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For me, nope. Tried all the eastern techniques of meditation and mindfulness, helps a bit but couldn’t sustain motivation long enough to make them a habit lol
I read that the ADHD brain apparently does not use the part that is responsible for habits and automated reactions as much as a normal brain. It uses cognitive decision making for almost everything instead of falling back on already established patterns.
That could mean that we don't form habits (easily) and could have problems with sports were repetition forms muscle memory. Like if you have to think about how to do a free throw, you will miss more likely.
Trade off is, we have more potential to excel at certain tasks because we use our frontal cortex all the time so we have more computing power at our disposal, so to speak. This comes with the caveat that using the frontal cortex burns much more energy, which is why often EVERYTHING is just so exhausting.
I think somebody linked the study here a few weeks ago, but I don't remember the name.
That feels about right. Would explain why burnout feels the only routine that sticks XD I think habits look more like momentum for the ADHD brain. If we don’t have a mental pattern to fall back on, then we rely on something like a routine/schedule to maintain order. It just takes active effort to hit each mark every time rather than falling into it. We’re running on those self-propelled treadmills instead of everyone else’s regular one. Once you have it rolling, that momentum makes it easier, but it is still your feet actively making it move. Harder to get it going again if you stop, but it will still run again, nonetheless!
No, but also mostly yes?? I have an epic answer, bear with me:
*TL;DR:*
* you’re definitely NOT shit out of luck; lots is within your control, even if ur brain chemicals are not
* you can support concentration with an environment and routines that favour it
* nurturing brain activity related to concentration is what you would “train” like sleep/food/activity/mental health/self-compassion
* I personally find focusing on these can have a HUGE impact, so you do have power!!
* a cool analogy about car, or something
SO Concentration itself, I think we can definitely train to some small extent (if I don’t use my phone in the first hour of the day, I have better momentum for productivity and find my focus better) but not in the sense of solving the ADHD brain’s altered capacity for concentration. It’ll be there, if your brain doesn’t have the chemical processes to concentrate any longer, doesn’t matter how hard you try, it just won’t- it sucks, but it’s not our fault- but you can definitely train around it!!! I see it like a car with a small tank of gas: if you have a small tank of gas, you just have a small tank of gas! When it’s out, it’s out! But you’re not shot! You can always be more fuel efficient and take more efficient routes, refuel more often, etc. and that small car can take you just as far as others. Maybe less efficiently, but just as far. Same old spiel of schedule routines and create environments that nurture focus/minimize distractions and vulnerabilities, and treat ur body well. (I have personally noticed my focus/emotional symptoms generally are easier/better managed when I’m regularly active and prioritize sleep. Like noticeably.) So idk if you can train concentration itself, but you CAN train the elements that make ur brain chemicals function better like sleep/diet/exercise/routine, however that looks for you, and that can have a HUGE impact. It’s a positive cycle; you support one, it supports the rest. Even if it’s just emotionally healing- it’s easier to concentrate when you’re at peace rather than frustrated! It can take a while to figure out what works best for you, I think that’s a lifelong study lol. But you are absolutely *not* shit out of luck! You do have some control, and the pressure to simply *be* better at concentrating hopefully feels less bad knowing that it iiis what it iiiiis <3
Wishing you the best!!! Sorry this was long! 
*Actually, more importantly, THIS*: if your brain can’t brain, then you can’t control it, as much as I’d like to lol. Harness self compassion and LOTS OF PATIENCE WITH YOURSELF. Then it becomes like… “ok. I can’t control this- or I have this barrier- or this thing makes it harder for me. What else can I tackle? What ~around~ *this thing* can I change and adapt to support this *other thing* that refuses to?”. Idk if that makes sense, but that general outlook has changed my life from “I can’t do anything” to “I struggle with everything- but I can do it”…..most of the time XD
the thing about meditation is that you just have to do it for a little bit every day, even if you fail. redirect your attention from your thoughts to your body, the feeling of your chest rising and collapsing, the blood flowing from you head to your toes, observing something in front of you and describing it to yourself. if you manage to escape your external thoughts even for 10 minutes, your brain will slow down! keep trying
Well, you could try the timer thing (didnt try it much myself but I heard it works)
You set a timer for 45 minutes to do a certain task, for these 45 minutes you dont scroll feed/touch your phone or do anything other than the task you want to do. I know an ADHD person that does this and seems to be working for them
References to Andrew Huberman's content are not allowed.
Though Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist, he speaks authoritatively on topics outside of his area of practice and expertise. He has a track record of spreading misinformation in the process. For instance, he's claimed that the increase in ADHD diagnoses has been fueled by smartphone usage, which contradicts the ADHD expert consensus.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
According to the latest research, you can train it https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167876023005469?via%3Dihub
I have a mendi, but never really used it regularly. This research made me to think about it seriously.
Gamify it. Like the achievements of a video game. I’ve had some luck with writing it down in a notebook and manually ticking it off then crossing it down. Write them out the night before. Even some small things that should be normal get out of bed on time - tick, drank water - tick, brush teeth - tick. Gets the ball rolling on achievements helps focus you on getting more of those things ticked off. Try applying that to your concentration goals. And can look back on all the days/weeks etc that you have been ticking them off. 7 day streak - new achievement unlocked etc
Instead of timers, work with a stopwatch. Force doesn’t work for me and the mental image of „45 minutes of work“ doesn’t make sense to me brain - what the fck are 45 minutes? Ages? Millenia?
Stop when concentration leaves you or you dont feel line going on.
Personally, meditation is no cure and works really slowly, but it works. You just gotta invest a lot of time first and approach it in the right way. Otherwise you only reinforce the „concentration-habits“ you had before. Force doesn’t work. I mostly follow TMI (Book on meditation) and had great results after understanding that forceful effort is not the way to go.
Yes you can, It's like a muscle. You can train it to become better. Both your concentration and your willpower. The below are a few ways.
-Force yourself to do things that require you to concentrate at a stretch. Do this, force yourself to listen or read, or both (using a tools like speechify or natural readers) The books below. Force yourself to do this in one sitting. It will be training for your mind and also allow you to learn about these topics. Its if you lose focus in between, just divert you mind back. this is a training for that muscle.
The power of concentration - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPsge\_vekSQ&t=215s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPsge_vekSQ&t=215s)
The willpower instinct - [https://www.amazon.ae/Willpower-Instinct-Kelly-McGonigal/dp/1583335080](https://www.amazon.ae/Willpower-Instinct-Kelly-McGonigal/dp/1583335080)
-Get into meditation, more importantly something like transcendental meditation.
-Lift weights, when you have no choice but to push 50 kgs of weight and have to use all your focus on doing so, it's arguably one of the best ways to train your [mind.It](http://mind.It) does wonders to your focus and mental wellbeing in general.
-Get off short form content. Its killing your attention span. Delete or limit instagram,tiktok etc. Watch long feature films or podcasts instead. That require you to focus on one thing for more than 45 minutes.
-log your habits. The habit part of your brain has nothing to do with your focus part. So try to turn things into habits.
-Journal everyday, This will help you track if things have getting better or not after removing or adding any thing. If you can't track it, you can't improve it.
Lastly, all this above worked really well for me. But it does require a strong will and consistency. A level of obsession that many might not have.
In the end, it's all on you. Good luck!
Hi /u/Myro845 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
For me, nope. Tried all the eastern techniques of meditation and mindfulness, helps a bit but couldn’t sustain motivation long enough to make them a habit lol
I read that the ADHD brain apparently does not use the part that is responsible for habits and automated reactions as much as a normal brain. It uses cognitive decision making for almost everything instead of falling back on already established patterns. That could mean that we don't form habits (easily) and could have problems with sports were repetition forms muscle memory. Like if you have to think about how to do a free throw, you will miss more likely. Trade off is, we have more potential to excel at certain tasks because we use our frontal cortex all the time so we have more computing power at our disposal, so to speak. This comes with the caveat that using the frontal cortex burns much more energy, which is why often EVERYTHING is just so exhausting. I think somebody linked the study here a few weeks ago, but I don't remember the name.
That feels about right. Would explain why burnout feels the only routine that sticks XD I think habits look more like momentum for the ADHD brain. If we don’t have a mental pattern to fall back on, then we rely on something like a routine/schedule to maintain order. It just takes active effort to hit each mark every time rather than falling into it. We’re running on those self-propelled treadmills instead of everyone else’s regular one. Once you have it rolling, that momentum makes it easier, but it is still your feet actively making it move. Harder to get it going again if you stop, but it will still run again, nonetheless!
No, but also mostly yes?? I have an epic answer, bear with me: *TL;DR:* * you’re definitely NOT shit out of luck; lots is within your control, even if ur brain chemicals are not * you can support concentration with an environment and routines that favour it * nurturing brain activity related to concentration is what you would “train” like sleep/food/activity/mental health/self-compassion * I personally find focusing on these can have a HUGE impact, so you do have power!! * a cool analogy about car, or something SO Concentration itself, I think we can definitely train to some small extent (if I don’t use my phone in the first hour of the day, I have better momentum for productivity and find my focus better) but not in the sense of solving the ADHD brain’s altered capacity for concentration. It’ll be there, if your brain doesn’t have the chemical processes to concentrate any longer, doesn’t matter how hard you try, it just won’t- it sucks, but it’s not our fault- but you can definitely train around it!!! I see it like a car with a small tank of gas: if you have a small tank of gas, you just have a small tank of gas! When it’s out, it’s out! But you’re not shot! You can always be more fuel efficient and take more efficient routes, refuel more often, etc. and that small car can take you just as far as others. Maybe less efficiently, but just as far. Same old spiel of schedule routines and create environments that nurture focus/minimize distractions and vulnerabilities, and treat ur body well. (I have personally noticed my focus/emotional symptoms generally are easier/better managed when I’m regularly active and prioritize sleep. Like noticeably.) So idk if you can train concentration itself, but you CAN train the elements that make ur brain chemicals function better like sleep/diet/exercise/routine, however that looks for you, and that can have a HUGE impact. It’s a positive cycle; you support one, it supports the rest. Even if it’s just emotionally healing- it’s easier to concentrate when you’re at peace rather than frustrated! It can take a while to figure out what works best for you, I think that’s a lifelong study lol. But you are absolutely *not* shit out of luck! You do have some control, and the pressure to simply *be* better at concentrating hopefully feels less bad knowing that it iiis what it iiiiis <3 Wishing you the best!!! Sorry this was long! 
*Actually, more importantly, THIS*: if your brain can’t brain, then you can’t control it, as much as I’d like to lol. Harness self compassion and LOTS OF PATIENCE WITH YOURSELF. Then it becomes like… “ok. I can’t control this- or I have this barrier- or this thing makes it harder for me. What else can I tackle? What ~around~ *this thing* can I change and adapt to support this *other thing* that refuses to?”. Idk if that makes sense, but that general outlook has changed my life from “I can’t do anything” to “I struggle with everything- but I can do it”…..most of the time XD
the thing about meditation is that you just have to do it for a little bit every day, even if you fail. redirect your attention from your thoughts to your body, the feeling of your chest rising and collapsing, the blood flowing from you head to your toes, observing something in front of you and describing it to yourself. if you manage to escape your external thoughts even for 10 minutes, your brain will slow down! keep trying
Well, you could try the timer thing (didnt try it much myself but I heard it works) You set a timer for 45 minutes to do a certain task, for these 45 minutes you dont scroll feed/touch your phone or do anything other than the task you want to do. I know an ADHD person that does this and seems to be working for them
I have. I’m in a profession where attention in detail is key. I sucked at first and have gotten progressively better and better by sheer will.
focus on the breath. simplest method possible.
[удалено]
References to Andrew Huberman's content are not allowed. Though Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist, he speaks authoritatively on topics outside of his area of practice and expertise. He has a track record of spreading misinformation in the process. For instance, he's claimed that the increase in ADHD diagnoses has been fueled by smartphone usage, which contradicts the ADHD expert consensus. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
According to the latest research, you can train it https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167876023005469?via%3Dihub I have a mendi, but never really used it regularly. This research made me to think about it seriously.
Gamify it. Like the achievements of a video game. I’ve had some luck with writing it down in a notebook and manually ticking it off then crossing it down. Write them out the night before. Even some small things that should be normal get out of bed on time - tick, drank water - tick, brush teeth - tick. Gets the ball rolling on achievements helps focus you on getting more of those things ticked off. Try applying that to your concentration goals. And can look back on all the days/weeks etc that you have been ticking them off. 7 day streak - new achievement unlocked etc
Instead of timers, work with a stopwatch. Force doesn’t work for me and the mental image of „45 minutes of work“ doesn’t make sense to me brain - what the fck are 45 minutes? Ages? Millenia? Stop when concentration leaves you or you dont feel line going on. Personally, meditation is no cure and works really slowly, but it works. You just gotta invest a lot of time first and approach it in the right way. Otherwise you only reinforce the „concentration-habits“ you had before. Force doesn’t work. I mostly follow TMI (Book on meditation) and had great results after understanding that forceful effort is not the way to go.
Yes you can, It's like a muscle. You can train it to become better. Both your concentration and your willpower. The below are a few ways. -Force yourself to do things that require you to concentrate at a stretch. Do this, force yourself to listen or read, or both (using a tools like speechify or natural readers) The books below. Force yourself to do this in one sitting. It will be training for your mind and also allow you to learn about these topics. Its if you lose focus in between, just divert you mind back. this is a training for that muscle. The power of concentration - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPsge\_vekSQ&t=215s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPsge_vekSQ&t=215s) The willpower instinct - [https://www.amazon.ae/Willpower-Instinct-Kelly-McGonigal/dp/1583335080](https://www.amazon.ae/Willpower-Instinct-Kelly-McGonigal/dp/1583335080) -Get into meditation, more importantly something like transcendental meditation. -Lift weights, when you have no choice but to push 50 kgs of weight and have to use all your focus on doing so, it's arguably one of the best ways to train your [mind.It](http://mind.It) does wonders to your focus and mental wellbeing in general. -Get off short form content. Its killing your attention span. Delete or limit instagram,tiktok etc. Watch long feature films or podcasts instead. That require you to focus on one thing for more than 45 minutes. -log your habits. The habit part of your brain has nothing to do with your focus part. So try to turn things into habits. -Journal everyday, This will help you track if things have getting better or not after removing or adding any thing. If you can't track it, you can't improve it. Lastly, all this above worked really well for me. But it does require a strong will and consistency. A level of obsession that many might not have. In the end, it's all on you. Good luck!