Ways to focus with ADHD – 9 tips to get out of a focus funk
Have you been told you need to focus more? Do you feel like you should feel more motivated and quit procrastinating?
99% of my Access to Work coaching clients say they struggle to focus. My question back to them is always the same, and it’s usually not what they expect.
Instead of asking what they need to do, I ask: "What's been a quick win today?"
The question is powerful because the reason you feel unfocused often isn't about the future; it's about the past. You might have created this narrative for years that you can’t focus, so you beat yourself up over what you haven’t ticked off your to-do list. In the process, you completely forget the small wins and everything you have achieved (and what a badass you actually are).
It’s a bit like this: do you ever feel like you're just chasing a horizon that keeps moving?
That's what coach Dan Sullivan calls being stuck in "the Gap" - where you're constantly focused on the distance between where you are now and where you want to be. It’s a trap that makes you feel like you're never good enough because the goalposts are always shifting.
The alternative is to measure your "Gain."
Instead of looking forward, you look back at how far you've actually come since you started. It’s about the progress you've already made.
When you stop getting stuck in the Gap and start appreciating the Gain, you realise you’re not chasing something out of reach - you're building on real success.
That being said, there are always things we can do to improve our focus, giving us the rocket boost needed to get that project over the line or finish the mind-numbingly boring admin you’ve been putting off for weeks, (yes, guilty as charged!).
So, what affects your focus? It’s important to understand because before you work on your focus, you need to start by being a bit kinder to yourself.
Your level of interest - If the thing you're working on feels as dull as watching paint dry, your brain will naturally fight you on it. This is especially true for the ADHD brain, which is essentially an interest-based nervous system. It’s not a moral failing or a lack of discipline; your brain is literally wired to chase dopamine, often called the 'feel-good' chemical that drives your sense of pleasure and motivation. When a task is interesting, you get a rush of it and can enter a state of intense 'hyperfocus.' When it's boring, your brain gets no reward and will search for stimulation elsewhere.
Your mood – Are you experiencing some life challenges? Do you have a tricky client or situation at work? All these things will add up to take your attention away from what you're trying to concentrate on.
Your energy – How’s your sleep lately? Have you got children? Maybe you’re a caregiver and essentially working more than one job? You can’t magic energy up from thin air. So, if you’ve got a lot going on, there are ways to work with it, not against it.
Your menstrual cycle – Your cycle, perimenopause and menopause. Don’t underestimate the level of brain fog that comes with these gifts from Mother Nature! Some of my clients block out meetings the week before their cycle. Rescheduling tasks in alignment with their energy works well for them.
Giving 100% is not about producing the same amount every day; it's about giving all you've got on that particular day. The most important thing is to acknowledge your effort and be kind to yourself, no matter what the output is.
I’m going to dive into some focus tips for you, but before I do, just a little caveat:
Not every tip is for every person. Treat this like a little ol’ science experiment. Pick out a couple you like the sound of and give them a go; if they work, great! If they don’t, try another one. Don’t attempt to do them all in one day.
Focus for ADHD tip number 1 - trick your brain into starting
This brings us back to dopamine. Procrastination isn't laziness; it's your interest-based brain going on a hunt for a quick fix. When a task feels boring or huge, your brain knows there's no immediate dopamine reward on the table. So, it searches for a better offer - and the endless novelty of social media is a dopamine goldmine. The trick, then, is to work with your brain's wiring, not against it. You need to make the boring task more appealing by building in your own dopamine reward. Here are some ideas.
Race the Clock: Set a timer for a short burst of time (even just 5-10 minutes) and see how much you can get done. This turns a boring task into a game. A physical egg timer can be great because you can see and hear it working, but it's crucial to find one that suits you. The goal isn't to finish the whole project, just to win that small block of time.
A couple I use (and a bonus: neither of them makes an annoying ticking sound): This massive 19cm one has a subtle flashing light when the time is up, while this smaller, cuter rainbow one has a screeching 80s-style alarm.
RESOURCES
Smaller Rainbow Timer with Loud Alarm
Chunk It Down: When a task feels overwhelming, ask yourself: "What's the absolute smallest, easiest first step I can take?" Don't think about the entire project. Just focus on that one tiny action, like sending a single email or finding one document. Finishing a small chunk feels like a win and gives you the momentum to tackle the next one.
RESOURCES
AI can be a super handy "sounding board" for this. Try tools like:
They can help you break down tasks – just be sure not to share any sensitive information.
Focus for ADHD tip number 2 – celebrate every little win
For ADHD brains, just finishing a task might not provide that "Ah, done!" feeling of satisfaction. You often have to create that reward yourself to teach your brain that doing the hard thing is worth it.
When you complete a small task or your timer goes off, take a moment to celebrate.
This doesn't have to be a big deal. I’m not giving you free rein to let loose with your credit card on Amazon, so I'm sorry to disappoint.
Try something simple like stepping away from your desk for a minute, stretching, making a cup of tea, or simply pausing and telling yourself, "Well done".
This helps to close the loop in your brain, making it easier to start the next task.
Focus for ADHD tip number 3 – use other people (aka body doubling or virtual co-working)
Have you heard of body doubling? It simply involves working in the same room or on a video call with another person.
You don't have to talk or even work on the same thing. We know that the presence of someone else who is also focused can be incredibly powerful for keeping you on task. We’re hardwired to copy other people. It's why we yawn when others yawn, or why people often go to the library to study.
A great way to do this virtually is with services like Flown, which offer structured online co-working sessions pretty much 24/7 globally, with memberships sometimes paid via Access to Work. My clients find this platform incredibly helpful, even paying for it themselves if it wasn't included in their award.
For full transparency, this is my personal referral link for Flown: https://flown.com/join-flown-referral-page?referral=victoria-tretis-e6ab7
Focus for ADHD tip number 4 – tidy up your senses
If you get easily distracted (hello ADHD), a messy desk or a noisy room presents a unique challenge. Your brain tries to process everything at once - every object becomes a competing signal for your attention. Each stray item is a micro-distraction that you have to spend a little bit of mental energy on to dismiss. While small, this adds up to a constant, low-level drain, leaving you with less energy and focus left for the work that actually matters.
Here are a few things you can try to keep your external sensory environment low-key.
Reduce Visual Noise: Keep your physical workspace clear. On your computer, try "Dark Mode" or "Sepia Mode" in your apps to make the screen less intense. In video calls, simple, non-moving backgrounds are much easier on the eyes than busy virtual ones.
Auditory Noise: Take control of your sound environment. Use noise-cancelling headphones to block out distracting and unpredictable background noise. You can either enjoy the silence or replace the chaos with sounds that help you concentrate. Many people find that gentle instrumental soundtracks, focus playlists, or specific frequencies like binaural beats can help their brain settle into a state of flow. Experiment to see what works for you.
I use Endel https://endel.io/ but you can also just ask Spotify/Alexa to play “music for concentration”.
Focus for ADHD tip number 5 – the “Squirrel Ideas” list
The name for this comes from Dug the dog in the movie Up, who would get famously distracted mid-sentence and shout "SQUIRREL!". (Please tell me you’ve seen it? If not, you HAVE to watch it – after you’ve read this article, of course. Stay focused…)
I see this all the time with my clients: a brilliant but unrelated idea feels just like that - a distraction demanding immediate attention. But this is where the metaphor gets interesting. We focus on the distraction, but we forget what squirrels do next: they take that nut and store it for when they need it most.
This trick does both.
So, the next time one of those brilliant but random thoughts pops into your head, don't chase the 'squirrel'. Instead, do what a real squirrel does: quickly store the 'nut' for later.
Jot the idea in a notebook, record a voice note, or drop it in a notes app.
Once it's safely stored, your brain can let it go, trusting that the idea won't be forgotten. This frees up your mental RAM, allowing you to immediately refocus on the task at hand.
Bonus points if you can find a notebook with a squirrel on the cover as a visual reminder to jot them down!
Focus for ADHD tip number 6 – match the task to your tank
This comes back to everything we covered about success at the start, and it requires a powerful way of thinking about your daily energy: Spoon Theory.
The core idea is that you start each day with a limited number of 'spoons,' which represent your total mental and physical energy. Every single task, from getting out of bed to forcing yourself to focus, costs you a spoon. Once they're gone, they're gone.
(If you're new to Spoon Theory, the story behind it is incredibly powerful. Here’s a quick guide.)
A Quick Guide to Spoon Theory
Why Spoons? The name comes from an essay by Christine Miserandino, who was trying to explain her chronic illness to a friend in a diner. She grabbed a handful of spoons and gave them to her friend, explaining they represented her total energy for the day. As her friend listed daily activities, Miserandino took away a spoon for each one - getting dressed, making breakfast, commuting - visibly demonstrating how quickly energy drains and how every action has a real cost.
How It Works: Everyone starts the day with a different number of spoons. A healthy person might have a seemingly endless supply, while someone with ADHD, chronic pain, or fatigue might start with only 12. Every task costs spoons, and once you run out, you can't just "push through." You can sometimes "borrow" from tomorrow's spoons, but you'll start the next day with even less energy.
Why It Matters: It makes an invisible struggle (like executive dysfunction or brain fog) tangible. It’s a tool for managing your energy and explaining your limits to others, separating your capacity from your willpower.
So, with that in mind, ask yourself again: What energy, or how many spoons, do you actually have today?
If you’re having a low-energy day but you’ve set yourself up to complete five tasks that, quite honestly, you don’t have the spoons for, you’re setting yourself up to fail. And we want you to feel like you’re winning most days. Why? Because winning feels good and keeps your momentum going.
Instead of forcing yourself to do a high-energy task when you feel drained, review your to-do list and select something that aligns with your current energy level. Low battery? Do that simple admin task you've been putting off. Feeling wired? That's the time for creative thinking or problem-solving.
Set yourself up to make this as easy as possible, and at the start of the week (or even as an ongoing list), create a "Low-Energy Wins" List.
Useful but minimal-effort tasks you can turn to on low-spoon days. This could be things like:
answer one email
put one thing away
drink a glass of water
It provides a sense of accomplishment without demanding a lot of energy.
Focus for ADHD tip number 7 – fuel your brain (literally)
A unique challenge for many with ADHD is a slightly weaker connection to the body's internal signals - a sense called 'interoception'. This is why you might get so deep in hyperfocus that you completely forget to eat, only to suddenly feel shaky and ravenous hours later. Or you might procrastinate on making lunch because it feels like too many steps, and then wonder why your focus has vanished.
Because people with ADHD can't always rely on their bodies to send a timely reminder, being proactive about fuel is critical.
Your brain runs on what you give it. Give it long-lasting fuel to keep your energy levels consistent. Things like protein and fruits are perfect. Eggs, nuts, chicken, beans, lentil, etc.
The goal is to make convenient choices, which is a universal strategy for busy days. Even though I don't have ADHD, my personal go-tos are things I can grab without thinking, like fruit and nut NKD bars or a protein shake I make the night before. The principle is the same: remove the effort so you can stay fuelled.
An energy crash will disrupt both focus and routine, so save the refined sugar snacks for another time - if you can.
And lastly, always keep a water bottle within reach. We underestimate how much water we need every day, and staying hydrated will also help you feel amazing.
At the end of the day, I’m not the boss of you, you can eat what you like! I’m just giving you the science so you can make informed choices about what you do.
Focus for ADHD tip number 8 – sensory reset
When you find yourself staring blankly at your screen or reaching for your phone for the tenth time, it's a clear signal your brain needs a reset. For the ADHD brain, this usually happens for one of two reasons: it's either under-stimulated and desperately seeking a dopamine hit (hello, doom-scroll), or it's over-stimulated by the environment and starting to shut down.
Often a ‘reset’ will get you back on track, like a laptop that needs to be switched off and on again (those IT guys really do know what they’re talking about).
To energise (when you feel bored or sluggish): Splash cold water on your face, listen to a loud, upbeat song (mini dance party, anyone?), or smell a strong scent like citrus or peppermint.
To calm (when you feel overwhelmed or frazzled): Put on noise-cancelling headphones, dim the lights, or use a weighted lap pad, away from the screen at something distant and neutral outside. This helps reduce sensory drain, preserving your energy for the tasks that matter. One client used to do that in her physical office, and her colleagues would know she just needed a bit of space.
Focus for ADHD tip number 9 – repeating timers
Time blocks don't always have to be about finishing a task within a set period.
Sometimes, they're just a tool to help you stay motivated and understand your own process without judgment.
I'm writing this tip using the very technique I'm describing:
I have a recurring timer on my desk that's going off every 10 minutes.
Each time it buzzes, I think, "Okay, just one more 10-minute block and I'll be done!"
But as I'm typing this, it's already gone off four times. That's 40 minutes, and I'm still going.
The point isn't that I "failed" to finish in 10 minutes.
The point is this:
I'm not mentally beating myself up. Instead, I'm simply bringing awareness to how long this task is actually taking me, which is a powerful tool against time blindness.
It creates a sense of gamification. That recurring 10-minute deadline gives a little hit of "race against the clock" energy that keeps my brain engaged and focused, helping me push through.
Using short, repeating time blocks like this removes the pressure of one long, intimidating work session and replaces it with a series of small, manageable sprints.
So there you have it. 9 different ways to battle focus with ADHD that are proven to work with my clients (and me!). You won't need all of them; some might suit you better than others. Give it a go and see how you get on.
It’s not always easy to stay accountable to yourself. Especially when it comes to focus. There is zero shame in it – we all work better with some accountability.
If you have funding for an Access to Work coach and want to smash your way through your focus blocks, let’s work on it together. My clients report every day that their outputs far exceed anything they’ve been capable of before, thanks to my coaching support. So let’s get you the same results – book a discovery call today.
About
I'm Victoria Tretis, and I coach neurodivergent adults, often through access to work (including ADHD, ASD and Dyslexic) who feel stuck and overwhelmed in the chaos of daily life. They want to design and achieve their version of success. (I don't believe there is one right way to accomplish this.)
I also work with line managers who want to strengthen the support they provide within neurodiverse teams.
My work is not about rich people getting richer. Instead, sessions are centred around clients wanting to better understand themselves and those around them.
Smiling woman with brown hair and a purple jumper, beside a microphone. The background is neutral.