ADHD Attention is Chasing Fireflies

Plus 5 Tips on How to Catch Your Fireflies!

Recently I have found my ability to sustain attention floundering. I promise there are no fish metaphors, but let me know if the one I am about to share bugs you.

Trying to spark our ability to attend or regain our attention post-interruption can feel like chasing fireflies in the summer. We see where the fireflies are and we reach there. Just to miss it. Wait, there it is, a foot to the left! We get there but miss it again. We don't know how we catch it, but when we finally get our fireflies, our ability to focus and attend lights up magically.

Apologies to those of you who are California natives and may be asking what even a firefly is?! I can promise you they are, in my honest opinion, the least creepy bug in nature. Although the diagnostic name reads as Attention-Deficit, it is a misnomer. Those with ADHD do not lack attention. It is there. It can be hard to utilize. It can be hard to catch. We catch our firefly attention quickly with tasks that are more interesting to us, but we struggle to catch the little attention buggers when we have to focus on tasks that are not alluring.

Tips for catching your fireflies:

1. Create an inviting jar. Make your space inviting to be in. Use background music without words. Use an air mist or candle to add a pleasant scent. Set the mood.

2. Figure out the best time for you to catch your fireflies. Do you work best in the morning? Afternoon? Evening? Track your focus over a week and note when it is easier to attend to things.

3. Let others know you are on the hunt. For some with ADHD, the buddy system (aka body doubling) is helpful. Having someone in the room can create additional focus. Paradoxical sounding, right?! Others work best when left alone. If you know which side you lean toward and that may change with each task, test out strategies to utilize it.

4. Let time be on your side. Using a timer can be a great strategy if you are having trouble getting started or stopping once you catch those fireflies. If we know we only need to work for 20 minutes or can only work for 20 minutes, we can get things done!

5. Remember that fireflies can be tricky. Even if you cannot catch some right now, today, or tomorrow. Be kind to yourself. Some days we catch fireflies like masters and some days, we catch them like we are novices. Both days, we are doing our best.