Livingston Services

Everyone is challenged by the number of distractions that fill our worlds all day long. These challenges to our concentration and focus are particularly demanding for those with ADHD, but they are present and difficult for everyone.

When I’m explaining ADHD to someone who has recently been diagnosed, I point out that the culture we live in creates an environment that can produce ADHD like symptoms in most of us – short attention span, easily distracted, impulse control issues and more. A diagnosis of ADHD simply means a person lives with a more potent dose of these challenges; ones that are rooted in neurobiology.

In her book “Rapt” Winifred Gallagher takes a close look at the science of paying attention. Apparently the brain is hardwired to pay attention to the most “colorful” thing in its environment. It is difficult to pull our attention away from a sight or sound that grabs our attention, but we can develop some capacity with practice.

We can learn how to increase our abilities through biofeedback and regularly meditate. Ms. Gallagher is a fan of meditation to increase your focus, but she uses an even simpler method when she’s trapped in a noisy environment - earplugs. She compares this to a personal stimulus control shelter.

She also says that after a period of concentration, your prefrontal cortex probably needs a break.  Simple tasks like answering e-mail or returning phone calls can help you rest and be ready to focus again. Beware of getting distracted though, because after an interruption the brain can take 20 minutes to do the equivalent of rebooting.

Ms. Gallagher also feels that “Multitasking is a myth.” “You cannot do two things at once. The mechanism of attention is selection: it’s either this or it’s that. People don’t understand that attention is a finite resource, like money.”

Coaching offers clients techniques to deal with distractions and to minimize interruptions so you can function at a more productive and involved level. If you’re interested in seeing if coaching might help you, please call Jay Livingston at 978-446-9600 or Jay@Livingstonservices.com