ADHD Hyperfocus: How to Channel Hyperfocus and Why ADHDers Do It
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- In this video, Sydni tackles some common misconceptions about ADHD, particularly the idea of "attention deficit" and how it relates to hyperfocus.
I'll explain why the term "attention deficit" can be misleading and provide insights into the neuroscience behind hyperfocus in ADHD brains, which is heavily influenced by dopamine levels, a neurochemical that's responsible for reward and motivation.
I also discuss common topics and interests that people with ADHD (and also autistics) often hyperfocus or hyperfixate on, along with sharing personal experiences of hyperfocus. Whether it's a specific activity, topic, or hobby, hyperfocus can manifest in various ways.
Now, you might be wondering: Is hyperfocus a good thing or a bad thing? A strength or a weakness? A superpower or a curse? Stay tuned to find out my take on this question!
To make things even more practical, I'll share valuable tips and strategies for managing hyperfocus when it becomes overwhelming in everyday life. Finding a balance is key!
Let's work together to spread awareness about ADHD. Show your support by liking, subscribing, and joining the conversation in the comments below. I'm eager to hear your thoughts and suggestions for future ADHD-related videos!
Remember, my goal is to normalize ADHD and make valuable information accessible and engaging. Together, we can break stereotypes and foster understanding.
I don't think it was mentioned, but I'd like to add that for me, the greatest feeder of hyperfocusing is an intense desire to "do something else". If I'm doing a task or have been assigned a task that is either too much effort or too much "work" my brain literally won't focus on it. Yeah, I can focus myself to do it, but seriously, it's like being bored to absolute death and dying repeatedly of it yet still doing it. Instead, my brain just drives me to those other interesting things, and then three hours later I've literally done nothing but those fun things, and barely anything at all on the task I needed to do. Could you call this laziness? Sure, if you didn't know what it was and didn't recognize the symptoms of ADHD. It's so hard to explain what it actually FEELS like to be so disinterested in something that your brain literally takes charge and DRIVES you to something more interesting. It's almost like driving down the highway at 150 MPH and realizing you're not even at the wheel, you're just along for the terrifying gut-wrenching ride praying you don't crash and die the entire process.
THATS MEEE I feel so vailded
THIS! Thank you for putting words to the feeling that I haven't ever been able to describe. I'm sitting here crying because I finally feel like I might be able to explain to others how I feel. Thank you so much!
For myself it's not as dramatic but I do get a feeling of omg, this is a friggen stale chore and then I come up with creative ways to avoid it and do something else...which becomes its own hyper focus, lol. 😁
Sometimes I think my mild OCD gives me a quirky balance. 😊
Oh, I get it, it's intense, like losing a parent in the shops you neeeed to see them, it's not a want it's a need, when I get super stressed I need david Sutchets poirot or Fraser, I need it, as soon as it starts I'll fall asleep, that's why I'm now being tested for high functioning autism by a neuropsychologist, I've already been diagnosed with adhd and complex ptsd..all between 49 and 52 which is what I am now.
But I raised 2 beautiful boys, and have 8 and a half grandchildren and we are all in this lovely special category 😄😃 and I have wonderful daughter in-laws with there own issues, which makes me love them more 🤗😃💞👍.
I used to do my dishes maybe once a week and would eat off of disposable dishes because cleaning the kitchen wasn't fun, which made it impossible, but I made myself realize that it makes cooking alot more fun when you don't have to stop what you're doing to wash a spoon so you can stir the thing before it burns in 5 seconds, and now it's about the only thing I do routinely and daily. I am 30, grew up in foster care and never got any sort of nurturing in the form of learning how to do basic things like brushing your teeth or cleaning in general. I was just told to do stuff and because I didn't want to get yelled at for being stupid, I did the best a child could figure out from a bunch of disorderly, mentally unstable, unrelated teen "sisters". I do best when I'm on a schedule, but no matter how many times I try I can't seem to get one completed. Because I'm intelligent and I automatically mask all this in front of other people, it's hard to get help from my case manager.
I was incapable of studying for Chemistry in high school. I remember literally waking up refreshed on a Saturday and determined to do better in the class. I decided to start my doing the assigned reading. It put me to sleep in like 5 minutes.
I'm actually able to hyperfocus on the same interests for years as long as that interest has many different rabbit holes. For example language learning. I can focus on vocabulary or grammar and then each of those major topics have a ton of rabbit holes. So, even though I might spend several hours learning every single difference between two words that are practically interchangeable eventually I do make headway in a language. Currently I can read news articles in a few different languages and I can read simple comics in a couple more. I definitely don't learn as fast as others but I'm so proud of myself for finding a passion that I enjoy and have stayed with for 5+ years.
Same. Aka reading & writing. I can never master either no matter how hard I try, and both have endless possibilities. While prose is my main thing, I've also learned to write sonnets and do a bit of poetry in general, also performance poetry, have learned to script comics and write text adventure games for the computer, even been on a course in screenwriting. Not having limits is a hugely satisfying feeling.
Sigh, this sounds like me. I guess I have to go to the doctor.
When I hyper-focus, I feel like I don’t need to sleep or even eat. It’s like being on speed.
Also, "time blindness" and being hyper-focused is now being described by entrepreneurs, neurologists, psychologists, as Flow state. Isn't that a good thing? People pay thousands to learn how to get into a flow state. The problem is having that flow state wasted on trivial pursuits. I realized I had a problem when I walked into a 1800 Mattress store to feel out some mattresses and ended up schooling the salesman on all his display models, coil counts, layers, fire retardants, foam densities, etc. By the end he asked if I wanted his job because I knew more than he did. THAT is ADHD brain. I can spend HOURS researching tea kettles. WTF? How do we stop this nonsense and redirect our focus on things that will truly benefit us and maybe even bring us more income? Taking ADHD meds only makes me more calm and able to do the boring tasks, but it doesn't redirect my hyperfocus on the right task.
Omg the coffee filters and investing and changing hobbies totally speaks to me.
For me this has turned a really bad start of a day to a way more hopeful evening today. Thank ya for doin this channel.
Thank god you solved the problem people have understanding ADHD in the first minute and a half. I say in my room for hours at a time for about 7 years writhing and recording songs. At the end I had over 700 songs. Which is a lot. I also was very good at spray painting and skating. The best at all these things in the neighborhood. All because of hyper focus. You’re right it should be renamed.
my hyperfocuses: greys anatomy, looking at powerpoints and writing down notes of random topics from european history to astronomy, people. (or one specific person), pinterest, and so much more
The show and tell of past hyper focuses really made me laugh! So relatable!
lol, yeah, and those are just a few!! Glad someone could relate!
@@WhatintheADHD Yea totally! 6 months after moving in together my partner picked up on my various hyper focuses. It was the first insight I'd ever had into my ADHD.
I was in tears cause THIS is what I have! Im diagnosed and in SSDI for it so it hits home hard enough and it probly got its own wing in hell. Once I thought maybe I died and THIS is hell but then its been this way all my life.
I have adhd but I don’t have hyper focus
But after she said shopping and streaming services, I stand corrected
OH MY GOD THE RE WRITING YOUR NOTES. Welcome to my life I thought I was the only one
...and then never looking at them again.
I got into acrylic pouring too! For a week. Also needle felting, low-poly paper sculptures, diamond painting, decorating my house, plants plants plants plants, terrariums!! What about painting tiny model people to go in the terrariums? I can waste days on chasing down all information on all the things and hopefully my intense interest will evaporate before I spend all the money I have.
About three days ago I started to wonder if I might have ADHD. I haven’t been officially diagnosed yet. Your video was so shocking to me. I didn’t know there were other people like me out there. 😭 Thank you.
Have just discovered this channel. Excellent.
Thank you so much for watching and for the feeback!!
I've wasted so much money on hobbies that I haven't kept up...
I bought a book on how to draw in 30 days, and I still haven't finished it yet. It's been 3 years. 😭
Damn, you could've been a pro by now!
Sydni said as her guitar collected dust in the corner after 17 years of intending to learn.
I like the idea of chanelling hyperfocus... gonna try to figure out how to make some necessary buyt boring tasks interesting..
But when it comes to cleaning/tyding up/decluttering...
I gotta say I do my best work when I'm pissed of. There is nothing like rage cleaning. It get all the rage out.. and then you have a clean space and good mood. After cleaning and getting sweaty.. a nice shower and sitting watching a movie with my feet up in my beautiful clean appartment.
I really enjoy your videos. And they’re very informative. As an adult who always felt different, finally in my 50s I know why. I hope you’ll be able to keep the channel going for a long time. And thanks for what you’ve done so far.
I'm so happy you've found my content useful! Thank you so much for saying this. 😊
Your channel makes me feel not so alone and hopeful... Thank you, thank you, thank you for awesome, funny, informative, and interesting as hell videos!!! 😄
This is the best ADHD channel around! You are knowledgeable, clear and HILARIOUS. Thanks and hope you keep up with the great content!
this is awesome, extremely well explained and gives neurotypical people more insight on why we act the way we do
OMG I love you! You literally reconciled me with myself in 12 minutes❤ I hope you didn't stop thiss channel because I see this video is 1 year old already... Keep making those!! You are a total life saver AND I love your personality 😊😊😊
This is a great video!
I love this. This was a great video. I was diagnosed with ADHD a few weeks ago
AHHHHHHHH I LOVE YOU!! 😭😭😭I LITERALLY WAS DYING LAUGHING THIS ENTIRE VID CAUSE THIS IS MEEE!!….My mind is blown…it feels good to know your not alone🥺THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!💗
I’ve purchased almost every new Project Management Institute body of knowledge for 10 years determined to get certified. Have not completed it. Relate!
I watch videos on TH-cam of people cleaning their house while I clean my house. Then I get a big tick with pretty marker on my chart after 15 minutes.
Researching topics on intrest: i swear i spend hours on Google maps(exploring the world) without noticing the clock
Rewriting notes ✔️
Never read them back✔️
Hobbies yes i researched on guitars recently
Awesome video. Thankyou!
I can definitely relate but in different ways. One key has been figuring out what works for me.
I challenged my brain and made python programming interesting to learn and I learned it with hyperfocus because that was the only thing interesting to me.
So... what is his least favorite robot??
LMAOOO I think he mumbled something incoherent and walked away
Oh my gosh I feel heard for the first time 😅 Thank you ❤
I can wake up early, start playing video games and by the time I look out the window it's dark.
I don’t like how you took my entire life and made a video out of it… I want my TH-cam bucks lol! Great content!
Wait, what was your least favorite robot?
Great and helping video, thank you!
I buy tons of books for whatever I'm trying to do at the moment too.
Ok I'm 54 and never realized what I had put up with all these years with myself. 😂
I can totally see myself showing some of these traits. Especially the hobbies and interests part. 😁
I'm sending this vid link to my wife and three teens. Very informative thank you. 🙂👍❤️
I hyper focus on Video Games or miniature painting. I keep saying “Oh just a little longer” and then it’s midnight and I have to wake up at 4am! 😂 And I don’t know how much I’ve spent on hyperfocus hobbies.
Life goals? Career dreams? Waaaay too many
I am in love with you!! Nobody in my life has ever understood me! And have never been stable in a relationship! I have never been able to explain or express this! You are amazing!
So I was curious about what hyper focus was because I have ADHD and I done watch two videos on it already
Thank you for this and the humour as I struggle to just sit and watch a video! And as I watch this, I'm putting off my bathroom break... Because yeah, that's a whole thing!! 🤣🤦🏻♀️
Thank you for explaining it so well ! 😀🌈💙
Everyone’s different. I was great socially (it was actually one of my hyper focuses) when I got the most things done. (I’m half and half now socially). For me the recipe for hyperfocus is lack of dopamine, hyper sensitivity to interesting things (which is a byproduct of lack of dopamine), and thats it. I think you can include poor time management and poor prioritizing but if your a child in the summer time you can still hyper focus while eating all your meals and sleeping 8+ hours.
Do any of you have a soundtrack to your lives for example all of a sudden different songs play in your head whilst you do certain activities
Ha! I have them in my head and make them to activate types of thinking/feelings. Need a hyperfocus activation playlist!!
yup
I got songs I DONT EVEN KNOW THE WORDS TO play in my head and sometimes theyll stop n sometimes I end up learnin the words,lol. It will keep me from fallin asleep for DAYS if I dont literally command it out in the name of Jesus ta STOP! like a mini exocism. I got a KINGSIZED industial shop fan that cures that too fer the most part.
I felt that part about the hobbies. I like knitting and saw a few videos about knitting using a loom. Bought one the next day. Have not touched it. I have a hard time starting and completing tasks. I hyperfocus on knitting. Even now, I'm putting off eating and looking for a new job because I just really want to finish the project. I also was hyperfocused on a videogame. Now I'm also hyperfocused on this youtuber. I wanted to know everything about him, get an expensive rice cooker like him, buy everything to make fried rice...then left the ingredients sitting in my fridge and now they've gone bad. I bought tickets to see him do standup live, not thinking twice about my finances. ._.
Love your comment!
The medals behind you toke my attention all video, it's hyperfocus (':
Okey, I will only read a novel for 15 minutes
*Reads a novel with hyperfocus for 18 hours without stopping
Awesome 😎👍...!!!
The only video I watched till the end with adhd 😇
Ahh!! Seriously!? That really means a lot to me. Thank you for taking the time to let me know that!
I’m hyperfocused rn on ADHD research. Yay adderall shortage!
Your channel is Sooo Amazing.. Regarding ADHD...Hahaha..
LoVe you Dear...It's tHe best....
I swear, I tried to count how many medals you have behind you while listening to you.
What about the robot!? I must know😱😭
Good video. However, your advice for channeling hyperfocus is really just tricking yourself into doing a task that would otherwise be left incomplete or not attempted at all. Hyperfocus is perseveration and cannot be turned on like that; it is getting stuck on a task, be it productive or unproductive, and unable to switch out.
I agree that meds greatly help with preventing perseveration and allow us to try other tasks.
Yeah - if you notice the wording I use, I specifically say that you have to trick your brain into it.
I always wanted to do a video about how Christianity helps ADHD. There really are many things about the beliefs that create a structure for hyper focus. At 9:20 you say that you must make things interesting if you want to channel your hyperfocus. One example that Christianity gives is “everything is a test from god”. So while your in a situation that demands anything from you and you think it’s s test from god you may turn on hyper focus to always get an A+ from god. This is called Gamify your life in psychology. Anyway. Love this video and I subscribed.
OMG!!! I’ve watched hours on sloths and their evolution and why they have not gone extinct!! They are so interesting. The once ruled the world. Go figure. However this is not a conversation starter no matter how much you think it is. Lol
I also really write all my notes and the paper in the notebook has to be smooth and with a certain pen and it has to be perfect.
You just need to fuel your curiosity to find History, literature, Physics, Art, Geography etc damm interesting.
I use weed to channel my hyperfocus.
It Helps regulate the rewarding thingie also...
I been smoking sinds i was 16.
Few years ago i quit for a while.
And found myself in a 2 years of hyperfocus-state where i would go to work, and be the fastes, after i would take a bikeride of 25 km on a old heavy steel bike, to hit the gym , to go home and start to cook a 3 way dinner , and doing the dishes , after al of this i would sit unconfortaby in the sofa with me bf, in horrible musscle pain , and sleep verry badly .
In the weekends i would work all day cleaning the house and prepping food...
All is better now , sinds i been smoking again.
So me
6 hours? I spent 16 yesterday on reddit.. Then when I was like, man im getting sleepy.. I realized how much my legs and back hurt, I realized it was 3am. I realized I hadn't fed the cats. I realized I hadn't drank anything all day. I realized my eyes were bone dry.
Wow first time hearing you curse haha love your Channel btw
I literally have all of these issues 😕
So adhd TikTok sent me on a spiral. I’ve never been diagnosed BUT I’ve noticed I do a lot of the things. College for me was a interesting experience because a lot the things you mentioned and more really carried me through STEM degree, hyperfocusing, highly caffeinated (avg.3-4 cups), and last min procrastination. Is it possible to show these signs but be neurotypical?
What meds are you taking for these types of hyper focus?
I am currently In nursing school and feels like my brain does not retain the material no matter what I do. Its so frustrating are you able to make a video with note taking tips PLEASEEEEE!!!!
I'm just taking Lexapro for depression/anxiety but nothing for ADHD. Also taking synthroid for thyroid and water pill. I'm old and always have been very overweight. That's why I'm hesitant to take many meds, due to weight gain. I'd find it helpful, What in the ADHD, what your medications and supplements, if any, are. Same question for everyone else on meds. I'd love to increase my dopamine but can't take any addtl meds or supplements for it while on Lexapro. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Shout out to all Betsys getting dunked on!
LMAO
Oh my goodness. Now I need to know why sloths haven't gone extinct 🤣🤭😲😔🤣 here goes my day. Did you say anything after that?!
no literally the sloths part😩 like that is me lmaooo
Not me here hyperfocusing on a video about hyperfocus…
LOL can 100% relate
I was late diagnosis at 39 didn't no till now what was my hyperpocus
Computer game theam hospital
Mood and stars
My cat
My ex husband
Music and musicals
Singing
Sewing
Now it's selling
items online and been the same for 3 years
You're literally in my head right now lol
Avoid distractions 😂 I’m never cleaning the house!!
Off topic but what did u win all your medals in the background for?! There’s so manyy
They're my husband's! He used to run a lot of races lol
@@WhatintheADHD that’s so cool! Loved your video btw🤙🏽
oh and yby the by it is not giff or jif but Gee eye Eff.. i was in college for computer informations systems when the format was first created
I think you should stop generalize hyperfocus as a general attribute to all adhd since this trait is included in people with mainly hyperfocused adhd subtype. For example, i have the inattentive ADD subtype and i barley exhibit the traits u mentioned.
I am like you.I hyper focus but jump form one thing to another. It drives my wife crazy.
I don't know what I hyperfocus on necessarily and I don't feelike I do it very often but my hubby argues black n blue that it's quite otherwise 😆
We’re only making plans for Nigel…
isn't a low level of dopamine supposed to gives low activity ? then why in ADHD we have hyperactivity ?
Andrew Huberman has a couple of interesting episodes on ADHD, I think these complete well your own content. You're more funny but he's more science-oriented.
How long does the hyperfocus hobby usually stay before you jump into the other hyperfocus hobby?
It depends on the person! Mine have been anywhere from 2 days to 3 months.
@@WhatintheADHD 2 days? That was quick
@@WhatintheADHD same for me mine is just 1-2 days. It’s this short mostly because the things that catch my attention are action that don’t give instant rewards the only thing that have stuck for years/month is crocheting.
Mine has lasted from when i was 14 until now
@@WhatintheADHD Yes...
Omg we have the same brain 😳
Do a brain dump of the IMPORTANT things that you need to do on a piece of paper and keep it in front of you. So if you wander away hyper focusing on irrelevant stuff. That paper will get you back
I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and do take medicine for it occasionally. But I struggle with the whole idea of it because there's a part of me that can't stop thinking that ADHD is most of the time nothing more than being undisciplined. What is self regulation and attention regulation if not "discipline"?
People with ADHD have a dysfunctional brain, which means that they don’t have enough dopamine (a neurotransmitter that is directly related with self regulation and attention regulation). You can’t be disciplined if you don’t have enough tools for it. This is where medication comes in: it will provide you with the tools to become a disciplined person (dopamine regulation)
I've tried to "become disciplined and develop healthy routines" for about 20 years now. It always works for like a week, then falls apart, and I feel like a total failure. I've read self help, time management, watched TH-cam videos on the issue, and tried different methods.
BTW I've had people compliment I have a high work ethic. I do what I've promised, and constantly educate myself further.
The problem is as always that I can't keep up a well balanced life. So I'm very familiar with doing work during the night, though have been able to set some boundaries there after I got into a car crash partly due to chronic lack of sleep.
I'm not yet diagnosed with ADHD, but would say you can absolutely be motivated, a hard worker and all, just that your brain is set to fail you.
What works for me currently is that I made calendars my hobby. Aka I purchased a nice looking calendar that perfectly fits my needs, and started decorating it with stickers and images cut out from magazines. I mark down all essential tasks that need to be done on a certain date, but leave the days otherwise empty if possible. And I use additional to do -lists and post it notes. Being a freelancer/entrepreneur helps a lot. I also try to go to sleep before midnight, and go outside of home to work, like in a library or a cafe, but not every day, since it can become too overwhelming. Anyway that set time and place seems to help with hyperfocus.
Slavs? Like Slavic people?? Why would they go extinct?!
...sloths? 😂
@@WhatintheADHD well that makes a lot more sense…for some reason I couldn’t post this on my PC.
f this
your meds. sure you can do stuff with it
This is making cry more, because it's, normal talk, super relateable, I jump from one to another to another, and I never know what it's going to be, how long it will last or what will be next..I don't even realise it's changing. Then in-between having mini hyperfocuses...if I want to clean I find colour, I love colour, so I get one thing of a certain colour and get excited building around it 🙂🟣🟡 ⚪️⚫️ 🟤⚪️🟠🔵⚫️🔴🟣⚪️🟡⚪️🟡🟡🟡🟡😄😄😃.