Hyperfocus in ADHD is the ability to dive deep into a task, often to the exclusion of everything else.
Some neurotypical people think of ADHDers as being unfocused and unable to concentrate. In fact, given an area we are interested in and passionate about - like our own business! - we can apply an immersive focus that is hard for the not-so-technicoloured to replicate.
Whether or not hyperfocus is something you regularly experience when working on your business, we’re here to help you learn how to leverage it.
We can’t change our brains to make them fit the task, but we CAN change the task to make it better fit our brains.
Understanding Hyperfocus:
Hyperfocus is a state of intense concentration where you are completely absorbed in a particular activity. It's when you become so engrossed in something that the world around you fades into the background. For ADHDers, hyperfocus can be a common experience, but it may not always feel controllable.
Signs of hyperfocus:
Time Flies: Hours can pass like minutes when you're hyperfocused on a task.
Intrusive thoughts disappear: Distractions seem to vanish, and your mind becomes singularly focused.
You feel unstoppable: You may be at your most productive during hyperfocus, accomplishing more in a few hours than you would in an entire day of regular work.
Intensity: You become deeply passionate and fully immersed in what you're doing - this feels intense and can feel unsettling. Hyperfocus has the potential to develop into an obsession, and that isn’t always helpful.
What does hyperfocus look like from the outside?
To those without ADHD, hyperfocus can seem like an incredible burst of productivity.
However, our neurotypical friends and colleagues may need help understanding what it feels like to be in this state and the challenges that sometimes come with it.
It can be helpful to remember that hyperfocus is more neurological (the way our brains are wired) rather than psychological (the way we behave), and - like other traits of ADHD - this difference is not automatically a problem.
Whoever you live or work with, communicating your hyperfocus periods can help you and the people around you when you’re trying to harness it. You can share this verbally or non-verbally, for example:
Put up a Do Not Disturb sign.
Yes, really. On your desk, on the door, on the back of your chair, on your FACE if needs be! It could say, “I am hyperfocusing on my business right now” or “Please don’t interrupt me!”.
Pre-empt unexpected visitors
Send a text, email or WhatsApp to anyone who might spontaneously just “pop round” asking them to PLEASE DON’T VISIT TODAY.
Put your phone into Focus Mode
Just make sure that any emergency contacts can still get through, so don’t need to worry about ghosting the most important people in your world.
Many ADHDers don’t notice they’ve been in hyperfocus until they’re right in the thick of it or coming out. This isn’t something you should apologise for, but it will be helpful to give those around you some explanation. Communicating afterwards can help others to be more aware of your hyperfocus next time it happens. You may also find it enables you to develop a greater understanding of fellow technicolour workers, since dealing with our own brains can make it harder to spot what’s going on with other people.
When hyperfocus is helpful
There are plenty of famous examples of ADHDers who harnessed their hyperfocus to achieve remarkable things, including Steve Jobs, who revolutionised the tech industry with Apple.
Ways that hyperfocus can benefit your business
Generating new ideas
ADHDers are sometimes able to use hyperfocus to generate heaps and heaps of brilliant new ideas in a short space of time. If this sounds like you, and hyperfocus strikes unexpectedly, you’ll need to be ready to capture those ideas as soon as they start flowing.
You could try:
Keep a desktop shortcut to a transcription app like Otter, so you can talk out your ideas out and read them later, or record voice notes to listen back.
Keep your favourite notepad nearby so you can scribble those thoughts (can your hand move fast enough?!)
Jot ideas into an email and send it to yourself!
Whether it’s coming up with new products or innovating what you currently offer to your customers, turn hyperfocus into your own little brainstorming bubble. It’s totally OK that you’ll only take a select few of them forward. It’s having the ideas in the first place that is your spectacular technicolour talent.
It’ll probably serve you best to wait until you’ve transitioned out of hyperfocus before you start scrutinising your mountain of ideas for feasibility and potential profitability.
You can come back and review the list at a later date, perhaps with the help of a friend, colleague or coach, and pick the best ideas to start testing, validating and developing into real business activities.
Getting ridiculously organised If your hyperfocus gives you unwavering attention to detail, harness it to plan, plan, plan! Heck, you could even make backup plans for your plans!
It doesn’t work for everyone, but switching into Project Management Mode can be a powerful way to harness hyperfocus and maximise the detailed-oriented preferences your brain has during this time.
Let's use ‘planning a marketing campaign’ for example. An ADHD brain can get seriously excited about numbering each and every step (and substep) in the process and colour-coding the different phases of a campaign. Hyperfocus dials this up, making it possible to meticulously arrange campaign planning documents that your future self can work from.
Take a deep dive into the details, from what time you’ll launch your campaign on each platform and the metrics you’ll use to measure how well it’s going in the days, weeks and months afterwards.
You’ll look back on the incredible work you did during that hyperfocus period and thank your brain for enabling such a detailed planning session.
Supercharge your content creation
Technicolour brains are much more likely to be able to think in new ways and come up with unique ideas. In fact, actors, musicians, and other incredible artists with ADHD have credited their technicolour brains for some of their success. (We’ll share a little bit of inspiration in a minute).
ADHDers can also be more inventive in the way we problem-solve, both in life and at work, and getting super-creative with digital content is a great example of harnessing hyperfocus. So whether it’s eye-catching graphics in Canva, animations in After Effects, TikTok videos or sparkling copy for a blog, you may find you produce your best creative work during hyperfocus.
Geek out (and then some)
Another area of small business ownership that hyperfocus can lend itself to is learning and research. You may be able to harness your hyperfocused brain to become an expert in your chosen field. This could involve immersing yourself in relevant books, articles, videos and podcasts, or working through an online course.
Since hyperfocus can allow us to rattle through more work in less time, harnessing this state when it pops up can help make up for those times when you’re a little slow to get started on tasks.
A bit of inspiration…
Diving deep into a subject or skill can give insights and knowledge that set you apart from your competition. You may already be familiar with some of these famous ADHDers who turned their intense focus into remarkable achievements:
Walt Disney: The creative genius behind Disney, he harnessed his hyperfocus to bring beloved characters and stories to life.
Sir Richard Branson: The billionaire entrepreneur used his relentless focus to build the Virgin Group empire, spanning diverse industries.
Salma Hayek: The acclaimed actress and producer channelled her hyperfocus to excel in Hollywood and advocate for important causes.
Emma Watson: Known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, Emma Watson used her hyperfocus to transition into a successful career in acting and activism.
Jamie Oliver: The celebrity chef and restaurateur harnessed his hyperfocus to transform the culinary world and promote healthy eating.
Bill Gates: The cofounder of Microsoft and philanthropist used his hyperfocus to shape the tech industry and address global challenges.
Balancing hyperfocus and self care
Hyperfocus can lead to extraordinary productivity. But to avoid burnout, it's vitally important to take care of your brain and body too.
Stay hydrated and nourished You may find it helpful to set reminders for breaks, snacks, mealtimes and toilet trips so you don't forget to eat, drink and visit the loo, even when you're deeply engrossed.
Ease out of hyperfocus with purposeful breaks
Exiting a hyperfocus state isn’t easy, especially if you slipped into hyperfocus without noticing and time has evaporated!
If you’ve been deeply absorbed for an extended period, you may find it helpful to think of ‘re-entry’ activities to help you transition out of hyperfocus. These are activities that make it easier for your brain to switch between tasks, skills or energy states.
Don’t hit the brick wall!
If you’ve got work that really needs to get done, you’ll need to steer yourself out of hyperfocus before you hit the wall; that is, before you’ve depleted your resources and run out of energy.
Work tasks you love can help you put down the thing you’ve been hyperfocused on, in order to work on something else that might be a higher priority. These tasks can also double up as a way to ‘ease into’ work you find challenging, or not enjoyable.
Ideas for re-entry activities might include:
Online research (a legit reason to look at what’s shiny and new in your niche!)
Creative design work
Reading other people’s email newsletters
Listening to a work-related podcast
Celebrate your differences
Hyperfocus may not always be an entrepreneur's best friend, but it definitely doesn’t have to be your enemy.
So you got a little lost and resurfaced hours later, having done some brilliant work. Celebrate that! When hyperfocus happens, you can still feel proud of what you achieved in that time, even if none of it was on your To Do list for the day!
It may be a drastically different way of working compared with neurotypical business owners, but hyperfocus CAN help push you towards your business goals. The challenge for ADHD entrepreneurs is to protect our energy and maintain a sustainable approach to work.
Get strategic about working WITH your technicolour brain and achieve your business goals without burnout - explore ADHD coaching.
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