3 Ways to Actually Train Your ADHD Attention This September
The Problem: We want to focus. We know what to do. But actually doing it feels impossible. That's your ADHD brain, it's not a personal failure, it's a wiring difference.
The good news? Attention is a muscle you can train. Here’s how I’m working on mine this month.
1. Mindfulness
The Method: Short, guided meditation sessions.
The Commitment: 2-5 minutes daily. Use an app like Headspace or Insight Timer.
Why It Works: It’s not about clearing your mind (an impossible task). It’s about practicing what it feels like to notice your mind has wandered and gently guiding it back. This creates a critical gap between having a distracting thought and being ruled by it.
The Game Changer: You realise you are not your thoughts. A thought is just a thought, it doesn't have to be a command. This is the foundation of all focus.
2. Single-Tasking Sprints
The Method: The Pomodoro Technique®.
The Commitment: 25 minutes of focus + 5 minutes of break.
Why It Works:
It makes focus a finite game, not an endless chore. The timer acts as your external focus coach, and the scheduled break rewards your brain, making sustained attention feel achievable.
How to Do It:
Choose one task.
Set a timer for 25 mins.
Phone on silent and out of sight.
Work until the timer rings.
Take a real, guilt-free 5-minute break.
3. Curate Your Environment
The Method: Reduce external distractions before you start.
The Commitment: 5-minute setup before each focus sprint.
Why It Works: The ADHD brain is an attention magnet for every sight and sound. By controlling your environment, you remove the need for willpower you don’t have to spare.
Your Pre-Focus Checklist:
Clear your desk - a clear physical space reduces visual noise.
Use noise-cancelling headphones - play brown noise, lo-fi, or instrumental music to mask distracting sounds.
Put the phone away - yes we know, the biggest culprit. Put it in another room.
The Bottom Line: Stop fighting your brain. Train it instead. Consistency over perfection.
