Distraction in ADHD: More Than Just...Oh, a squirrel!

For those of us with ADHD, distractibility comes from being unable to prioritize the stimuli around us. Everything seems to be calling for our attention, and it's difficult to differentiate what we actually need to pay attention to from what should be ignored or addressed later. For example, I may be trying to read an email, but I can't help but notice my glasses are dirty, the faucet is dripping, someone is cooking bacon, the blinds are crooked, my foot itches, the lights are on, I'm breathing, and everything else in between. It's like being in a room full of people who are all trying to talk to you at the same time. At times there's so much mental noise I can't actually hear much of anything.

In fact, some might say that "attention deficit" is a misnomer. The problem isn't that I don't have enough attention. The problem is that I either have a little bit of attention trying to go in a million different directions at once, or I have ALL my attention on one. single. thing. [The latter is called "hyperfocus"--more on that another day.] There is very little in-between. 

Ok, some may be thinking that since my attention seems to be be in a lot of places at once that I'd be a great multitasker. WRONG! I'm terrible at it. Let's start by clearing up a common misconception about multitasking; people can't actually think about multiple things at once. They simply go back and forth between tasks so rapidly they don't even realize it. For people with ADHD, those transitions are a lot harder. Going from task to task (or topic to topic) can be a little like this:

Imagine you have a bunch of cats that you must put into a single box before you may begin working on task "X." You finish that task and want to start working on "Y". That's great! Except now you have to let all the cats out and then get them all back into a different single box before you can start. Same thing before moving to task "Z" and every other task you need to work on.

This "herding cats" type of mental transitioning can make basic things like prepping meals, choosing clothes for a well-coordinated outfit, or feeding two toddlers extra challenging. This goes the same for carrying on conversations (especially over the phone) or even just listening to people talk. It happens all too frequently that a speaker has moved on to their next point before I've the had the chance to get all my "cats" gathered into the first "box".

But, cats aside, I have picked up some tricks for dealing with the distraction, and I'm sure I'll find more as I continue to study up on the condition. Any tips or tricks you find helpful for minimizing distractions throughout the day? Leave your ideas in the comments! I'll being doing some "tips and tricks" posts in the future and I'd love to include some your little nuggets of wisdom :D