Lack of Attention Really ADHD?

Tired woman sitting in front of computer covered in post-it notes

Does your lack of attention really mean you have ADHD?

More and more I hear adults talking about how they have ADHD. They’re finding it hard to stay focused on the things they have to do and feel it indicates they have this condition.

When I looked up what ADHD is (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) it explained it’s a neurodevelopmental disorder related to how the brain works. It’s characterized by symptoms of things like inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

It also explains that despite the name, ADHD doesn’t mean we’re lacking attention. It means it’s harder to control our attention or direct it to certain tasks, causing symptoms like difficulty focusing, trouble sitting still and impulsive behaviors. It closes by saying this also allows us to ‘get in the zone’ and hyperfocus on things we really enjoy.

I appreciate there’re days when it feels like we have those so-called symptoms…and using the term ADHD helps us to express what we’re dealing with.

Using expressions to explain what we’re dealing with can be very different from labelling ourselves because we now believe we have the condition.

For example, let’s say we’re struggling to get a work project done and get a phone call from a business associate. If we jokingly say, ‘I haven’t been able to focus…must have ADHD’ that feels different from saying, ‘I’m really struggling lately and feel pretty drained right now. It’s like I have ADHD and don’t know how I’ll get my project finished.’

Let’s look at this concept from an energetic point of view, more from the place of becoming aware of our intention when using that term.

Labelling can be like programming our sub-conscious mind to think we have certain conditions. What happens overtime is we get lost in the label and all of a sudden we ‘think and believe’ that’s what we’re dealing with and start living our lives like we have this permanent condition. That may or may not be true.

Consider this thought…when growing up, if we were repeatedly told negative things about ourselves, over time we could have believed them to be true and they became part of our subconscious mind. Once believed to be true, deep down inside we struggle with what is or isn’t true for us. A sense of feeling powerless can exist because we don’t know how to change behaviors that we’ve been living with for so long.

For me…I was often told to shut up and mind my own business. As an adult now in business, I’m slowing finding my way to seeing past that belief system that I shouldn’t say anything. Sounds crazy…but true.  

So going back to labelling…or even programming…if we do that long enough, there’s the danger of believing we have ADHD and that becomes a reason why we are the way we are. Eventually, this can lead to feeling disempowered because we can’t do anything about it.

Going a little bit further…the problem of us lacking focus and attention now turns into a problem of having a condition like ADHD which has no cure. This is an example of how we lose sight of what our initial problem was. I can talk more about this at another time.

Casually using the term as an expression is very different. This comes from a more empowering place for moving forward.

Here’s one way we can move through the symptoms we’re experiencing.  

Become aware of what’s going on inside…in relation to what’s happening outside of us. Be specific about what we’re struggling with and why.

Referencing back to the explanation of ADHD…here’s how we can be specific.

·        Are we struggling because it’s harder to control what we put our attention on?

·        Are we frustrated because we can’t direct our focus on certain tasks that need to be done?

·        Are we agitated because we can’t sit still long enough to complete the job?

The struggle, frustration and agitation are examples of reactions which indicate there’s some kind of ‘unrest’ inside. We’re reacting because something doesn’t feel right. When we move through those reactions, to the place where we’re no longer reacting, the world inside and around us changes.   

Putting that another way…when we become aware we can’t focus our attention on the task we’re doing…and can be specific about identifying what’s really causing us to lose focus or causing us to feel like we have ADHD…we’ll be on our way to healing and resolving the issue of not focusing. The symptoms will then be gone and we’ll move forward with clarity, focus and forward action.

For example, we can’t focus on getting our accounting done for our business. We struggle, get frustrated, even agitated because the accounting needs to be done and we hate doing it. As much as we sit there trying to do it…it doesn’t get done.

When aware we’re reacting, it allows us to take a step back asking ourselves what we hate about doing accounting. Through the dialogue we’ll either get to the place where we choose to do it (and get it done) or we decide to hire it out (which then leaves us the time to do the things we love).

Every experience we have offers us an opportunity to learn and grow. Gaining awareness of what’s going on inside and outside of us can be much more rewarding when it comes to moving forward. Awareness gives us the opportunity to make new choices, if needed.

If you’re interested in a one-on-one session to explore the specifics of what you’re experiencing, I’d love to connect.  

Wherever you are on your journey, may you find your own truth…find what works for you… and you’ll always be guided to feel at peace inside.