For those who don’t have ADHD, it may be easy to focus on tasks, whether at work, or school, or a chore at home, or any other activity that may require a lot of attention for long periods of time. It may not be an issue. Not much of a problem. However, for those of us who do have ADHD, it is quite the opposite. We have a difficult time focusing. We are very easily distracted. And this happens every day. All the time. Or most of the time, to say the least.
Let’s face it, distractibility is one of the main symptoms of ADHD. Most of us know this. We get easily distracted in class, or at work, or when we are trying to do a chore at home.
The reason for this is that the neurotransmitters in our brains lack stimulation. The neurotransmitters are in charge of helping us focus, organize, and things like that. This is why ADHDers/ADDers get so easily distracted, and have difficulty organizing. It’s because part of our brains aren’t functioning as they should. This explains why ADHDers/ADDers have difficulty focusing and completing tasks on time. Some even go uncompleted all together. So, for those of you who do have ADHD/ADD, keep this in mind.
Knowing this information can be good to know, in my opinion. Sure, I am not a neuroscientist, or anything like that, and trying to understand it all can be tricky for sure. So, trying to understand more than this might take some time for me, but at least this is a good place to start understanding our unique brains. Gotta start somewhere. It is still nice to know a little about how our brains work and how they work differently from someone who doesn’t have ADHD/ADD.
Now, I’m not saying that this knowledge is going to make focusing easier. Let’s face it, I’m still going to get distracted. And it’s most likely going to happen easily. I’m sure I’m not the only ADHDer/ADDer who’ll be saying this. It’s just how our brains work, and that’s fine. We should accept it. Our brains are the way they are, and are going to keep getting distracted.
However, there are still ways we can manage our distractibility. We might not be able to take away our distractibility all together, but there are still ways we can make sure we don’t get distracted as often.
Sometimes, using a timer can help. You set your timer for, say, 25 minutes, and then take a 5-minute break. This may help you get more done, as you set some time to work and some time to recharge. You’re still getting the task done, but you’re breaking it into smaller segments. So, next time you’re cleaning, or writing, or something, maybe using a timer could help.
If you’re at a meeting, maybe sitting closer to the front. Being closer to your supervisor may help you stay focus. It can maybe help you remind your brain that it is not time to get distracted and that your supervisor is probably trying to tell you something important and helpful.
Sometimes, even thinking positively may be helpful as well. If you’re facing a challenging task, saying to yourself that you can do it can help. Thinking negatively can just make things more challenging and difficult to accomplish, while saying or thinking that you can do it may have the opposite effect.
So, these are some suggestions that we can all try and stay a little more focused, especially when we are faced with a task that we don’t like. There are ways for us to manage our focus and distractibility. I know I do plan on trying some of these suggestions and methods.
Here’s some more information for those of you who are interested.
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