The ADHD Focused Blog

  Managing ADHD is hard enough in theory—but real life doesn’t come with ideal conditions. You’re dealing with emails, bills, family responsibilities, packed schedules, and a world that often expects “productivity” without understanding how your brain works. The Challenge of Real-World Functioning ADHD and Everyday Admin : Things like paying bills or returning messages can feel disproportionately hard. Competing Demands : Work, home, relationships—all pulling on limited executive function. No Room to Recover : Life doesn’t always allow space to reset when you’re overwhelmed. What Can Help? Micro-Routines : Small, repeatable actions that reduce decision fatigue. (e.g. same breakfast daily, a weekly reset ritual) Choose Your Non-Negotiables : You can’t do it all. What has to happen this week—and what can slide? Create External Support Systems : Lists, alarms, reminders, body doubles, support groups. Build in Compassionate Flexibility : Life gets messy. So will your systems. That does...

 If you’ve ever felt like your emotions are too much—or come out of nowhere—you’re not imagining it. ADHD doesn’t just affect focus and organisation. It also impacts emotional regulation, often in big, invisible ways. Emotional Sensitivity in ADHD Many people with ADHD experience: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) : Intense emotional pain in response to perceived rejection or criticism. Difficulty Regulating Big Feelings : Struggling to come back down once you’re upset, angry, or overwhelmed. Mood Whiplash : Going from calm to crisis, or happy to shut down, in a moment. This isn’t immaturity or overreaction—it’s neurological. The ADHD brain often processes emotions in a more intense, less regulated way. What Can Help? Name the Feeling : Sometimes just saying, “I’m overwhelmed” can take the edge off. Create Emotional Routines : Movement, music, a go-to “calm kit”—rituals can help your brain feel safe. Validate Yourself : Remind yourself that this isn’t a failure—it’s part of how y...

  We often think of productivity as getting as much done as possible, as fast as possible. But for ADHDers, that approach can lead straight to overwhelm and burnout. So what does ADHD-friendly productivity look like? Common Productivity Pitfalls for people with ADHD:   Time Blindness : Struggling to estimate how long tasks will take. Overplanning, Then Avoiding : Making perfect to-do lists... and then hiding from them. All-or-Nothing Thinking : "If I can't do it properly, I won't do it at all." Shame Loops : Feeling guilty for not doing enough, then freezing and doing less. So What Actually Helps? Work With Your Energy, Not Against It : Plan around your natural rhythms—do focused work when you have focus, and lighter tasks when you don’t. Use a Focus Menu : Create a list of different ways to start focusing (e.g. music, timers, body doubling) and pick one based on your current state. Try the “First Five Minutes” Rule : Just start for five minutes. That’s it. Often, mom...

  If you have ADHD, you've probably experienced the strange 'stuckness' that happens when you're trying to shift from one thing to another. Even when the next task is simple—or something you want to do—it can feel like hitting an invisible wall. This isn't laziness or lack of motivation. It's your brain's wiring. Why Are Transitions So Hard?  ADHD affects a set of mental skills called executive functions. These are the processes that help us plan, prioritise, start, and shift between tasks. For people with ADHD, shifting—also known as "task switching" or transitioning—can be particularly challenging. Here’s why: Cognitive Inertia : Once you're in a task (or a state of not doing), your brain tends to stay there. Starting is hard—but stopping can be just as tough. Hyperfocus or Freeze : ADHD brains can either get deeply focused (and lose track of time) or get stuck in a freeze state, unable to get started. Time Blindness : Without a strong sense ...