Make use of healthy distractions (stress balls) Fidget gadgets, stress balls, and even chewing gum can sometimes give your brain a harmless outlet that doesn't take you away from your overall goal.
Many children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD absolutely cannot work or pay attention at school if there is the slightest noise – the graphite of the pencil used by the person at the next desk, the footsteps on the stairs or the telephone ringing down the hall.
A simple easy way to help release energy before it turns into a full-blown distraction can be through the use of fidgets. Many times we think of fidgets as toys for children. While fidgets can provide relief for kids squirming in their seats, they can also help adults with distraction at home or in the workplace.
Stop, Look, and Listen
If a task is not going well, set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and take a break instead of yielding to distraction. When the timer goes off, stop and tell yourself, “It's fine. Smart people can get a lot done in a little bit of time.” Look into your mind's eye and review what you still need to do.
Make a list. If a swarm of concerns is keeping you from attending to the task at hand, take five minutes to write down what you have to do. Once these tasks are on paper and you no longer have to worry about remembering everything, you'll find it easier to focus.
Exercise for ADHD
Exercise also elevates the brain's levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which increases focus and attention. Studies have shown1 that short-term aerobic exercise, including yoga, has positive effects on attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, executive function, and other ADHD symptoms.
There are three key 'distraction' approaches: cognitive distraction, behavioural distraction, and physiological distraction, though techniques can overlap.
People who have ADHD feel overwhelmed by their thoughts and environment almost all the time, Pearson says. “It's the overwhelm that has people with ADHD being easily distracted, disorganized, fidgety, and impulsive, and having more difficulty managing their emotions,” she says.
By some estimates, up to 80 per cent of all crashes involve some form of driver distraction. Yet when we talk about distraction, we are sometimes guilty of exclusively focusing on the biggest culprit: smartphone distraction.
Whether they take medication or not, your child may benefit from these five natural remedies for ADHD: proper nutrition, brain-boosting supplements, physical exercise, adequate sleep, and limited screen time.
Similarly, people with ADHD can also experience 'meltdowns' more commonly than others, which is where emotions build up so extremely that someone acts out, often crying, angering, laughing, yelling and moving all at once, driven by many different emotions at once – this essentially resembles a child tantrum and can ...
Choose a peaceful color.
Orange encourages creativity and may chase away the blues. To reduce anxiety, go with warm earth tones. Blue hues are known for slowing down the heart rate, reducing respiratory rhythm, and encouraging calm and focus. In general, stick with muted or pastel shades, and avoid primary colors.
People with ADHD are often over-stimulated by colors, patterns, and even temperature. Choose neutral, soft, and calming hues of blue, green, and brown to encourage more restful sleep. Keep it simple. Eliminate clutter in your bedroom to help reduce that cluttered feeling in your brain before bed and when you wake up.
Music therapy for children with ADHD
A study done in 2020 showed that music seemed to improve focus and attentiveness in children diagnosed with ADHD. Music therapy has been effective for people with ADHD because they crave the type of structure that music provides.
Kids with the inattentive kind of ADHD have a hard time concentrating and following instructions. They often forget and lose things; they can't seem to get organized or complete assignments or chores. Most kids with ADHD have a combination of the hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive types.
How do you treat ADHD without medication? For adults with ADHD, cognitive behavioral therapies help to reduce distractibility and improve organizational skills. Also, teaching relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and guided imagery is helpful.
While alcohol may appear as a short-term solution to restlessness and anxiety often associated with ADHD, heavy consumption can intensify symptoms of ADHD and render some ADHD medications ineffective.