Motivation, some theorize, has to do with individuals seeking an optimal level of stimulation, one neither too simple nor too complex.1 Research also suggests that finding this optimal level is more difficult for people with ADHD.2 Below are ways to help you optimize your attention, or that of your students:3
Interest
ADHDers have a knock for finding their latest “hyperfixation” and learning all about it. Be that true crime, skateboarding, fighter jets, Lady Gaga, or Pokémon, find ways to bring this into less exciting tasks.
Novelty
New ways of doing things can spark interest. Teachers, try rearranging the classroom furniture, reversing the routine, or changing up topics for a day. For our selves, it can help majorly to take a break from something and come back to it in a week or so, but the challenge here is finding strategies to be sure we come back!
Challenge
Puzzles fascinate my students. Anything difficult captures their imaginations and gets their energy flowing. The trick is finding the challenge that’s not too difficult—that spoils the fun by overstimulating the brain.
Urgency
I can’t help but think of the consummate procrastinator, or the stereotypical journalist, typing furiously under a looming deadline. You probably know that you work excellently under deadlines—it’s the stress that arouses your brain to the level you need to put your brilliance on the page! But this can be a dangerous fire to play with, and finding ways to balance procrastination with proactivity is essential.
Play
Game-ify everything. Set a record for time spent cleaning the bathroom, and next week see if you can beat it without compromising quality. Make dinner, but challenge yourself to cover up every-other recipe step, see if you remember what to do next!
Paula Ibáñez de Aldecoa, Emily Burdett, Erik Gustafsson, Riding the elephant in the room: Towards a revival of the optimal level of stimulation model, Developmental Review, Volume 66, 2022,101051, ISSN 0273-2297, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2022.101051.
McAllister, L. S. (2012). POSITIVE TEACHING: Strategies For Optimal Learning With ADHD And Hyperactive Students. American Music Teacher, 61(4), 18–22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43540074
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/rethinking-adult-adhd/202103/how-adults-adhd-can-manufacture-motivation