Focusing on anything these days seems to be a struggle for not just adults with ADHD, but for a large part of the population due to problems in society and globally. The good news is, there are strategies we can use to help us focus, whether we are at home, or at work.
I’ve had so much interest around the infographic below, I thought I’d better give a bit of background on it. Hopefully, some of the ideas I’m sharing will help others to not only focus better but to develop further coping skills that can be transferred to other areas of life.
The following strategies, are strategies I try to practise myself. Am I perfect? Hell no! But I try my best to practise what I preach and that’s really all we can do….is just try and keep trying.
Schedule Regular Breaks
It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, even if it’s something you love, you have to take breaks. The only person that is going to suffer from not moving away from that desk (or whatever), is YOU! Not scheduling in regular breaks can lead to burn out and feelings of overwhelm. I could do this kind of writing and making infographics 24/7, but after 20 years of being a workaholic as a special education teacher, I finally realised, it’s not worth putting your work over your health – no matter what you’re doing.
Do not Disturb
Anyone who knows me well knows that my phone is almost constantly on ‘do not disturb’. If it’s not, I am constantly distracted by the notifications. I have to switch them off because I get hundreds of these daily and the continual pings and even vibrations, do my head in. I leave the ‘allow calls from’ and ‘repeated calls’ buttons on depending on what I’m doing, or who I’m expecting to call me. I don’t answer ‘no caller ID’ because I figure if it’s that important, they will leave a message.
Clear Working Space
If your working space looks like the picture above, congratulations! You’re probably not human or the kinda freak of nature I aspire to be. This is something I’m always trying to achieve but I find it super difficult. For those of you who haven’t achieved the above, you are definitely not alone! I find if I do a little bit each day, I get stuff done. But if I do it to music and time myself, I get more achieved. Let’s call this strategy ‘a work in progress’.
Find a Quiet Space
When I was a teacher and administrator, I literally had to hide in the school somewhere or I was constantly interrupted. And, there were a couple of times, I worked in an actual cupboard. Finding a quiet space definitely helps with my concentration and focus.
Now with many of us working from home, and maybe trying to home-school at the same time, or living in shared accommodation, finding a quiet space is becoming more of a challenge. You just have to get creative.
Avoid Multiple Tabs Open
If anyone out there has actually managed to achieve this, please let me know if it’s actually possible. I only added it as a joke.
Use a timer
The trick with this one is, we actually have to use it. Many tasks and jobs these days could be endless especially if you’re working in an industry that we love and find it difficult to tear yourself away from our work.
For our own well-being, we need to set boundaries and that includes being proactive and scheduling in productive working slots. It’s not healthy to eat through our lunch break, sitting at our computer. Do our work, use our timer, and step away from our work.
Headphones
Right now in this current situation of chaos, headphones for my husband is a must. Because we are both working from home, we have made a rule that if he’s wearing his headphones, I can’t run in there and disturb him.
But regardless of my home/working situation, lots of people still have to work in noisy places and they still have to focus and concentrate on the task at hand. If headphones help us focus, we should use them.
Music
Using music to help with focus, is highly individualised. Some people enjoy classical music (and some say it helps with creativity), while some people enjoy 80 bpm (beats per minute) which has some evidence around it being ‘calming’. Music works both ways for me. If I’m writing, I want silence. If I’m creating graphics, music definitely helps me focus and feel more inspired.
Read more about how music can help us adults with ADHD.
As a teacher, I found that my students also enjoyed working to music but I wouldn’t be playing a top 20 hit, when they were about to settle down to a maths test.
Bottom line
Do what works for you in whatever situation you are currently in. We are all different and different things work for some and not others. It’s important to note though, music has the ability to change our mood so genre choice is key!
If any of the above strategies can help you or someone else, feel free to use them. If you want a more in-depth look at each strategy, check out my Etsy store.
Buy in bulk and save
Click the image below to get the Ultimate Adult ADHD Personal Development bundle. Available on Etsy. It contains the following:
- 9 eBooks in total covering many different aspects to improve daily life and life skills, including strategies for sleep, nutrition, calming ideas, self-regulation strategies for anxiety, time-saving hacks, improving focus and concentration, learning to meditate, and tips for remembering stuff
- 1 daily planner checklist to help monitor progress on healthy habits
- 3 journal prompts on personal development, changing limiting beliefs, and improving general health and well-being
- detailed planners to guide you through the strategies
ADHD Resources on Etsy from Gutidentity
Click the image below to go directly to the store.
