Focus is a part of finding flow, but for the neurodivergent, focus can impede getting into flow state. For people with attention challenges, like ones with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a level of focus that can be a hinderance to getting into flow and being productive.
Are focus and flow the same thing?
Short answer is no. You can have one without the other and this is true for everyone. When it comes to focus, how focused and what you are focused on are key characteristics.
When you are in a flow state, you’re moving and you’re grooving, but you’re not so zoomed into a task that you’re unaware of where you are. Sometimes, I like to put music on and dance in the kitchen when I clean. I’m not hyperfocused. I’m just trying to get into the flow of cleaning.1
So, you can be gliding through your tasks, but you may not be paying proper attention to them; you are in the zone and just going. For someone who struggles with hyperfocus, those same tasks can get to unhealthy levels of attention as the risk of ignoring other, likely more important things.
What is hyperfocus?
Hyperfocus is:
The intense fixation on an interest or activity for an extended period of time.2
That doesn’t sounds so bad, does it? Well, it can be and often is. If you get caught hyperfocusing on something that, while you likely enjoy, it could be pulling you away from things and people that you really need to focus on more. As a kid, this could be playing that video game for hours without even getting up to go to the bathroom. As an adult, this could be a fixation on fixing a problem that isn’t all that important.
How can you best combine focus and flow?
If you are someone that deals with hyperfocus, the most important thing is making sure at-large you enjoy the things you are responsible for doing. With that enjoyment, you can align that level of focus to the things that are of higher priority. Additionally, it helps to:
- Task list. Don’t distract yourself with what next
- Time-box. Use alarms to either help reset priority or at least pick up your head for a moment and check-in
- Meet. With people regularly to both help make sure you are still on the right track and so if needed they can lean-in and help you when they see the signs on hyperfocus.
Giving focus can help you maintain flow on the things that are productive for you and your teams. For the neurodivergent, the right level of focus on the right things can be difficult at times. Building more structure around yourself and the support of others can help be your guardrails and keep you on track.