In my last post, Working With ADHD: Find Your Focus (Part 1), I shared three simple productivity hacks that have helped me improve my concentration. Below, you’ll find my final four tips.

Please note: this advice is NOT one-size-fits-all. Depending on your unique flavour of ADHD or other neurodivergence, some tips may be more helpful than others. The key is always to find what feels good for you, and adjust as needed!

#4: Practice time-blocking

Look… the idea of working nonstop for hours is extremely outdated. These days, even neurotypicals lack the necessary attention span, so take a more realistic approach to your time management. Many people find the Pomodoro Technique® helpful, as it breaks time up into manageable periods of focused work followed by timed breaks. Experiment with different work-and-break combinations to find what works best for you.

#5: Honour your energy

Scheduling tasks based on your energy can be very effective. If you tend to hit your creative peak after the sun goes down, tackle creative tasks in the evening. If your concentration levels are highest in the morning, use that time for copy editing or research. Mapping out your energy throughout the day, week, and month will help you plan your work accordingly.

#6: Keep your workspace organized

Clutter is the enemy of focus for many of us, so be proactive and nip those potential distractions in the bud. Before you sit down to start working, give the room a quick tidy and clear your immediate workspace of clutter. If visual distraction is an issue, try out a storage system that keeps smaller objects hidden from view, like a small chest of drawers or a couple of lidded baskets.

#7: Hide your phone

Confession: I am addicted to my phone. If I were Gollum, my phone would be my precioussss. The sweet dopamine hit of an Instagram like, the thrill of the reddit scroll, the endless supply of topical and hilarious memes… I can’t say no. If my phone is within reach, I‘ll inevitably reach for it. That’s why I keep my phone in a designated box when I need to focus. Out of sight, out of mind, out of my grubby little paws.

Have fun with it—grab a cheap wooden box at the dollar store and decorate it to match your aesthetic. If hiding your phone feels too extra, the Brick app temporarily disables distracting apps and notifications until you’re ready to end your work day.

Your Accursed Librarian,

Valeska

The ADHD experience can be a lot of things: frustrating, embarrassing, creative, joyful, challenging, and sometimes hilarious. But it’s not often easy when it comes to productivity. When your attention span is fun-sized, knocking tasks off your to-do list can be a daunting endeavour (unless the tasks relate to your special interests, of course, in which case you’ll probably happily go into overtime).

While each neurodivergent individual is different and there really aren’t any one-size-fits-all solutions, I’d love to share a few actionable tips that have helped me improve my focus and productivity. These tips can be used alongside any medication or techniques recommended by your doctor. Your mileage will almost certainly vary, but learning how we work (and work best) is part of our ongoing journey.

#1: Stay hydrated
If you’re rolling your eyes right now, I get it. I too am annoyed when people offer overly simple “solutions” for neurodivergent (and mental health, for that matter) concerns. But stay with me, because studies have shown that even mild dehydration negatively affects cognitive performance, including concentration, memory, and critical thinking. And when your attention span is already below average, every second counts. If you experience dry mouth, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches frequently, consider investing in one of those jumbo refillable water bottles.

#2: Eat the frog
Task paralysis is no joke. Identify your most challenging task of the day—the one you’re most likely to push off until tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that—and really push yourself to do it first. That task is the frog, and procrastinating will just ramp up the dread. You’ll thank me later!

#3: Make use of multiple desktops
If you’re anything like me, you probably have multiple active browser windows that have collected dozens of tabs each—and the temptation to click through them (and away from your current task) can be irresistible.

Windows 11 users can and should take advantage of Microsoft’s game-changing multiple desktops feature, which allows you to set up separate desktop instances for different areas of focus. Creating a desktop devoted to deep work or research allows you to work within an environment free of distracting tabs and notifications.

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for Part 2!

Your Accursed Librarian,
Valeska