Mastering the Art of Noticing: Managing Distractions and Floating Thoughts with ADHD

Having ADHD means that your mind is constantly filled with thoughts – creative thoughts, worry thoughts, you name it. Life with ADHD can feel like a constant tug-of-war with your attention. Tasks you fully intended to start (or finish) somehow take a backseat as your mind meanders, fueled by curiousity or perhaps even wanders down rabbit holes. You may find yourself caught in cycles of distraction or spacing out, even when the task at hand matters to you. One of the most effective skills for managing ADHD, however, is learning to notice these moments of wandering thought as they happen.

Why Noticing Matters with ADHD

 People with ADHD often struggle with what researchers call “attentional shifts.” These can range from small thoughts that divert your focus to larger tendencies like zoning out completely. Every time your mind shifts it takes a lot of mental energy to refocus, further depleting your bandwidth. By developing the ability to notice when you're starting to drift it can lead to more mindful attention, better task completion, and a greater sense of self-control over where your focus goes.

Noticing Distractions: A Key First Step

 One powerful way to improve focus is by actively practicing “meta-attention”—the awareness of your attention itself. By practicing awareness of your meta-attention it will help you catch yourself in the act of drifting before you're fully absorbed in distraction. This isn’t about forcing yourself back to your task every time, but rather building the skill to recognize your natural attentional flow without judgment. It’s less about controlling each thought and more about improving your relationship with your focus.

Tips for Noticing Wandering Thoughts

 1. Set a Time to Check In: Foster the habit of check-ins throughout the day. Ask yourself, “Where is my mind right now?” This can be as simple as setting an alarm or reminder that nudges you to notice your attention at that moment.

 2. Use Physical Cues: Tactile reminders, like a bracelet or ring, can be a subtle way to cue yourself to check in on your thoughts. Each time you notice the item, let it serve as a gentle reminder to ask where your focus is.

 3. Practice with Mindful Movement: If you have ever worked with me in therapy or coaching you know that I am a huge fan of movement for focus. Engaging in mindful, repetitive movement, like walking, yoga, or even doodling, is a powerful way to practice attentional awareness. These activities encourage noticing without judgment, as they allow thoughts to come and go naturally.

Strategies for Re-Focusing After Noticing

 Recognizing when your attention drifts is only part of the journey. Once you’re aware, gently guide your focus back without judgment. These methods can help:

 1. Take a breath: A quick, centering breath can reset your focus. Try inhaling deeply for four counts, holding briefly, then exhaling for four counts. Another simple exercise is to let out a big sigh or two. Breathing not only aids in focus but also activates your vagus nerve which calms the nervous system down.

 2. Practice “Body Scans”: Taking a quick moment to mentally scan your body from head to toe can help ground you in the present, pulling you out of distraction and back into a more focused state.

 3. Break Tasks into Small Steps: Large tasks can be overwhelming and invite distraction. Break projects into manageable chunks and commit to focusing on just one part. It is more likely that you will complete a task that does not take hours of focus.

 4. Experiment with Different Focus Tools: Some people find background noise like white noise or music helps them focus, while others benefit from using timers or task-switching apps that keep them on track. Isochronic music is a very particular kind of music designed to illicit certain brainwaves. There are artists like Jason Lewis with his channel Mind Amend on YouTube who create music specifically for folks with ADHD.

Accepting Your Unique Attention Patterns

 It's important to remember that having ADHD doesn't mean you’re incapable of focus. Rather, your brain just processes and manages attention differently. Learning to notice your attention shifts without judging yourself for them is a huge step toward finding what balance looks like for you. Over time, as you continue practicing, you'll notice more often when you’re drifting—and develop tools for gently bringing your focus back, again and again.

Would you like to learn more tools tailored to your brain? Go to coaching for more information.