This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Ky Tanella. Find them on Instagram at @ky.tanella. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.

I got my ADHD diagnosis while I was in high school, and it completely changed my life. When I was prescribed medication, I didn’t know my head could be so quiet, and I didn’t think I could be so focused. Suddenly, taking a shower or getting out of bed wasn’t a daunting task, and although I’ve since gotten off of them, they helped me understand just how much ADHD affected my focus and overall organization. If you find yourself relating to this, you’ve probably grown tired of non-nuerodivergent people telling you to “just get a planner” or “try exercising” as a cure-all for your symptoms. Fear not, though, I’m here (as a long-time-ADHD-haver) to give you ADHD focus tips and tricks, both from licensed doctors and some unconventional ones that have worked for me. Let me also say this, though, many of the symptoms I’ll be listing will be focus-based and do not capture the entire crux of ADHD. Additionally, a lot of the symptoms I’ll be talking about aren’t grounds to diagnose yourself, and can point to other neurological disorders (like autism, BPD, and OCD). Get yourself diagnosed, it’ll change your life!

What is ADHD?

If you’re here, you probably already know, but if you’re curious, I got you!

ADHD stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—a developmental disorder that’s generally associated with excess fidgeting, a lack of focus, and impulsivity. According to Psychiatry.org, late-diagnosed adults may experience a poor self-worth, sensitivity towards criticism (or Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria), or high levels of self-criticism. Women are less commonly diagnosed due to research being limited to males back in the day, and they’re more prone to presenting hyperactivity, whereas females tend to show inactivity.

Due to newer research and the eradication of ADD, there are three main types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive, or a combination! An inattentive type may have more problems staying focused or paying attention to the minor details. They’re frequently spacing out, may have a much shorter attention span, easily forget things, and have severe problems organizing/initiating tasks. Alternatively, the hyperactive type may be unable to stay seated, be very fidgety, often interrupt conversations, and be super “chatty.” It can be a little more challenging to diagnose during childhood, as many children already exhibit these “on-the-go” behaviors. 

While many adults may have difficulty focusing or sitting still sometimes, the DSM-5 highlights the 5-6 main symptoms of ADHD (and other neurodivergent diagnoses). 

Executive Dysfunction

According to the Cleveland Clinic, executive dysfunction is behavioral and disrupts someone’s ability to manage their thoughts, emotions, and actions. This can apply to so many different developmental disorders, mood disorders, behavioral disorders, and even addictions. A few executive functions are working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning, impulse control, problem-solving, and reasoning.

Executive dysfunction can genuinely feel painful, and it’s very easy for you to feel like a failure when you feel like you physically cannot get a task done. You are painfully aware of your dysfunction, and it might cause you to struggle to interact with others in fear of feeling stupid or interrupting. You might battle with impossible concentration or motivation difficulties when not constantly stimulated. It’s linked directly to a lack of dopamine in your brain! Please remember that ADHD is a developmental disorder, and this world was not built to accommodate neurodivergent minds; you are not broken. 

People who struggle with executive function may be easily distracted, have trouble planning/carrying out a task, or have problems with impulse control. Personally, my executive dysfunction causes me to feel overwhelmed while explaining my thought processes (or thoughts in general) clearly, and I have so much difficulty motivating myself to do tasks that seem dull. 

If you’re a little adverse to starting medication, there are ways to sort of “hack” your ADHD or find ways around these roadblocks. Mental health therapy, especially CBT, is always recommended!

ADHD Focus Tips

There are lots of scientific ways to trick your brain into focusing, but there are also some unconventional ways that tons of ADHD-havers have learned! 

Some basics include breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable steps—I like to make little step-by-step physical sticky notes and stick them on my walls. Additionally, you could set timers so your brain thinks you’re racing against the clock, which might send you into hyperfocus. The Pomodoro timer is a popular method for ADHD-havers (it doesn’t personally work for me, as I tend to work best when my hyperfocus isn’t broken). When taking breaks, try to stretch, meditate or go for a walk—as much as it sucks to hear, engaging in exercise can help the brain focus better.

Remember, this is all about setting realistic goals; do not think that any of these options will be a cure-all for your ADHD! Celebrate small accomplishments and don’t ruminate on setbacks. 

There’s no shame in fidget toys, as long as it doesn’t distract! Slime distracts me, while a Fidget Cube with little clicking sounds really helps me; whatever works for you!

“Gamifying” your to-do list can produce more dopamine and really help you get motivated; it turns those tedious tasks into something rewarding and fun! Sometimes that’s all our little brain needs! Body doubling or parallel playing is a productivity practice where you work on tasks (especially medial ones) alongside someone else. They don’t have to be doing the same task; sometimes it helps me if they’re in my room! Cleaning my room is much easier with a friend or roomie, but I will yell at them if they touch anything or try to help.

Time blindness is when you have difficulty managing time, seeing how much time goes by when completing a task. Getting a dry-erase wall calendar (that you write on once for the whole month) with lots of bright colors may help you remember those deadlines or appointments; it helps when the days are flying by endlessly. A color-coordinated Google Calendar might help, but I prefer a physical manifestation of that calendar, and it feels more rewarding when I make it look pretty!

Ky’s Personal Hacks

Oh boy, I don’t have much, but I have a few! I’m still figuring it out, and I think I will be for the rest of my life. 

1. Getting dressed—even if I know I’m not doing anything, I still wear my shoes! Getting changed prevents me from returning to bed (no boots on them) and makes me feel good about myself (yay, dopamine)!
2. Listening to a video game or movie soundtrack—it’s often a movie I’ve seen before, so I can have fun visualizing the scenes while operating on a bit of a timer. When the soundtrack is over, I hope I’ve gotten my task done!
3. Body Doubling, even virtually—I love my friends, but not all are free to watch me fold laundry all the time. I’ll recruit my partner to call me on Discord and do a separate task independently, or I’ll find YouTube videos of people studying to motivate me!
4. Brain Dump Journal—I have a tiny journal in which I write down all my worries and thoughts, at least 2-3 pages before I start my work. It helps me rationalize my intrusive thoughts.
5. Coffee Shops—I’m most productive when I’m hyped up on three coffees and spend hours in a queer-coded cafe. It’s not super distracting, but when I need a break, I normally just people-watch!
6. Screen Time—I have locks on my most distracting apps to prevent me from endlessly scrolling on a dopamine chase, and it really helps. Some apps have streaks, which makes it more rewarding when I reach a milestone.
7. Finch—Gamifying my tiny tasks (like showering, skincare)! There’s a little bird that you can watch grow and explore while completing these tasks, and it helps me feel less alone (especially with some mental health resources built into the app. 

I really hope I have given you some peace of mind about ADHD and some cute little tips for you to try! It’s a challenging, uphill journey, but ADHD can be managed! You’ve got this! 

What do you think about these ADHD focus tips? Let us know in the comments down below, and share some of your own!