Help! I Can't Focu–OH! A PENNY!

 




Well, hello everyone! I am writing this bl....Oooooo DID YOU KNOW THAT DOGS CAN BARK!?!  Ahhh, SHOOT! Sorry, what are we talking about?!...Oh! Duh! Distractions...focusing...

Believe it or not, some of my blogs take all day to write. And yes—I’m medicated! I take ADHD stimulants to help quiet the brain chaos just a smidge. Some days, they work wonders. Other days? It feels like my brain is dragging itself through molasses. I try to push the focus button, and instead, executive dysfunction kicks in full force.

What is executive dysfunction?!  In psychology and neuroscience, executive dysfunction, or executive function deficit, is a disruption to the efficacy of the executive functions, which is a group of cognitive processes that regulate, control, and manage other cognitive processes. Basically, it’s when the “CEO” part of your brain is taking an unscheduled nap.



Sometimes it's distraction and sometimes it's executive dysfunction that causes lack of focus.  Either way, focus goes poof!

Focusing can be really hard for a lot of people—especially those with ADHD or AuDHD (that’s Autism + ADHD combined). We want to get stuff done, we really do! But sometimes, our brains are doing gymnastics while we’re just trying to send an email, finish/complete a task, or finish a sentence.  

Sometimes, the distractions aren’t even “fun” distractions. It’s not always scrolling TikTok or watching five videos about frogs wearing hats (although... guilty). Sometimes, it’s just zoning out. Sitting there. Thinking about how I should be focusing. And then feeling bad that I’m not. And then spiraling into the deep depths of “why can’t I just DO THE THING?!”

And the worst part? It’s not laziness. It’s not a character flaw. It’s not that I don’t care. It’s my brain doing its own thing—completely disconnected from the urgency or importance of the task at hand. That’s the hard part about executive dysfunction: even simple things feel impossible. Like responding to a message. Or getting out of bed. Or starting a blog that I actually WANT to write.

Some days I trick my brain into focusing with little rituals. I light a candle. I put on my noise-canceling headphones (bless them). I set a timer and pretend it’s a game. And sometimes… it works! Sometimes I catch a wave of momentum and ride it. But other times, I crash and have to start over, again and again. And that’s okay.

Living with ADHD or AuDHD means that focus isn’t always a reliable tool—it’s more like a rare experiment from Lilo & Stitch that shows up when it feels like it. And honestly? That’s why I’m so proud of every single blog post I finish. Because it’s not just words on a screen—it’s a whole journey of getting here. 

You know that feeling when your brain is like a browser with 37 tabs open… and 3 of them are frozen… and one is randomly playing music, but you can’t figure out where it’s coming from? Yeah. That’s my brain most days. Welcome to the party.

But over time, I’ve found a few things that help me—even if just a little:

🧠 Body doubling – Having someone else around, even if they’re not doing the same thing, helps me stay on track. Shoutout to all my silent FaceTime buddies ('Sup Doc, Jacob, Felicity, & Levi?! Those clothes don't hang themselves ;)).

📱 Timers – I sometimes set 10- or 15-minute timers and tell myself, “Just start. Just 10 minutes.” Sometimes that’s all I need to break the freeze. OR I watch a TV show that's like 22 minutes long that I've seen before as "white noise".

🎧 Vibe check – I put on music with no lyrics (like Disney Parks ride soundtracks) or brown noise to drown out the distractions and unwanted sensory input. It doesn’t cure executive dysfunction, but it’s like giving my brain a soft pillow to lean on.

✨ Celebrate the small stuff – If I get through a task that felt hard? I let myself feel proud (and sometimes reward myself with a small treat, TikTok scroll, etc.). No matter how small. Because small wins matter.

So, if you’ve been struggling to focus lately—whether it’s ADHD, AuDHD, or just life being lifey—you’re not alone. This blog? It took me hours. And I still showed up.

That’s the thing about neurodivergent brains—we may take the scenic route, but somehow and someway we will get there.


 Watch this fun video on what it feels like to have an ADHD brain:


If you would like to reach out to me, my email inbox is always open: alyssa.onthespectrum@gmail.com .  You can also find me on social media through my advocacy pages (TikTok & Instagram) @neurospicyblondie.


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