For example, some adults with ADHD have leveraged their hyperfocus ability to achieve excellence in their careers. When triggered, this “flow state” can enable significant progress on important tasks. It allows people with ADHD to enter into a state of enhanced productivity. On the flip side, hyperfocus can be a force for good. This can become a source of frustration, burnout, and regret. Having used up all their time and energy during a hyperfocus session, they have little left for chores and other everyday tasks.

In others, it can be a real obstacle.įor example, many people find their hyperfocus on “fun” activities causes them to ignore other important things. In some situations, it can be advantageous. Hyperfocus affects adults with ADHD across a wide variety of settings, including college, work, and hobbies. According to a recent study, the more severe a person’s ADHD, the more powerful their tendency to hyperfocus. Nevertheless, hyperfocus is much more common in ADHD adults than in neurotypical people. Hyperfocus is not included on the American Psychiatric Association’s list of ADHD symptoms. Until these interruptions become sufficiently urgent or painful, they may only irritate and annoy the person with ADHD.

Relatively boring things like hunger, the need to use the restroom, or a spouse’s gentle reminders are typically not enough to trigger a change in focus. Once an adult with ADHD is in a state of hyperfocus, they stay that way until they exhaust themselves or something even more engaging comes along. Seemingly mundane tasks such as working on a car or trimming the hedges can also be very engaging for some people. Here are a few examples: playing video games, practicing a musical instrument, browsing social media, or creating art. If that object of attention is engaging enough-because it is fascinating, novel, important, or urgent-it may cause the person to lose track of time and forget about all other tasks.Īctivities that trigger the brain’s reward systems are most likely to lead to hyperfocus. The attention of someone with ADHD jumps from one thing to the next until something crosses a certain threshold of interest. In someone with ADHD, this hyperfocus is much more pronounced. To focus on things we don’t care as much about, we must put in additional effort and energy. As human beings, we pay attention better to things we’re interested in. This tendency to focus on an item of interest for an extended period is called “hyperfocus.” Hyperfocus in ADHD adults: a definition and examplesĮven people who do not have ADHD experience hyperfocus to some degree. Since people with ADHD can’t easily control their attention, they struggle to switch from one task to the next, especially when the initial task is very engaging. They simply struggle to direct and regulate their attention.

What these skeptics don’t realize is that people with ADHD don’t actually have a deficit of attention. The behavior of people with ADHD can seem so contradictory that some people question whether ADHD is a real condition or just an excuse for bad behavior or bad parenting. If they can focus on that for five hours, they should be able to focus on their math homework for five minutes! My child doesn’t have ADHD they just aren’t trying hard enough,” they say. The inconsistency of attention with ADHD has led some parents to question the accuracy of their children’s diagnoses. Yet, many people with ADHD struggle to focus on chores, school work, and other mundane tasks. They can hold their attention on an exciting task for hours on end-often to the exclusion of all else. However, if you observe someone with ADHD while they are enjoying their favorite hobby, you can see that they actually have plenty of attention to give. The American Psychiatric Association describes ADHD as an inability to “give close attention.” If you observe someone with ADHD as they attempt to sit still in class or complete their chores, this definition will probably seem accurate. That assumption is reasonable since the term “attention deficit” is right there in the disorder’s name. Many people assume that ADHD involves a total deficit of attention.

Adhd and hyperfocus