taking, and Google Keep for simple lists and reminders.
Customize your app with colors and tags for easy navigation, and keep your task list fresh by regularly adding and completing tasks. Take advantage of automatic, personalized reminders to stay on top of deadlines, and make a routine of reviewing and adjusting your schedule to keep everything aligned with your priorities and lifestyle.
Doodle or Fidget
Doodling and fidgeting might seem like mindless habits, but they can be powerful tools for improving focus. These simple activities can help channel restless energy and trigger the release of dopamine and norepinephrine in a similar way to ADHD medications.
They can also improve your ability to listen and absorb information, and doodling, in particular, can help with memory recall and spark creativity because it engages the brain in a relaxed but active way.
Choose simple, quiet tools like stress balls, doodle pads, or discreet fidget spinners to boost your focus with fidgeting or doodling. Opt for activities that keep your hands busy but your mind clear, such as squishing putty, twisting a fidget cube, sketching abstract shapes, or even chewing gum. These actions aren’t distracting to others around you but still offer a way to channel excess energy and boost your focus.
Make It a Game
Turning tedious tasks into a game is a creative and easy way to boost your focus. Gamification involves adding elements of play, competition, and rewards to mundane activities like chores or homework, making them more engaging and less overwhelming.
To start, break down the task into smaller, manageable steps. Assign points or rewards for completing each step. For example, if you’re tidying up, give yourself 10 points for every area you clean. Set a goal, like reaching 100 points, and reward yourself with something enjoyable, such as watching an episode of your favorite show or a treat.
You can also create a timer challenge to add urgency and excitement to the activity. Challenge yourself to complete a task within a set time frame, racing against the clock. This can turn a dull task into an exhilarating beat-the-clock game.
Incorporate a competitive edge by involving family or friends. See who can complete a task faster or better, turning the chore into a friendly competition. This makes the task more enjoyable and builds a sense of community and support.
Make sure you keep track of your achievements. Use a chart or app to visualize your progress and rewards. This visual representation can motivate you to keep going and turn even the most tedious tasks into something you look forward to conquering.
Control Your Environment
You can’t control your brain chemistry, but you can change your environment to create space that makes it easier for you to concentrate. A well-organized, distraction-free environment is key to improving focus. You can make that happen by decluttering your workspace to eliminate visual distractions. Keep only what you need for your current project in your immediate workspace.
Next, adjust the noise levels. Some people with ADHD find background noise helpful, while others need complete silence. Experiment with ambient sounds like white noise or calm lo-fi music to see what best helps you concentrate. Invest in noise-canceling headphones if you need to work or study in a noisy environment like an office or busy home.
Minimize digital distractions while working or studying by finding a space away from the TV and leaving your phone or tablet in another room. Eliminate temptations like social media, streaming sites, and online stores with apps and programs like BlockSite, FocusMe, and Freedom. These browser blockers are ideal for working from home, and many of the apps can be synced to your phone and tablet so that you won’t be distracted by your other devices.
Prioritize Self-Care
Incorporating these self-care practices into your routine can transform your approach to managing ADHD. Basic self-care practices like getting enough sleep, eating well, and staying active can increase your focus.
Sleep problems are common in people with ADHD, with racing thoughts and distractibility leading to issues like increased sleep onset latency (it takes you longer to fall asleep) and sleep-disordered breathing.
Unfortunately, a lack of sleep can also exacerbate ADHD symptoms, making it harder to focus. You can boost your concentration by improving your sleep hygiene. Aim for 7-9 hours per night between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and try winding down an hour before bed with a relaxing, screen-free routine.
Nutrition plays a big role, too. Fuel your brain with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, and load up on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods help stabilize energy levels and concentration throughout the day. Remember to stay hydrated; even mild dehydration can make focusing difficult.
Exercise is another key ingredient. Regular physical activity, even just a daily walk, boosts brain function and reduces symptoms of ADHD. It doesn’t have to be intense; the goal is to move your body and clear your mind.
Try Therapy
While self-care and lifestyle changes can be excellent strategies for improving your focus, in many cases, you should also explore therapy options like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Neurofeedback, and Behavioral Activation.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you change negative thought patterns and behaviors that stop you from being productive. It’s an excellent way to overcome procrastination, enhance organizational skills, and reduce distractibility.
For example, if you have a deadline looming and the task seems overwhelming, you may experience thoughts like “I’ll never get this done on time” or “My work isn’t good enough.” CBT therapy with a licensed therapist can help you learn how to replace those thoughts with positive ones like “I can take this one step at a time” and “I’ve completed challenging projects before.”
Neurofeedback offers a unique way to improve your focus by training you to modify your brainwave patterns. Through sessions with a trained professional, you can use real-time EEG data to learn to regulate attention-related brain functions. A good starting point is to seek out a qualified neurofeedback therapist who can customize your training, focusing on increasing your beta waves for attention and decreasing theta waves, which are linked to inattentiveness.
Behavioral activation focuses on engaging you in positive, goal-oriented activities to lift your mood and motivation. This technique is beneficial if you find low motivation and disinterest adding to your ADHD challenges. Begin by listing activities that you enjoy and that align with your personal goals. Schedule these into your week to regularly ensure you have rewarding and focus-enhancing experiences.
Take Your Meds
ADHD treatment is typically most effective when you combine therapy with lifestyle changes and medication. Medications for ADHD can help to regulate your brain’s chemistry, specifically the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, which are responsible for attention and executive functions.
Stimulant medications, like methylphenidate and amphetamines, increase the levels of these neurotransmitters, improving your focus, attention, and impulse control. Non-stimulant medications, such as atomoxetine, selectively prevent norepinephrine reabsorption, leading to longer attention spans and reduced hyperactivity.
Get the Help You Need to Improve Your Focus
At the Mind Health Group, we can help you fine-tune your approach to managing ADHD, from exploring therapy options and self-care practices to understanding how medication can complete your overall strategy. Our team of mental healthcare professionals is dedicated to guiding you through every step, offering personalized support and evidence-based solutions tailored to your unique journey.
Ready to learn how to focus better with ADHD and hit the road to success? Contact Mind Health Group today.
