For Adults with ADD > Getting Things Done

FOCUS & ATTENTION

Hyperfocus — at Your
Service
BY BRYAN HUTCHINSON

SAVE

What if you could use hyperfocus on

command, bend it to your will, own it, and
make it yours? What if you could power
through complex tasks with optimal
efficiency and minimal frustration? It takes
a little planning, but the payoff of training
your hyperfocus for good is worth it.

The following seven steps are about as close

as I’ve come to finding a magic formula to
put my ADHD brain into hyperfocus:

Time to talk to your

Menu doctor about an

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1. Gather all the tools you’ll need for the

project ahead. Whatever it is you are about
to do probably requires tools. Whatever
they are, make a list of them and be sure
you have them at the ready before you
begin. Create a checklist, if you must. I
know; I hate those, too, but they can be
useful for getting your hyperfocus on. If you
forget something, it could break your focus
and require you to get it.

[What Is ADHD Hyperfocus, Exactly?]

2. Set the mood. Once you have everything

you need, take a moment to create optimal
working conditions for your brain. Do you
work best with white noise or music, or no
sound at all? Do what you can to create your
favorite atmosphere.

3. Turn off all distractions. This might be

hard, but again, the reward makes it worth
it. If you’re working on a computer, close all
of your browser tabs (yes, including
Facebook!), shut off your instant messenger
and any other alerts that could distract you.
Yes, this is necessary. Don’t forget your
phone.

4. Decide on a time frame. I usually work in

45-minute intervals. If that is too long for
you, you may drift out of focus and into
distraction before that.

5. Set an alarm clock. Once you’ve figured

out the time frame for your focus bursts, set
a timer for that period. Somewhere
between 30 minutes and an hour usually
works best.

[Free Download: How to Focus (When Your

Brain Says ‘No!’)]

6. Take a break. When your alarm goes off,

stop whatever you are doing and take a
break. Drink a glass of water, use the
restroom, and walk around a bit. The brain
focuses best when it is hydrated, so
consider drinking a glass of water between
all breaks.

7. Repeat the above. In order to create a

habit that works to your advantage, it is
important to repeat the process until it
becomes second nature. The first few times
might not work out so well, you may forget
things on your list or forget to set your
alarm. That’s perfectly normal and OK;
simply try again until setting your alarm
and collecting all of your tools becomes
second nature.

We may think that hyperfocus comes when

it wants to, but I bet if you analyze
moments when you did hyperfocus
naturally, you will find that you had
everything you needed, you had time set
aside and had few, if any, distractions. So
although it may seem an accident, in reality
you did the things necessary without even
realizing it. If you realize those things, you
can repeat them and make them habitual.
And guess what, here is the kicker: Even if
you do not shift into hyperfocus, you will
have set up a way to be more productive!

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[3 Defining Features of ADHD That

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Tags: hyperfocus

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Kevin2211
February 27, 2018 at 12:16 pm
I have had a successful career because of my
ability to hyper focus, I was like a dog with a
bone and would never stop working on the
exciting projects. But it has been at the
expensive of a quality personal life. And
when children came (after I was 40) and I had
to split time between work and home, my
performance in both areas started to slip.
Being able to turn on and off the hyper-focus
super power would be a great thing to be able
do. I think a more in depth article about it
could be really helpful. (recognizing it cannot
be too long or no one on this website -
including me- would read it all the way
through.

Log in to Reply

jackTKD
February 27, 2018 at 7:13 pm
Rehashed and reconstituted content in this
article

Log in to Reply

bioinspiration
March 2, 2018 at 9:59 am
Mojo Muse Motivation…
I’d love to be able to turn it off and on.
Instead I tidy up and procrastinate whilst
searching and waiting for that mythical safe
space.

The time-chunking works for me but not

relevant when hyperfocussed – set the timer
for 14 hours maybe… check I’ve eaten etc!

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1. whatdidyousay
December 11, 2018 at 11:54 am
I was thinking the same thing about
the timer- its the reason Pomodoro
method doesn’t help me. If i’m in a
real state of hyper focus, taking a
break would kill it. My brain doesn’t
transition well so if I stop working
there is a real chance the spell will
break.

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