Ep 77: Executive Function Series #2 Attention & Focus

In this second deep-dive episode of our executive function series, we explore why traditional focus methods often backfire for ADHD brains and uncover three powerful strategies to manage distractions and actually get things done.

📌 Key Topics:

• Understanding why focus feels impossible with ADHD
• The environment's crucial role in attention management
• Breaking the multitasking myth
• How to create an effective pre-focus routine
• The power of intentional single-tasking
• Simple strategies for managing digital distractions

🗣️ Featured Quote:
"Nothing is more frustrating than needing to focus—but feeling like your brain just won't cooperate. It's NOT a lack of willpower—it's a strategy problem."

💡 Strategy Breakdown:

• Make your environment work FOR your brain
• Master the art of single-tasking
• Build a reliable pre-focus routine

🎯 Coming Up Next:
Exploring Working Memory - your brain's "Post-It Notes" system and how to strengthen it.

🔑 Key Takeaway:
Focus isn't something you just 'turn on'—it's a habit you build through intentional strategies and environmental design.

🎓 Level Up:
Visit www.learntothrivewithadhd.com for additional resources and support!

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#executivefunctions #adhd #focusstrategies #productivity #adhdsupport #adhdstrategies #adhdcommunity #singletasking

Click here for full show notes.

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Transcript

All right. Welcome back. This is part two of the executive function series. And today we're talking about attention and focus. Now nothing is more frustrating, the needs of focus,

But feeling like your brain just won't cooperate. One minute you're working, the next boom, you're scrolling, cleaning or lost in another thought. It's not a lack of willpower.

It's a strategy problem. And today I'll show you how to fix it. So let's go. I remember sitting in a lecture hall. It was massive at Iowa State University right in the front row, because then I would have to pay attention to the lecture. No distractions, right? Wrong.

I was the distraction. Midway through the lecture, the professor stopped and looked directly at me and said, Can you pay attention to me when you're doing that?

My heart dropped. Everybody was looking at me. What was I doing? I was doodling and I replied. I was like, I can only pay attention to you when I do this. And to his credit, then he sighed, carry on and went back on to teaching. But that moment stuck with me. It reminded me of so many of my ADHD coaching clients, especially students who struggle to focus in lectures or meetings.

here's the first thing I tell them. Being mad at yourself for getting distracted only makes it worse. The more upset we get, the harder it becomes to focus.

So today, let's skip the self judgment and fix the focus instead. So let's talk about three ADHD friendly, focused strategies. One Make your environment work for your brain. If you have piles, if you have things to be dealt with, if you have a messy desk, it's all going to pull focus because you're going to think about that thing and I need to do that, or it's just all very distracting.

I mean, it's obvious, right? Do a favor to yourself and just take the time to deal with the piles. And I know if you have a lot that can sound like a big task, but just one at a time, I really like to I have a home for everything on my desk. And right now I would say my desk is a little bit messy.

I have pen out some Post-its and things like that, but I like to do a reset. At the end of the day. Usually I'll do a reset and put everything back where it goes, close up my computer and all that so that the next time I come to work, I can focus on what I'm doing. If I haven't done that reset, I will do it right before I start working.

And if you get a home for everything, as I as I said, it sounds obvious, but making that decision that that is the home for that thing, it's easier to put it back in that way. You're not your focus is not getting pulled. So just dealing with those things, your

your environment is a big deal.

next. Your phone is your biggest enemy. Studies show that even a silent phone in the room reduces your focus. Move it to another room if possible.

A cool thing that you can do for your phone is called Bricking your phone now. Not a promotion. I haven't even tried the product, but I have on good account somebody that has talked about it and I have the product, but I haven't tried it. Does that make sense? No, it does not. Right. But what happened is I bought three bricks, one for me and two members of my family, and they don't work for Android yet.

So if you have an iPhone, you can use a brick. And what the person that I heard it on the My first Million podcast, which I love, it's my favorite podcast. It's so funny and entertaining, but what he likes to do is brick his phone for the gym or if he's going out for a run. I think one of the guys in the podcast and what you do, I believe, is you download an app and then you just decide what apps are going to be available to you at different times.

And then you tap the brick with tap, though. Yeah, I'm saying that, right. Tap the brick with your phone and you will only have those certain apps that you've chosen available to you. I wanted to brick my phone for bedtime so that I couldn't get in bed and be distracted. Not not focus on have my attention pulled by getting on apps that I didn't want to be on when it was bedtime.

So I was going to brick my phone for just audible podcasts. And there was one other thing that I'm not saying. I think music was the other one that I was going to brick my phone for. So they said they are working on Android. That is coming. I think what I'll do is probably do a giveaway with these, so look for that subscribe giveaway will be coming for these.

Okay. The other thing I do with my phone is I turn off and that's why I can have it right next to me. I turn off every single notification. I didn't do this all at once. You don't have to do it all at once.

What I did is as a notification came in that I didn't want,

I would hold down the notification, turn off notifications for that. I go to apps, I don't let apps come to me. So that is something that I do to really make sure I focus on things.

My phone is also and not everyone can do this, but I can. My phone is always on silent, always. And no, no vibration, no nothing. So that may be a little extreme, but that is something that definitely works for me. Now. People think that multitasking is productive, but it can kind of be a trap. And I would say for people with ADHD, if you are frozen, then go ahead and multitask it.

It can be good for you. So, for example, when I used to be overwhelmed about, you know, cleaning or something like that, the whole house was a mess. What do I do? I would set a timer for 10 minutes and go room to room. That would really kind of be multitasking. Right? And I would see how much I could get done in 10 minutes.

And that is not focusing. Right. That is not going in one room and finishing it to completion. But that works for me to just have forward movement at that time. Now, other times, what I would really recommend instead of jumping from task to task, is blocking out time for something and reminding yourself that there's nothing else you need to be doing at that time except that task.

And what I like to do is when my attention wanes and I start thinking of of somewhere else, I, you know, want to be or searching something or I want to buy that thing. Or What about this question? I have a distraction notepad next to me and I just write that down so that I can get right back to the task

and speaking of notifications on my computer, no notifications whatsoever. Again, this can't not everyone can do this, but if you can definitely turn off the email notifications, turn off the clock notifications, turn off any messenger notifications, don't let things come to you and steal your attention.

And I said, if you can. If you're in a workplace where you have to answer email, you have to respond to the slack. So you have to take care of these things. What you could do is set up a window of time that you tell people you're not going to be available. That's going to be your focus time on this project.

So what I noticed with clients, speaking of work messages, is that they thought that they had to answer immediate early. And when we dug deeper, when I inquired more, what we discovered was actually that was not a rule from their boss or their manager or somebody.

They worked with. That was their rule. They decided that they had to respond immediately. So just answering emails in a window of time, answering slack messages in a window of time, maybe a couple of times a day, that would really help you focus on the things that you need to be focusing on.

Okay. So those are some quick tips.

Now it's your turn to try one of these strategies and test it for the next 24 hours. And if you're on YouTube, drop it in the comment. What is your biggest distraction? Let's troubleshoot it together. If you found this helpful like unsubscribe hit the bell for ADHD friendly focus hacks. I will have more in this executive function series.

I just want it to be quick, actionable and I hope it's helpful.

Podcast listeners write in review so we can have other ADHD brains find us. And I know it's frustrating when Focus feels out of reach, but small changes like the ones we talked about today can make a huge difference. Imagine finishing a task without feeling pulled in a hundred different directions.

You can get there. It's just one step at a time. Progress is better than perfection. Keep at it

All right. You can find me everywhere. I learn to thrive with ADHD. We now have a shorts channel that's going to be coming. So this will be just our full length video channel if you're watching on YouTube and there will be a shorts channel.

So

Next in this series will be working memory. So if your whiteboard in your brain gets erased a lot, that's going to be a great one for you.

if you've ever forgotten why you walked in a room, lost your train of thought mid-sentence.

you won't want to miss it.

All right. See you next week.