5 Coping Strategies for ADHD
Written by Will DeJohn, CSW
An estimated 5 million children and 8.7 million adults in the U.S. have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Odds are that you or someone you know has ADHD! Whether it’s struggling to sit in a class for a long time or can’t quite find the motivation to do chores, ADHD can impact several facets of life. Here are five strategies to better understand your ADHD and incorporate them into your daily routine.
Fidgets. “Wait, how can a toy help me pay attention?” you might ask. ADHD presents in
three types: inattentive, hyperactive, and combined. The type and traits of that type will
vary in degree from person to person. Still, the important thing to know is that in both the
hyperactive and combined types, people tend to experience the impulsive urge to fidget.
Evidence has shown that children benefit from having fidgets available to use their
excess energy in the classroom without causing disruptions in learning, and adults have
even reported helped them maintain focus for longer during meetings (Aspiranti & Hulac,
2021; Rotz & Wright, 2019). The fidget options are limitless, so pick your favorite one
and try it out!
Body Doubling. ADHD brains often look for something to keep them interested and
engaged, so their mind might wonder when a task gets dull. The scientific guess is that
dopamine, a neurotransmitter that provides feelings of pleasure and reward, is reduced in
ADHD brains (Volkow et al., 2009). However, suppose someone new is introduced to
that brain. In that case, they might feel rewarded and more motivated to work on that task
again because their brain will receive more dopamine. Body Doubling is a strategy
people with ADHD can use in which they work on dull tasks with someone working
alongside them, on the phone, or even just in the same room. So the next time you need a
little motivation, try sitting next to someone you like.
Pomodoro Technique. Have you ever sat in front of your computer to start a writing
assignment but took a break to clear your head, only to check the time and realize it was
hours later than expected? Time Blindness is a common experience for people with
ADHD and is often tied to how emotionally involved they are with the activity; the less
emotion involved, the harder it becomes to perceive time (Nazari et al., 2018). However,
you can set specific focus and break times using the Pomodoro Technique. Here’s how:
pick a task, like a school writing assignment. Then, set a timer for 25 minutes to work on
that task uninterrupted until the timer goes off. Next, set a timer for 5 minutes for a break;
you can do anything you want until the timer ends! Finally, start the cycle again, and after
four cycles, if the task still needs to be finished, take a 20-30 minute break before you
begin the next cycle. Check in with yourself on the length of your breaks; maybe time
them longer if needed!
Attentive Tuning Technique. Most people assume that people with ADHD cannot pay
attention to one thing or get easily distracted by the squirrel outside the window.
However, they may also experience a hyperfocus state, where their attention is solely
dedicated to one activity or extended periods, like playing video games or an art project
(Morin, 2020). When you’re in this zone, it can be challenging to switch gears to
something else. Attentive Tuning Technique, or ATT, is a mindfulness skill to practice
daily or can use when you catch yourself in the hyperfocus zone. Start by picking a song,
especially one you like, and listen to it from start to finish while picking out the different
instruments, voices, high notes, low notes, verses, and chorus. Next, write down or
remember five things from what you picked out in the song and listen to it again, tuning
your attention to the parts for a few seconds and then shifting to the next part for a few
seconds and so on until the end. Finally, listen to the song a third time and try to listen as
a whole without tuning into the specific parts. This practice helps teach you and your
brain how to shift those gears intentionally! YouTube has excellent guided ATT practices
that are great for meditation or a moment of healthy distraction.
Self-Care. You’ve probably heard this one before, and it is pretty general. Why, what
does it mean? Well studies show that people diagnosed with ADHD experience higher
rates of anxiety and depression than people without it (CDC, 2022). Those symptoms can
put extra strain on the brains and bodies of folx with ADHD, adding to stress about
school, work, and relationships. But using some of the skills above and doing the things
that already help you feel better can be the key to your self-care! Fidgets can be used to
express yourself through art, inviting someone over to Body Double allows you to talk to
someone about how you feel, using a Pomodoro timer can help you set blocks of time to
exercise or rest, and setting time aside for ATT gives you a chance to meditate. How you
practice self-care can vary, so take a moment every day, at least once, to check in with
your brain and body to see what they need.
That covers five strategies for coping with ADHD. This is not an exhaustive list of ideas, so tell us what works for you! What skills or techniques are effective in your everyday life, and how or when do you use them?
References
Aspiranti KB, Hulac DM. Using Fidget Spinners to Improve On-Task Classroom Behavior for
Students With ADHD. Behav Anal Pract. 2021 Jun 2;15(2):454-465. doi:
10.1007/s40617-021-00588-2. PMID: 35692528; PMCID: PMC9120292.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 12). Data and statistics about
ADHD. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/data/
Morin, A. (2020, August 31). Understanding hyperfocus in adults with ADHD. ADDitude.
https://www.additudemag.com/understanding-adhd-hyperfocus/
Nazari MA, Mirloo MM, Rezaei M, Soltanlou M. Emotional stimuli facilitate time
perception in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Neuropsychol.
2018;12(2):165-175. doi:10.1111/jnp.12111
Rotz, R., Wright, S. (2019, January 30, updated 2023, October 17). ADHD fidgeting: The science
of movement, focus, and self-regulation. ADDitude. https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-
fidgeting/
Volkow ND, Wang G, Kollins SH, et al. Evaluating Dopamine Reward Pathway in ADHD:
Clinical Implications. JAMA. 2009;302(10):1084–1091. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1308
Nazari MA, Mirloo MM, Rezaei M, Soltanlou M. Emotional stimuli facilitate time perception in
children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Neuropsychol. 2018;12(2):165-
175. doi:10.1111/jnp.12111