Cultivating Focus: Strategies for Staying on Track and Minimizing Distractions

Written By Shannon Reilly

A neurodivergent-friendly guide to building focus gently — without forcing, shaming, or burning out

For many neurodivergent adults, staying focused isn’t just a skill — it’s a daily challenge shaped by sensory needs, emotional load, executive function, and the environment around us. Focus isn’t something you “just do.” It’s something you support, cultivate, and create conditions for.

If your attention drifts, tasks feel heavy, or you get overwhelmed by “where do I even start?”, you’re not broken — you’re human, and your brain simply needs different kinds of scaffolding.

Here are the strategies I use personally and with clients to make focus feel more accessible, sustainable, and compassionate.

Create a Focus-Supportive Environment (Not a Perfect One)

Your environment is one of the biggest contributors to focus — especially if you’re sensitive to visual clutter, sound, movement, or competing tasks.

This isn’t about creating a perfect Pinterest workspace.

It’s about reducing friction and giving your brain fewer obstacles to navigate.

Try asking yourself:

  • What pulls my attention away?

  • What supports my attention?

  • What sensory needs do I have when trying to focus?

Helpful changes might include:

  • A dedicated workspace that signals “this is where I do X.”

  • Noise-canceling headphones, white noise, brown noise, or nature sounds.

  • Removing visual distractions (not decluttering everything, just softening the view).

  • A single clear surface to start your work on.

  • Turning off notifications… or putting your phone in a different room.

The goal isn’t minimalism — it’s sensory clarity that supports your brain’s ability to stay present.

Use the Two-Minute Momentum Rule to Get Unstuck

The classic “two-minute rule” is helpful, but here’s the ND-friendly version:

✨ If a task feels overwhelming, identify one action that takes less than two minutes — and start there.

Not because “you should,” but because:

  • the brain loves tiny wins

  • initiation becomes easier once you’ve crossed the threshold

  • momentum builds naturally

  • it reduces shame and task-avoidance loops

Examples:

  • Open the document.

  • Gather the items you need.

  • Set a 5-minute timer.

  • Clear a 6-inch space on your desk.

  • Write one sentence.

These micro-actions create activation without pressure.

Take Regulation Breaks (Not Productivity Breaks)

Neurotypical productivity advice often says “take breaks to stay efficient,” but for ND adults, breaks are about something deeper:

💛 They regulate the nervous system so you can access focus again.

When you feel stuck, foggy, scattered, or overstimulated, try:

  • a few rounds of deep breathing

  • a body scan or grounding exercise

  • stretching or gentle movement

  • stepping outside for fresh air

  • a sensory reset (weighted item, fidget, cold water)

These aren’t “interruptions.”

They are supportive rest stops that help your brain stay online.

Use Tools That Scaffold Focus — Not Complicate It

The best tools are the ones you actually use.

Here are ND-friendly options that add structure without overwhelm:

For Task Management:

  • Todoist

  • Trello (visual, great for task flow)

  • Google Keep

  • A simple digital notepad

For Focus:

  • Forest

  • Pomodoro timer (with extended breaks)

  • FocusMate (body-double sessions)

  • Time-blocking with flexible buffers

For Reducing Overwhelm:

  • Sticky notes

  • Whiteboards

  • Visual timers

  • One “today list” with 1–3 tasks max

Tools shouldn’t demand more executive function — they should provide it.

Honor Your Brain’s Natural Focus Cycles

Your focus is not supposed to be consistent.

It’s supposed to be cyclical.

Notice:

  • When do you have your highest energy?

  • When do you feel scattered or foggy?

  • What tasks drain you vs. nourish you?

Design around your rhythms, not against them.

Examples:

  • Do high-focus tasks during your most alert hours.

  • Save admin tasks for low-capacity times.

  • Break large tasks into “tiny wins.”

  • Switch tasks when your brain needs novelty.

  • Build rest into transitions.

Focus isn’t just about attention — it’s about alignment with your energy, sensory needs, and capacity.

Reduce Distractions by Reducing the Load on Your Brain

The best way to minimize distractions is to ease cognitive load, not increase pressure.

Try:

  • keeping only one tab open

  • using full-screen mode

  • breaking your tasks into “today-sized” portions

  • keeping a “parking lot note” for intrusive thoughts

  • creating a gentle starting ritual (lighting a candle, opening your planner, grounding)

You’re not trying to force focus — you’re creating the conditions where focus can happen naturally.

Cultivating Focus Is a Practice, Not a Personality Trait

Focus isn’t about discipline.

It’s not a moral failing.

And it’s not something you “should just be better at.”

It’s a relationship between:

  • your nervous system

  • your environment

  • your executive function

  • your routines

  • your body

  • your capacity

When you support these pieces, focus becomes easier — and often, surprisingly gentle.

You deserve systems that work with your brain, not against it.

Need Support With Focus, Organization, or EF?

✨ Virtual Organizing Sessions

We design supportive, ND-friendly systems for your space, routines, and workflows.

✨ Yoga for Neurodiversity (Thesis Sessions Available)

Body-based practices that strengthen focus and regulation.

✨ Hybrid Coaching + Organizing

Hands-on support to help you move from stuck → steady.

You don’t have to build focus alone.

I’d love to support you in finding clarity, flow, and spaciousness in your daily life.

 
 
Shannon Reilly
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Let’s Talk Burnout (Again): Executive Fatigue & Emotional Load