I prefer to distinguish ADHD as attention abundance disorder. Everything is just so interesting, remarkably at the same time.
– Frank Coppola
Think about the last time you were doing something you enjoyed, like reading a book or playing a musical instrument. Did the hours fly by, and your surroundings disappear?
For those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), this phenomenon is called hyperfocus. And it can happen pretty often.
ADHD hyperfocus is a state of intense and prolonged concentration. A person can become so engaged in a particular activity that they become unaware of their surroundings and the passing of time.[1]
This abundance of focus can be both a blessing and a curse – depending on how it’s channeled.
It might help you stay focused on a task until you complete it. Or it could make it harder to manage the amount of time you spend on certain activities.
But by implementing self-regulatory strategies, you can use the ability to hyperfocus to your advantage!
What Is ADHD Hyperfocus?
ADHD hyperfocus happens when a person becomes so absorbed in an activity that they tune out to everything around them.
This usually occurs when the person is engaging in something they find fun, rewarding, and stimulating.[2]It’s also linked to an immense sense of satisfaction and happiness.[1]
Anyone can get into a state of hyperfocus. But some research suggests that people with ADHD may experience it more frequently, especially those with more significant ADHD symptoms.[3]
This is likely due to how the ADHD brain is wired.[1] A deficiency in dopamine, a chemical messenger of the brain, changes how the ADHD brain perceives reward and manages attention. As a result, managing your attention can be more difficult, making it easier to slip into hyperfocus.[4]
When Does Hyperfocus Become a Fixation?
Sometimes, this intense state of focus may be associated with distractions. Like spending too much time painting, reading, or playing video games to the point you can’t get work done.
There are many different definitions of hyperfocus. But this situation can be described explicitly as an unhealthy ADHD hyperfixation. Focusing too intensely on one activity leads to setbacks in your career, relationships, and daily life.
In contrast, hyperfocus is associated with being productive and feeling accomplished. So, it’s sometimes labeled as an ADHD superpower!
The Benefits of Hyperfocus
The creativity, tenacity, and energy of a person with ADHD can be exceptional. And this can all be to your advantage.
Here are some possible benefits of ADHD hyperfocus:
- Increased productivity: When engaged, the ADHD brain ignores surrounding distractions and maintains a prolonged and intense focus on a task. This lets you stay locked in on an assignment or project, boosting your productivity and helping you meet deadlines.
- Greater resourcefulness: Being hyperfocused encourages you to persevere in solving problems. This persistence, in combination with the creativity of the ADHD mind, can help you come up with innovative and out-of-the-box solutions.
- Higher motivation and engagement: ADHD is often linked to a lack of motivation. But this usually only applies to routine, repetitive, and boring activities.[5] When stimulated, the ADHD brain becomes highly motivated to work on the activity until it’s finished.
- Enhanced learning and memory retention: Hyperfocus can be a powerful tool in learning, whether picking up a new skill, language, sports activity, or musical instrument.
The Challenges of ADHD Hyperfocus
It can be difficult for someone with ADHD to snap out of hyperfocus mode and pay attention to other responsibilities and other things they care about.
This can lead to various challenges, such as the following:
- Being too focused on the aspects of the job you enjoy and neglecting the rest
- Getting into relationship conflicts with a partner, friends, or family members
- Difficulty prioritizing boring tasks over interesting but lower-priority ones
- Neglecting chores, bill payments, and other responsibilities at home
- Having less time for relaxation and self-care activities
- Having less time to spend with family and friends
- Impulsively taking on too much work
- Missing deadlines and meetings
Hyperfocus can be challenging to keep in check, especially when you’re so invested in what you’re doing.
But with the right strategies and lifestyle modifications, you can shape your ADHD hyperfocus into a powerful tool for productivity and success!
Managing Hyperfocus: Strategies and Techniques
Here are some simple yet effective changes you can make to manage your hyperfocus and redirect your attention.
Set Clear Goals and Priorities
At the start of each day, create a list of tasks. Break down big projects into smaller, more manageable goals.
Next, color-code all your tasks based on priority and urgency using colors. Only place the highest-priority and time-sensitive tasks in your schedule, and put the remaining ones in a different list for another day.
This can prevent you from working too much on lower-priority tasks and getting carried away.
Manage Your Time With Reminders
To avoid having one activity take up too much of your time, here’s what you can do:
- Set alarms to go off when you need to wrap up the activity and move on to something else. These alarms can use sound and vibration (like a vibrating watch) to snap you out of your hyperfocused state.
- Understand which activities keep you hooked for a long time. Plan to only do them when you have enough time to spare, like on the weekends.
- Enlist the help of a family member or friend to help jolt you out of an activity you’ve spent too much time on.
- Build 5 to 10-minute breaks into long projects and time-consuming activities.
- Set pop-up reminders, notifications, and time limits on your devices.
Seek Advice and Professional Guidance
If your ability to hyperfocus affects your work performance, relationships, or how you manage your home, it’s best to seek help. A trained professional, like an ADHD coach, can help you set up personalized self-regulatory strategies based on your lifestyle and hyperfocus triggers.
You can also seek support and advice from people who have walked the same path as you by joining ADHD communities like the ADDA adult support groups.
ADHD Hyperfocus Can Be a Valuable Productivity Tool
ADHD hyperfocus is an incredible tool that can enhance creativity, productivity, and learning.
You can harness this superpower by using it for dull and repetitive tasks. Turn uninteresting household chores into a mini-game or occasionally switch up your work environment. By grabbing your brain’s attention, you can take advantage of its ability to hyperfocus.
Getting help and resources from ADHD experts and communities is another fantastic way to learn more about ADHD-related behaviors, such as hyperfocus. ADDA+ is an online resource hub that provides an extensive range of information, courses, webinars, and tools that can equip you to turn your ADHD into a superpower.
References
[1] Ashinoff, B. K., & Abu-Akel, A. (2021). Hyperfocus: the forgotten frontier of attention. Psychological research, 85(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-019-01245-8
[2] Groen, Y., Priegnitz, U., Fuermaier, A. B. M., Tucha, L., Tucha, O., Aschenbrenner, S., Weisbrod, M., & Garcia Pimenta, M. (2020). Testing the relation between ADHD and hyperfocus experiences. Research in developmental disabilities, 107, 103789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103789
[3] Hupfeld, K. E., Abagis, T. R., & Shah, P. (2019). Living “in the zone”: hyperfocus in adult ADHD. Adhd Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 11(2), 191–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-018-0272-y
[4] Blum, K., Chen, A. L., Braverman, E. R., Comings, D. E., Chen, T. J., Arcuri, V., Blum, S. H., Downs, B. W., Waite, R. L., Notaro, A., Lubar, J., Williams, L., Prihoda, T. J., Palomo, T., & Oscar-Berman, M. (2008). Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder and reward deficiency syndrome. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 4(5), 893–918. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s2627
[5] Volkow, N. D., Wang, G. J., Newcorn, J. H., Kollins, S. H., Wigal, T. L., Telang, F., Fowler, J. S., Goldstein, R. Z., Klein, N., Logan, J., Wong, C., & Swanson, J. M. (2011). Motivation deficit in ADHD is associated with dysfunction of the dopamine reward pathway. Molecular psychiatry, 16(11), 1147–1154. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2010.97
