If you have ADHD, particularly the “inattentive type,” staying focused on what you need to do can seem like an impossible task. The good news is, it doesn’t need to be. While no one strategy will work for everyone, there are things you can do to maximize your chances of staying focused and getting the job done. If one thing doesn’t work for you, try something else!
If you want to get better at staying focused, you need to understand what tends to unfocus you. Different people tend to be distracted by different things. First of all, are you distracted by external or internal phenomena? Put more simply, are the things that distract you things around you, or inside your head? Once you’ve figured this out, you can start finding ways to counteract the distraction and stay focused.
One of the main ways people with (and without!) ADHD get distracted is by outside sounds. A dog barking, the television in the next room or people talking nearby can make concentrating on what you need to get done almost impossible. Here are a few ideas for blocking out these distractions:
- Find a quiet space. This may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes we plop ourselves down to work in the noisiest place around. If you are distracted by noise, you probably shouldn’t try to work in your local coffee shop or in the living room while your roommates watch TV.
- Don’t add to the problem. If noise is your problem, turn off the stereo and take out your earbuds when you need to concentrate. Your favorite tunes may relax you, but they can spell disaster for your productivity.
- Try white noise. White noise is sounds at every audible frequency all at once. The result is a quiet rushing sound that blocks out other noises. You can buy white noise machines at many online stores – just search for “white noise machine.” You can also get apps for your phone or mp3 player that will play white noise. This is particularly helpful if you tend to work in multiple different places.
- Invest in noise-canceling headphones. These look like standard stereo headphones (and most have a setting so you can use them that way), but they detect outside noise and generate the “opposite” noise to block it out.
- Buy earplugs. You can get inexpensive foam earplugs in most drug stores. They are very effective at blocking out noise, they won’t cost you a fortune, and you can use them when you need to sleep on a plane or next to someone who snores!
Do you tend to get distracted by what you see? If so, you’ve got a little extra challenge. With sound, you can essentially turn off your ears – not being able to hear anything won’t get in the way of most work. Unfortunately, not being able to see anything will, so blindfolding yourself is not an option. Still, you can limit the number of things you see other than what you’re trying to concentrate on:
- Choose a place without a lot of movement. If things you see distract you, you want to make sure that there isn’t a whole lot new to see at any given moment. That means staying away from places with a lot of people and not sitting near the window if you can help it.
- Block out what you can. Try creating your own personal cubicle, even in your bedroom. You can easily construct a three-sided screen to separate the work you’re trying to concentrate on from the rest of the world. Take a cardboard box and cut off the top, bottom and one side. Place it on the desk or table around your book, computer or papers. When you’re reading or writing, if you turn your head to the side you’ll only see the cardboard, which isn’t as likely to be distracting.
Many people have trouble staying focused if they have the opportunity to be with friends or colleagues. Let’s face it – most work is just not as much fun as talking to your friends!
- Turn it off. As much as it pains you, turn off your cell phone when you’re trying to work. Disable chat on your computer. Turn off your web browser if you’re using your computer but not the web. Shut down your email client. The harder you make it to reach you, the less distracting your friends will be.
- Work alone. If socializing distracts you, studying with a friend or working with a colleague is not a good idea. You might both have the best of intentions, but you may find that nothing gets done. Remember, your friend or coworker may be able to get things done while they’re chatting with you a lot more easily than you can when you’re chatting with them, so it’s up to you to draw the line and move away.
If you’re a daydreamer, staying on task can be a real challenge. You may not be able to block out your thoughts, but you can redirect them.
- Set a timer. Use a kitchen timer or an alarm on your phone or computer. Set it to go off at a certain interval – every five or ten minutes or whatever works for you. When it goes off, that’s your reminder to refocus if you’ve gotten distracted.
- Make a schedule. If you have several things to get done, make a schedule of the time by which each needs to be done. Then set yourself a warning alarm for a few minutes before each deadline to remind yourself to check and make sure you’re on track. This is a great strategy if getting up and out in the morning (or ready for bed at night) seems to take you forever.
- Catch yourself. Try to get in the habit of being your own timer or alarm. Check in with yourself about what you are doing and whether you are on task.
- Take breaks. No one can concentrate forever. Figure out about how long you can usually manage, and then allow yourself to get up, stretch, take a walk, go to the bathroom, or some other quick break at the end of that time. Be careful, though – don’t go do something you’ll find so fun or distracting that you won’t come back!