Hyperfocusing is a big part of my autism, my ADHD, and who I am. I have a lot of special interests, and am generally quite an obsessive person, and my moods and energy can be erratic! Hyperfocus is kind of part of all that. I get really into certain topics, projects or even certain individual tasks, and suddenly they’re all I can think about. It’s a common phenomenon experienced by neurodiverse people.

What exactly is ‘hyperfocus’? Put simply, it’s an intense form of attention or concentration, to the point where you are so absorbed that you tune out or ignore other things. It’s usually related to an activity or subject. If you want the sciency side, it’s believed to relate to differences in our frontal lobes!

I think it’s important to emphasise how unique it can be. I have spent hours hyperfocusing on finding the perfect Christmas present for my grampy, weeks on playing and learning all about Pokemon, and I’ve also spent days hyperfocusing on learning about the history of the Philippines. I’ve been unable to do anything until I’ve organised a bookcase, and, most recently, have become hyperfocused on finding airfryer recipes, and planning a new sewing project.

Hyperfocusing can be great when you’re hyperfocusing on tasks you need to get done. You can end up being super productive and achieve a lot in a short amount of time. You can quickly absorb a lot more information than most people and can do so without being distracted by the outside world.

It’s also amazing because when hyperfocusing you often can achieve things that are really creative or unique. We often hyperfocus on our special interests, and so hyperfocusing can lead to some really cool things! 

However, there’s also a lot of downsides to hyperfocus. You can struggle to focus on anything else, which can be problematic if you need to study, work, or do chores, or other tasks. No matter how hard you try to divert your attention away from your hyperfocus, it consumes all your headspace and takes over your thoughts!

This can be really difficult if it affects your ability to self care. I often hyperfocus and end up forgetting to eat, drink, and/or sleep. It’s also made me late for things like meetings, or events I’ve committed to.

On top of all that, it can also lead to burnout, or just general fatigue. All the concentration and productivity uses a huge amount of energy and can really drain you.

Here are some tips I’ve learned from experience, to manage hyperfocus:

– Use a timer or get someone to stop you after a certain amount of time – allow yourself a good amount of time, e.g. a couple hours, to enjoy your hyperfocus

– Break up your hyperfocus into smaller tasks, as it can be easier to stop when feeling like you’ve ‘completed’ something

– Don’t feel guilty and don’t be angry at yourself!!

– Celebrate the things you achieve when you do hyperfocus – try to look at the positives

– Give yourself time to rest after

– Have a water bottle and easy meals/snacks that you can get to eat while in hyperfocus mode

– Be aware when you are hyperfocusing – take time to understand yourself, figure out what works for you, and what you are hyperfocusing on 🙂

– Physically move around to help divert your attention away from the hyperfocus, if you do need to do something else

I hope these help!