How to Hyperfocus without Burning Out

We don't struggle to focus. We struggle to control our focus

ADHD is a terrible term.

We don’t lack attention, we struggle to control our attention.

Every human has a natural variation in stimulation. Where one person is obsessed with Aircraft (me), another thinks they’re boring (my wife).

I, the plane nerd, am stimulated by the sight of a 777 landing. My wife, could not care less.

We all have our own unique idea of what stimulates us. What interests us. What holds our focus.

And we’re all distracted in one shape of form.

Unfortunately, western society puts some things (academic success, finances, sitting quietly and doing our work) on a pedestal. Apparently they matter more than everything else.

Enter, ADHD.

People who struggle to do those things are often diagnosed with ADHD.

ADHD = the people who can’t pay attention.

But this is untrue. We have no trouble focusing. We focus all day long. Sure, we focus on exactly what we should not be doing. But, my God, are we focused!

Here’s the problem: we can’t control what we focus on.

If we were left to focus on exactly what we wanted to, we’d be fine.

If society said it was ok to focus on what we wanted to, and not some predefined set of standards, we’d be superheroes.

The most focused.
The most determined.
The ones who never give up.

Lately, I’ve been asking myself: can we work with, not against, our natural variation in stimulation?

Here’s what I’ve found so far…

Working with Hyperfocus (not against it)

Using hyperfocus to our advantage starts with setting up an environment where you can (actually) hyperfocus.

This is where the foundations of my Drug Free ADHD Toolkit come in.

1. Breathwork

2. Cold exposure

3. Meditation

To garner hyperfocus, you need only two of the three — breathwork and cold exposure.

• First thing in the morning, take a shower.

• A hot shower is fine.

• Wash yourself as usual, then 10 seconds from the end switch to cold.

• If you can handle longer, go for longer.

• Three minutes is optimal.

At three minutes your brain is releasing enough dopamine to get you started on almost any task.

But we don’t jump right into the task.

Next we do some breathwork.

And for the purposes of setting up an environment for hyperfocus, we need something quite intense.

Ideally, you do the Wim Hof Method breathwork technique.

But if that’s too intense, try this:

• Lie in your back

• 30x breaths in and out through the nose (1 second per breath)

• Hold for 20 seconds (with empty lungs)

• Breathe in deeply

• Hold for 15 seconds

• Release

• Repeat if for more energy

Combining cold exposure and this type of breathwork prepares your mind for intense periods of work — for tasks you love and tasks you hate.

Tools

There are two tools I use everyday to help me stay on track.

1. Brain.fm

2. Focusmate

Brain.fm plays a specific type of music that helps you focus.

You can find similar playlists on Spotify if you don’t want to pay the subscription.

Focusmate, as I’ve spoken about many times before, pairs you with a random remote worker somewhere in the world. You both share the task you’re working on, set a 25 minute timer, and get to work.

This tool helps you focus.

But, more importantly, it stops you hyperfocusing on the wrong thing.

Why?

Firstly, you’re working alongside someone else. You don’t want to let them down. You don’t want to get to the end of your session and admit you didn’t do anything.

Secondly, the 25 minute timer will catch you in the middle of hyperfocus and bring you back to earth.

This has saved my day from spiralling into a pit of YouTube videos and pointless learning countless times.

But what if I’m hyperfocusing on what I should be doing?

If you hyperfocus on work you should be doing — focusmate isn’t required.

However, if you love using it, you can set the timer to 75 minutes.

How do I decide what to work on?

I always always always do my todo list the day before.

Always, without question, always.

Why is this so important?

Because you don’t want to spend any of your productive hyperfocus time deciding what to work on. Decisions should have been made the previous day.

You want to arrive at your desk with a crystal clear idea of what you need to do.

I use Todoist for this.

Every evening, I open Todoist on my iPhone and spend 5 to 10 minutes adding in every task I think I need to do tomorrow.

Then I question each one and delete any that are not essential.

In conclusion

ADHD is not a deficit of attention but a struggle to control focus.

The societal constructs of success often leave those with ADHD feeling inadequate, yet when the unique focus of ADHD is channeled appropriately, it can be a potent asset.

Using tools like breathwork, cold exposure, Brain.fm, and Focusmate, alongside efficient planning, can help us manage ADHD, transforming potential struggles into opportunities for hyperfocus.

If you’re interested, I teach all of these techniques in my recent course — How to Master Your Procrastination (ADHD edition).