Whether current events are overwhelming, or there just seems to be too many things to keep up with, it’s easy to wonder, “Who’s driving this train?!” Many times, ADHD is driving our train of thought. We’d rather be chasing down the fun and interesting stuff than focusing on the necessary and important tasks.
This can work for us sometimes! When we aren’t up against deadlines, we might have more flexibility to follow our ADHD-driven train of thought. But what happens when you need to stay on a tight schedule or produce meaningful work?
📝 Lists
There’s science behind writing things down. Even if you lose the paper where you wrote the list, the act of writing already cemented those items in your brain. While some people make tons of lists in their phone, we know people can just as easily forget why they unlocked their phone in the first place and get distracted on the way to their notes app. Good old fashioned paper may be key!
If you’re committed to tackling a list of items during a planned work session, Tomato Timers (a favorite Pomodoro Technique website) includes a built-in To-Do list. You can add, and complete, items right there next to your countdown timer.
⏲ Timers
Speaking of timers, these can really help with a sense of urgency! Grab a kitchen timer and set it the length of time you want to work before taking a quick break. If it’s a task you are dreading, can you tackle it for 5-10 minutes? If you know you need to get in the flow, maybe set the alarm for 45 minutes.
Check out visual timers like Time Timers or these cool Hexagon Clocks to help manage those timed tasks.
We all have timers on our smartphones. Why not just use that? More often than not, people will pick up their phone to set the timer, and notice a notification. They’ll go check that one email, fall down some rabbit hole, and hop over to another app, and on and on. They’ll eventually put down their phone and realize they forgot to set the timer…and the cycle will repeat. Pick a short enough duration that you won’t get distracted. Setting small goals can help you can crush them!
🎧 Headphones
Finding the right headphones can be important for establishing good work habits. While sensory issues may dictate whether you can wear earbuds or over-the-ear headphones, they can serve a few purposes.
Headphones can cancel out ambient noise and help minimize distractions. This is huge in office settings, where Return-to-Office (RTO) policies require employees in office on certain days. The headphones can also serve as a signal to others, indicating “I’m busy. Please don’t interrupt me right now.”
Other folks choose headphones because they find their work flow with music. Listening to music can really change the work dynamic. Some favorites you can find on Spotify, YouTube, or elsewhere are:
- Binaural Beats
- Movie Soundtracks (preferably without words – think John Williams’ soundtracks!)
- Searching “ADHD Study Music”
MPG is here to help
If you are interested in learning more about your own ADHD and how to focus your thinking, MPG can help. Follow us on Instagram, enroll in Lead with ADHD, subscribe to our newsletter, or reach out regarding coaching and workshops!
