good morning . Can you hyper focus on the details for a short time with a set timer ? Then step away for 10 minutes and review ?

[Peppridge]

good morning. I know one thing I have heard before is to set a timer. Can you set a timer and say hyper focus on the details where you might struggle? Then step away for 10 minutes and review what you have done. Walk around take a break. And then come back and reset a timer again for a designated amount of time and hyper focus.

[Pro-masker]

I would say that for us with adhd, small chunks and plenty of little breaks...I would hyperfocus to the point of not stopping for 9hrs straight we can be very time blind on tasks... losing focus along the way..now I set alarms which not only gives me a 15mins freshen up/break twice a day but also I can keep the focus at optimal level... we are not race horses that needs whipping till the task at hand is complete...

[DragonJeep]

yes, look up the Pomodoro technique.

[Mamamichl]

look up the pomodoro method. It talks specifically about this exact thing. For ADHD, it’s a great strategy for some, though for me, it’s quite difficult. I prefer larger stretches of hyperfocus to really get my juices flowing.

[Reformschooldropout in reply to Mamamichl]

Same for me, I use timers for some things but if I want to hyperfocus on something, I absolutely HATE being interrupted (especially after a short time like 15 minutes) and if I am forced to stop, I would struggle to get into it again.

[Mamamichl in reply to Reformschooldropout]

My biggest peeve is getting into my cross stitch and getting out of it. It’s a whole process to start, and if I have to get out within 5 mins, then I get so mad I don’t do my craft for the night.

[DopamineMachine]

Came here to say the same thing… Pomodoro method works great for me, provided I don’t ignore the timer! 😂 I often think I’m benefiting from my hyperfocus while I’m working, only to go for a walk break and realize that I’ve been focused on an unimportant aspect of the task at hand. That allows me to refocus on the important stuff when I get back to it.

[Reformschooldropout]

Personally I don't find it easy at all to 'summon' hyperfocus for something I don't like doing. I'm not sure if this is what you are referring to or not. I might use a timer over a short period of time to work at a task I don't like, knowing that when the timer goes I can stop. But I wouldn't consider that to be hyperfocus... I think of hyperfocus as being totally absorbed in something and in a different state of mind where you're not really aware of the passing of time, physical surroundings or anything else. When I'm in that state I would absolutely hate to stop after only 10 minutes.

It probably would work for me to set a timer for a couple of hours before starting something I knew I was likely to hyperfocus on, so it didn't take over the whole day!!