Highlights
- Many factors contribute to poor focus in people with ADHD, but low attention control is the one that stands out.
- Poor focus can negatively affect all aspects of daily life, including functioning at work and home, as well as personal relationships.
- You can train or assist your brain by using tips for focusing with ADHD, such as making lists, setting goals, breaking up projects into smaller tasks, and using organizational tools.
- Improving focus in ADHD may involve seeing a medical professional for a treatment plan that might include therapy, medication, or both.
Adults with ADHD have poor focus; that’s a fact. You’re probably reading this because you have ADHD and are looking for solutions to improve concentration. Well, you’ve landed on the correct page.
But, to understand the strategies for focusing, you need to know why focus and concentration in ADHD are poor in the first place.
Why Focusing With ADHD Is Challenging
Some of the reasons are in the name. ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and it affects an
- Low attention control
- Low impulse control
- High activity and restlessness
Generally, ADHD is diagnosed by taking a history from the patient and family members and using rating scales.
Although it seems obvious that lack of attention control causes poor focus, so do high activity, impulsivity, and other factors.
Let’s chat about each of these factors in a little more detail.
Low Attention
Poor attention is one of the key symptoms of ADHD;
- Missing details
- Not finishing tasks
- Being forgetful
- Not seeming to listen when spoken to
- Difficulty organizing things
- Avoiding tasks
- Losing things
So, low attention logically leads to a poor ability to focus.
High Activity, Restlessness, and Impulsivity
Hyperactivity and restlessness are less common in adults with ADHD than children but, if present, can disrupt concentration and make sustained attention difficult. It is often described as an
- Not being able to sit still
- Being loud and outspoken
- Interrupting conversations
- Having difficulty waiting your turn
If you’re constantly ‘on the go,’ you are less likely to focus on a specific task but jump from one to another instead. This also results in impulsive behavior—acting without thinking.
Hyperfocus
ADHD hyperfocus is a unique one. Isn’t this whole article about adults with ADHD not being able to focus? Now, we’re discussing that they can have
Time Blindness
People with ADHD often battle with time blindness, which, essentially, is an abnormality of time perception. This could present in a few ways:
- Losing track of time
- Not being able to anticipate the time a task will take, even if you’ve done it before
- Struggling to understand when you need to start a task to finish it in time
You can understand that time blindness will contribute to poor focus, disrupting schedules and daily life.
ADHD Paralysis
ADHD paralysis is an extreme manifestation of poor focus. I’m not sure if you’ve experienced this, but it is caused by feeling overwhelmed to the point where you freeze or shut down; even simple tasks feel impossible. Poor executive function and
Emotional Dysregulation
Controlling emotions can be a battle for people with ADHD.
- is not appropriate or out of proportion to the situation,
- continues after the situation is over,
- has negative consequences.
If you are overloaded with emotions, they can become all-consuming, making it difficult to focus on anything else.
Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions
Lastly, many people with ADHD have other mental health conditions, commonly including anxiety disorders and depression. Believe it or not,
Both generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) can cause poor concentration, focus, and motivation.
Can You Train an ADHD Brain to Focus?
So, now that you understand why concentrating is difficult let’s look at what helps a person with ADHD focus.
Effective Self-Help Techniques for Improving Focus With ADHD
You can train or assist your brain with focusing using the following tips.
Make Lists
Often, people with ADHD struggle to get daily tasks done. You can stay organized by making shopping or to-do lists or schedules of family chores.
Also, use the Zeigarnik effect to your advantage. This is an unusual name for the fact that people tend to
Set Alarms and Leave Visual Reminders
These days, there is so much technology that can help you. Calendars allow you to set alerts, and your mobile phone has timers, reminders, and alarms, so use them!
Also, don’t underestimate the value of the good old chalkboard shopping list on the kitchen wall or sticky notes on your mirrors or computer screen. Find something that works for you.
Break Tasks Into Manageable Steps
If a project feels overwhelming, there is a chance you might avoid it, do something less important, or end up with ADHD paralysis. So, break tasks or long documents into bite-size, step-by-step chunks that are easier to achieve.
Set Clear, Specific Goals
The same applies to longer-term goals. Setting smaller goals to stay on track and meet deadlines is essential in an ADHD management plan.
Schedule Regular Breaks
In order to focus better with ADHD, your brain needs to rest, so take a break. Also, temporarily leaving a task satisfies your ADHD urge for distraction in a structured and healthy way.
Write Down Distracting Thoughts and Emotions
Also called a brain or thought dump, writing things down helps you understand why you think and feel that way, making it easier to deal with emotions.
Work Alongside Someone
Working as part of a team may make it easier to focus on work. However, it is essential to communicate with your team members about how best to help you: give you small tasks, remind you about deadlines or take breaks, and check your work. This will help avoid misunderstandings and clarify expectations.
Utilize Organizational Tools
These can be in traditional forms like calendars, diaries, and planners to record appointments and schedule time for tasks. However, there are other creative things to help focus with ADHD, including phone applications such as Focusmate, Focus Keeper, the Forest App, Focus To-Do, and Remember the Milk. Give them a try.
Try Fidget Toys or Stress Balls
If you battle restlessness or hyperactivity, stress balls or fidget toys can absorb your increased energy, allowing you to stay focused. Strangely enough, chewing gum can also redirect restlessness.
Limit Environmental Distractions
If you have ADHD, consider removing distractions from your workplace and in any other situation requiring attention.
Create an ideal environment and maintain focus by:
- Removing clutter and keeping only the essentials on your desk.
- Ensuring a quiet, private space or wearing noise-canceling headphones if you need to concentrate in public.
- Putting your mobile and electronic devices out of reach or switch them to ‘focus mode.’
Stay Physically Active
Exercising is vital for general physical health but might have added benefits in people with ADHD:
- It is believed that being physically active improves attention and focus.
- It helps to reduce anxiety.
Maintain a Healthy Sleep Routine
Adults with ADHD are prone to sleep disturbances and tiredness, which, in turn, causes poorer focus. It makes sense that you need to do everything possible to ensure a healthy sleep routine:
- Get out into the sunlight every day. Natural light helps to regulate your sleep cycle and gives you a better sleep quality.
- Avoid large meals, alcohol, and caffeine, particularly in the evenings, as these can contribute to poor sleep.
- Go to bed at the same time every night.
- Wind down for an hour before bedtime by reading, listening to calming music, or having a relaxing bath or shower.
- Sleep in a cool, quiet, and dark room.
- Avoid day napping.
Practice Mindfulness Regularly
You often hear about mindfulness, but what does it actually mean?
Mindfulness is paying attention:
- in the present moment,
- on purpose, and
- without judgment.
This is useful for
Mindfulness can also train the brain not to get distracted or wander. It doesn’t come easily at first; like anything, it needs practice.
Be Patient & Kind With Yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself, and know that poor focus is part of your ADHD diagnosis and is manageable. Make sure to take ‘me time’ and do things you love.
When to Seek Professional Support
If poor concentration is disrupting your social life and home or work daily life, it is time to consult a healthcare professional on how to focus with ADHD and get back on track.
Your online appointment for ADHD treatment will start with the symptom assessment, including screening for both ADHD and other commonly co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. They will tailor your treatment plan to your unique situation, including medication, therapy, or both.
Therapy
Therapy might be helpful to teach you how to concentrate with ADHD by learning to regulate emotions and change behavior. This is particularly important when there are anxiety and depressive symptoms present.
If lack of focus is causing chaos at home, you might benefit from family or relationship therapy. Other counseling avenues could be seeing an ADHD coach or finding support groups of people who understand what you’re going through.
Medication
Mental health professionals usually need to prescribe medication to help people with ADHD stay focused, and there are two classes of ADHD medication:
1. Stimulants:
- Amphetamine-based: Adderall, Dexedrine, Vyvanse, and others
- Methylphenidate-based: Focalin, Ritalin, Concerta, and others
2.Non-stimulant medications:
Stimulants are the first-line treatment and work well in
In summary, there are many options available to control your ADHD symptoms and get you focusing again. You can see a medical provider at MEDvidi online to discuss the most suitable solutions and receive a detailed treatment plan tailored to your needs. Your appointment is a click away.
