4 ways to fine-tune your focus

Many adults with ADHD have trouble concentrating. Here are simple tweaks you can make to your lifestyle that may help improve your attention.

woman doing a yoga position against blue starry night, zen

Updated on October 21, 2024.

Having a short attention span is one of the hallmark symptoms of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But even those who often find themselves easily distracted can take steps to improve their focus.

For starters, ADHD adults can minimize daily distractions, like cleaning up cluttered personal spaces, powering down attention-stealing digital devices, and keeping daily to-do lists to a reasonable (and realistic) length.

Lifestyle tweaks to make for ADHD

Beyond that, there are several lifestyle strategies that can help people focus and pay better attention. These include the following:

Get more (and better) sleep

Lack of sleep—common in adults with ADHD—worsens daytime fatigue and can seriously impair concentration and productivity. It can also intefere with learning, memory, executive functioning, and emotional stability.

If you have a sleep-deprived ADHD adult in your life, suggest that they talk to their healthcare provider (HCP) about sleep aids or healthy sleep strategies that might help.

Hit the gym

According to research, exercise is a powerful tool to boost attention in adults with or without ADHD. But in ADHD-specific studies, exercise improved impaired attention, impulse control, and executive functioning by enhancing neurological functioning in parts of the brain responsible for these jobs.

Consider meditation

Mindfulness meditation may train the brain to focus better. This ancient mind-quieting technique teaches people to reign in mental chatter and focus on the present moment. Although more research is needed to confirm its specific benefits for ADHD adults, one study did find that meditation boosted neural processes in regions of the brain responsible of sustaining attention.

Eat breakfast

Skipping breakfast leads to low blood sugar later in the day—and that means no fuel for your brain cells. According to several studies, eating breakfast improves concentration, mood, learning, memory, and overall cognitive functioning. Just watch what you put on your plate.

Choose complex carbohydrates like fruit and whole grains, which trigger a slow, steady, attention-sustaining release of blood sugar.

More On

How can ADHD affect my life?

video

How can ADHD affect my life?
Left untreated, ADHD can be extremely problematic for those who suffer from it; it needs to be properly diagnosed and treated. Watch psychiatrist Dani...
3 ways to help diminish digital distractions

article

3 ways to help diminish digital distractions
Adults with ADHD may have a hard time staying focused and digital devices add to the challenge. Here's how to minimize distractions.
7 facts about ADHD all parents should know

slideshow

7 facts about ADHD all parents should know
ADHD can impact a child's school performance. Recognize the signs to help your child thrive.
What are the symptoms of ADHD in adults?

video

What are the symptoms of ADHD in adults?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can cause a sometimes bewildering variety of symptoms. Psychiatrist Sudeepta Varma, MD, discusses key ...
How to spot ADHD symptoms in kids

video

How to spot ADHD symptoms in kids
All kids can be inattentive or impulsive sometimes, but children with ADHD experience these and other symptoms to greater degrees. Pediatrician Tanya ...