How to Manage Distractions with an ADHD Brain

The basic tenant of the ADHD brain is that it is prone to distraction. It has a million ideas and jumps from one to another like a ravenous frog chasing a frantic dragonfly around a pond.

But not all distractions are the same. So the strategies crafted to handle them can’t be the same either.

Don’t resist. Avoid.

To resist distraction takes effort. Lots of effort. It drains your resources and leaves you with less energy to keep your focus up and see a task through to completion.  

The (not so) funny thing is that NOT being able to resist distraction (i.e., getting distracted) takes even more energy.  When you are distracted from a task your brain has to:

1. Stop what it is doing

2. Switch it’s attention

3. Start a new task

4. Stop the new task

5. Switch back to the first task,

6. Figure out where it left off

7. Plan what to do next

8. Get started.

Phew. I’m tired just thinking of it! Each one of those brain tasks is the job of Executive Functioning System (or your conductor), and he’s tired! He can’t keep up that much work all day!

So, rather than relying on your brain to RESIST the neverending draw of distraction, AVOID it from the start and save your poor conductor his precious energy.

By avoiding the temptation, you allow your brain the freedom to focus and stay on task without that constant energy drain of resisting (and not resisting) every distraction that comes its way.

Avoiding Distraction: A How to Guide for your Brain

To avoid distraction, you need to cut it off at the source. External distractions need to not make their way to your brain, and internal (or brain-based) distractions need to be filtered out of your brain by a fueled conductor who is primed and ready to direct.

Here is a list of suggestions for reducing the number of times your brain has to duck and parry the onslaught of distractions:

Internal Distractions:

Internal distractions are primarily a result of a depleted executive functioning conductor in your brain.  Give him all the resources he needs, and he can direct your attention. Wear him out, and your attention will be at the mercy of your 100 mile an hour, 100 directions at once brain.

You can fuel your conductor best by:

• Get enough sleep (usually between 7-8 hours of actual sleep, not just in bedtime)

• Keeping your blood sugar even: avoiding simple carbs and sugars that spike your blood sugar and maintaining constant food in your system will help assure your brain has all the fuel it needs to energize that conductor.

• Move your body: Exercise (at least 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity or higher) balances your brain’s neurotransmitters and cues it up for peak performance.

• Managing your rejection sensitive dysphoria: Your brain is more likely to be hypersensitive to rejection or failure. Using tools like medication and cognitive-behavioral strategies to address these feelings can help you move through them as they come up and not have them derail your progress.

• Take breaks:  Real, true breaks (getting up from your computer, moving your body, and giving your mind a chance to think about something else) can fuel your brain and allow it to rest, giving it greater energy later on.

• Time your hard work: what is your best time of day? Is it morning, afternoon, early evening or do you turn on once the clock strikes midnight? Time your hard, deep focus work for those prime hours. Set yourself up for success and get some exercise in right before- you may be shocked by how well your brain moves.

• Do your hard, focused work about 20-45 minutes after you take your stimulant medication. Most people find that they are most able to focus about 20-40 minutes after taking their meds. How long the focus window lasts depends on the type of meds you take and your metabolism but if you are primed to work 20 minutes after you take your meds, you will maximize this window.

• Tame your anxiety: Anxious thoughts intruding on your focused time? Try a brain dump before you sit down to work (or in the middle of struggling). Write out everything you are worried about, try challenging the cognitive distortions you see in the worries, and after the list is complete, try brainstorming solutions wherever possible. Often, once our fears feel heard, they quiet down.

External Distractions:

Visual:

• Keep your office space clean and clear of clutter. Sure, that may mean piles on the floor behind you- that’s fine- start with keeping your immediate field of vision clear.

• Face your desk to a wall, with the doors and windows of your office behind you.

• Reduce your computer screen distraction:

  • closeout unused tabs

  • maximize word documents to fill the entire screen

  • close out any applications you aren’t using

  • turn off notifications and pop ups

• Turn your phone upside down so you can’t see notifications popping up throughout the day.

• Try putting a sign on your office door to delay the friendly office stop-bys saying: Focus Time, please send me an email or come back in 45 minutes.

Hearing:

• Use noise-canceling headphones or earplugs to drown out external noise

• Silence your phone

• Close your office door

• Put your phone/ smartwatch and/or computer on Do Not Disturb

Touch/ Physical:

• Buy tagless clothing

• Get properly fitted for a bra

• Insist on wearing only comfortable shoes

• Clear your closet of all the clothes that don’t fit

• Always do the sit-test when buying/ trying on new clothes to make sure they still fit well throughout your day

• Invest in proper, ergonomic office furniture

• Take movement breaks to minimize physical discomfort

• Start a stretching/ yoga ritual to minimize muscular discomfort

Taste/ Hunger/ Internal Cues:

• Have healthy snacks and water readily available

• Make time to eat to stave off hunger

• Schedule meals and commit to eating even if your meds are reducing your hunger drive

• Watch out for the stimulant crash- when your ADHD meds wear off and both your brain and body are suddenly depleted at once. 

Smell:

• Wherever possible eliminate noxious odors from your workspace. For example: throw food trash away in non-office trash.

• Avoid overly scented perfumes/ washes/ detergent etc.

Ever wonder what your brain’s biggest distraction really is? Take this free quiz and find out!

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