What I do is I come in and I have two candles that I light. I have a
certain kind of music that I listen to, classical music. I turn that on.
I turn on a little water fountain. It is important for people with Adult
ADHD to make sure to engage all the senses, it really helps because it
keeps the Adult ADHD brain active and able to focus.
Whenever I do that sequence, I can sit down for a short period, not
forever, but for a short period, and actually get something done that I
don't like to do.
I can organize a pile, or try to prioritize something, or something that
might be hard as well. Another advantage to getting all those senses
involved is the brain is at least doing something else and not focusing
on being bored.
There’s nothing worse for the Adult ADHD brain than focusing on how
bored you are. There is second method that I use, and that is to set a
self-imposed deadline. Often people with Adult ADHD say they work best
"under pressure" when they have a deadline--and some people with Adult
ADHD even say they can't get anything done at all if they don't have a
deadline. What happens to Adult ADHD people in that case is, they
perform well at work (where deadlines are imposed) but things fall apart
at home.
So here's the other trick I've learned, using an egg timer. See if you
can do this. Make it like a game. "Hey, let’s see if I can get through
this pile in 15 minutes. I'll set a timer" This is one of the best
tricks for us people with Adult ADHD.
I have two egg timers around my house and I use them all the time. I
test myself. "Let’s see if I can file this pile of paper in 10 minutes."
I set the timer and go. Now, we've just invoked the real kicker: to
focus. It works like a charm.
So, you're kicking it into high gear, working on mea-speed, and most of
the time it works, but what if...you don't finish it in 10 minutes? Then
what?
Well, then I look at that and say, "Do I want to go for another 10, or
do I want to do this later?" That’s what I do.
Either way, I got a whole bunch done in 10 minutes that wouldn't have
been done otherwise. That brings me to one more thing people with Adult
ADHD will benefit from doing. We're so forward thinking that we're
always onto the next thing, and the next thing. Those with Adult ADHD
tend not to look at what they do accomplish and feel good about it.
If you take a moment to say, "Look what I just did in 10 minutes," and
actually reflect on, "Hey, I got something done," versus going through
to the next thing immediately, you'll feel a lot more motivation on a
continuing basis.
If you'd like to get more great tips for how to focus with Adult ADHD,
using common things you find in your everyday environment, see below!
By Tellman Knudson
Tellman Knudson is
certified in Hypnotherapy and Neurolinguistic Programming. He is CEO
of Overcome Everything and the creator of Hyperfocus, the program that
helps people with ADD and ADHD take charge of their lives and financial
destiny. Go to
http://www.adhdgenius.com to pick up your free newsletter of ADHD
practical tips and techniques, and make your life better today!
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