Is Your Attention Playing Hide and Seek? ADHD and the Focus Challenge

Have you ever been halfway through an important task when your mind suddenly wanders off without permission? Do you sometimes find yourself focusing so intensely on one thing that hours pass unnoticed? What if these seemingly contradictory experiences are two sides of the same executive function coin?

Executive Functions: A Quick Reminder

As we explored in our previous blog on activation, executive functions serve as your brain’s management system. These cognitive processes help coordinate thoughts, emotions, and actions to accomplish your goals. For those with ADHD, these functions develop and operate differently, creating both unique challenges and remarkable strengths.

What is Focus?

Focus is the second core executive function in Dr. Thomas Brown’s model of ADHD. It involves three critical abilities: focusing attention on a task, sustaining that focus over time, and shifting attention when appropriate.

Many describe their ADHD focus challenges like a radio with poor reception: “Sometimes I get the signal clearly, but then it fades in and out, and I miss chunks of information without realising it’s happening.” This isn’t simply a matter of trying harder; it reflects genuine neurological differences in how attention is regulated.

The Three Dimensions of Focus Challenges

For those with ADHD, focus typically manifests in three distinct ways:

1. Hyperfocus Can you become so absorbed in an engaging task that you lose track of time, forget to eat, and tune out the world around you? This intense concentration, called hyperfocus, represents one end of the ADHD attention spectrum. While often viewed positively (“I wish I could focus like that all the time!”), unmanaged hyperfocus can lead to neglecting other responsibilities and poor time management.
2. Distractibility Do external stimuli constantly pull your attention away from the task at hand? The ADHD brain is naturally more responsive to novelty in the environment. What others might filter out automatically (a conversation across the room, a notification, someone walking past) can capture your full attention, interrupting your workflow.
3. Wandering Attention Does your own mind sometimes feel like your biggest distraction? Even in a perfectly quiet room, internal thoughts can create a busy intersection of ideas, memories, and tangential thinking that pulls you away from your intended focus.

The Focus Paradox

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of ADHD focus challenges is their inconsistency. The same person who cannot concentrate on a 30 minute work meeting might spend five hours in complete absorption researching a new interest.

This inconsistency isn’t a character flaw or lack of discipline. Rather, it reveals something fundamental about how the ADHD brain allocates attention:

While neurotypical brains typically direct focus based on importance and urgency, ADHD brains allocate focus based primarily on interest, novelty, and stimulation.

Recognising Focus Challenges in Professional Settings

You might be experiencing focus challenges if you:

• Feel mentally present one moment and “miles away” the next
• Frequently miss details in conversations or meetings
• Need information repeated multiple times
• Excel at creative problem solving but struggle with routine tasks
• Have been told you interrupt others or change subjects abruptly
• Find yourself doing unimportant tasks with perfect concentration while important deadlines loom

Transforming Focus Challenges into Professional Strengths

When properly understood and managed, the unique focus patterns of ADHD can become remarkable professional assets:

• Hyperfocus can drive innovation: The ability to dive deeply into topics enables mastery and breakthrough thinking that more diffuse attention patterns might miss.
• Heightened awareness can enhance leadership: Being naturally tuned into environmental changes can translate to exceptional situational awareness and responsiveness.
• Non linear thinking leads to creativity: The tendency for attention to make unexpected connections often generates innovative solutions that linear thinkers might overlook.
• Interest based motivation creates passion: When aligned with genuine interests, the ADHD brain can generate enthusiasm and energy that inspires teams and drives projects forward.

Questions to Consider

1. When do you find yourself most able to sustain attention? What elements make those activities easier to focus on?
2. How might your unique attention patterns serve as strengths in your professional life?
3. What environments or conditions help you maintain optimal focus?
4. Have you discovered any personal strategies that help you direct your attention more effectively?

Moving Forward

Understanding your unique focus patterns is essential for professional success with ADHD. Rather than fighting against your natural attention style, effective strategies work with your brain’s wiring to create conditions where focus comes more naturally.

In our next blog, we’ll explore the executive function of Effort, examining how ADHD affects energy regulation, processing speed, and sustained effort over time.

Remember: The goal isn’t to focus like everyone else. The goal is to understand your unique focus patterns and create environments where your attention works optimally for you.

Read more blogs from Chris

Chris Mitchell is an ADHD-informed coach and former corporate strategist who helps both neurotypical and neurodiverse business leaders transform their unique mind into their competitive advantage. If you’re curious about how executive function challenges might be impacting your professional life, let’s connect for a conversation about your unique brain wiring and how to leverage it for success.