ADHD: My Step-by-Step Guide to Dealing With Distraction

Find your flow when to-do lists and deadlines aren’t enough to motivate you

Disclaimer: These tips are based on my own experience as an unmedicated ADHDer in the process of diagnosis. They might not apply to everyone and are not guaranteed to help. Distraction is a real symptom of ADHD and cannot be overcome completely, so these are my ways to cope with it.

How many productivity tips can one girl with ADHD come up with? I’ve written in the past about my ways to overcome inattention and executive dysfunction at work, and I’m not planning to stop.

The truth is, living with ADHD is hard, so hard, that you have to come up with new ways to cope with it every single day. I have days when I feel trapped in my own body, my brain going at full speed, but unable to do the bare minimum. I have days when it feels like just answering emails takes everything out of me. I have days when I feel like I’m walking around with a boulder strapped to my back.

But I also have days when my mind shines with new, exciting ideas, which it can expertly plan in record time. I have days when I feel like a superwoman, doing house chores, cooking several meals, and excelling at work.

What makes one become the other? Nothing but sheer hard work. Some days, I don’t do anything significant at all, no matter how hard I try. I find it impossible to even hit send on a report or write a tweet. Sometimes, something as vital as eating and drinking water knocks the life out of me.

I don’t always work around inattention. Being constantly distracted is part of my daily life, both on good and bad days. On good days, I can work past it. On bad days, I’m consumed by it. But it never goes away. The days in between are just constant trial and error. I try to fight distractions and move one step closer to completing a task.

So, today, I decided to share some key steps I take to work around distractions when I can’t afford to waste any time.

Eat and Drink Water

Anything can become a distraction, but especially biological needs. Nothing keeps me away from my desk more than the need to eat and drink. I have days when I go back and forth between my desk and the kitchen at least 20 times.

If you’re about to start a task and you know you can’t get side-tracked, make sure you’re well-fed and have a drink nearby. One of the biggest failings of living with ADHD is that you forget to eat and drink. I will fill my glass of water, ready to drink, but if I get a call or a message, I will forget about it for hours, until I see it again.

Distraction is a spiral. All you need is one thing to set it off. So, I try my best to not start work without a good breakfast and a bottle of water. I will be less likely to stop working if my body is satisfied.

Don’t Block Out Positive Stimulation

A common myth is that, if you have ADHD or struggle with inattention, you can’t have any stimuli around you. But we need the dopamine, we need something to keep us going.

Positive stimulation can be something like an engaging playlist in the background, or a cup of coffee. Nothing keeps me glued to my work better than a cup of coffee. It doesn’t make me more hyperactive, but actually helps ground me and focus better.

Fact: Caffeine can boost concentration for people with ADHD. Since it’s a stimulant drug, it mimics some of the effects of stronger stimulants used to treat ADHD, such as amphetamine medications. (Healthline)

Music of any kind is also a must. I can’t work in silence, it amplifies my inattention, making me frantically look for stimulation.

Take Yourself Out of Your Comfort Space

If the first two steps aren’t enough to make me find my workflow (which is the case most days), I will get out of the house and work somewhere else. I work for a university, so I can either go on campus or to a local cafe and work there for a couple of hours.

Something about being out of my comfort space, and also in public, makes me want to do a good job, so, if all else fails, changing my surroundings always does the trick.

Start With the Best Task

Now that we’ve established a somewhat focus-friendly environment, time for the hardest part — starting the work. I find that the easiest way to prevent my executive dysfunction from kicking in is to start with what I like the most.

Fact: Executive dysfunction is a common symptom of ADHD and manifests as the inability to initiate tasks, think in an organized way, remember information, or control emotions. (Healthline)

This is against any productivity advice that works for neurotypical brains. Usually, you’d be tempted to start with the most daunting task, to get it out of the way. But my goal here isn’t to get the work done — it’s to get it started. Once I’m in that state of flow, I will get it done even if the house is on fire (hello, hyperfocus).

So, it’s obvious why, for me, starting with the most enjoyable task is the right approach. I never see those types of tasks as tasks, I just do them because it brings me joy. Once I’m in that state of flow, I will carry on, and boom: work done.

Work With a Friend

Also known as body-doubling, this is one of the most effective ADHD productivity hacks. As an ADHDer on Reddit said: you magically work like a normal person if someone else is around.

Fact: Body doubling is a practice in which a person with ADHD works on and completes potentially frustrating tasks alongside another person. This other person is the “body double” for the person with ADHD. The body double’s job is to help anchor the person with ADHD to the present moment and task, reducing the risk of distraction. (Medical News Today)

When my partner is at home or I’m at the office with a colleague, I always focus better. For me, this feels almost like being watched. It’s a known fact that people with ADHD are great at ‘masking’ their symptoms — so acting like neurotypicals in public. Similarly, when I work alongside someone, I feel like I almost need to ‘perform’ normality, controlling my fidgeting, and inattentiveness a lot better.

Have a Fidgeting Device Close-by

And lastly, the most distraction-heavy situations at work are meetings or training sessions, where I feel like I might genuinely combust if I don’t move around or fidget.

To make sure I pay attention to what’s being discussed, I often turn to my knitting to stop myself from fidgeting or going on my phone. Knitting allows my hands to stay busy, while my brain clocks what the training or meeting in question is all about, preventing me from going away with the fairies and completely missing the conversation.

Knitting is a pretty niche example, but any fidgeting device works for this. It can be a stress ball, a fidget spinner, or an anxiety ring. If it keeps your hyperactivity at bay and it’s appropriate for work, use it.

And there you have it, my guide to coping with distraction when you absolutely need to get stuff done. Bear in mind that sometimes inattention cannot be alleviated, and that doesn’t mean you’re failing, or unable to do your job. A bad day doesn’t define you.

Eliza Lita is a freelance writer based in the UK. She covers books and reading, ADHD and health, fitness, and lifestyle. For more of her stories, please consider signing up for a Medium membership through her referral link.

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