Readers of this site know that I have ADHD and am always fighting distractions. That’s easier said than done. With ADHD, I can be writing, hear, or see a bird out the window and be like, “Oh, birdie. I wonder what type of bird that is?” Two hours later, I’m reading the Wikipedia article about the Gila woodpecker and playing bird calls to see if I can get the bird to react. Trust me, I did that for three hours earlier this week.
I’ve told readers of my site how I use Apple Music to block out distractions, but when writing is going slow, that is when distractions sneak in. I use two things other than music to fight distractions when my hands are free. The first is an official MLB Baseball. As someone who grew up playing the game and enjoys watching games on TV and live at the ballpark, I find that rubbing or smelling a used baseball or tossing it between my hands is enough to give my ADHD brain something to focus on to block out other distractions.
Sometimes, carrying a baseball or throwing it around isn’t appropriate. At those times, I use the Fidget Cube by Antsy Labs. I have about six of these things, two of which are in my backpack. On all six sides of the cube, there are different switches, buttons, nobs, a ball, or a simple dimple for the thumb. The tactile feel of fooling with the sides mentioned above gives me just enough of a slight distraction to allow me to focus on thinking about the task I was working on.
Someone told me it is counterintuitive that I use music, a baseball, or a Fidget Cube to add a distraction to fight distractions. I wish I could explain how my ADHD brain works, but I’m now a psychologist. There are times I think they struggle to explain it to people without ADD or ADHD. The best I can do is say that I use these slight distractions that are controlled to focus. I focus on the distraction for a few seconds, often enough to block out other distractions and allow me to return to the task I was trying to work on.
Do you use any of these items to fight distractions, or do you have any suggestions for me to try?
