Mental Wellbeing Matters
Blogs, Tips, Inspiration to Finally Understand Your ADHD Brain
New Blogs Every Week For You
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New Blogs Every Week For You 〰️
Blog 1: Seven Interventions in Seven Days for the High Performer with ADHD
By Dr Parisa
October 2025
Introduction
Change doesn’t begin with motivation — it begins with regulation.
High performers with ADHD often try to rely on willpower, yet the real key lies in understanding and training the systems that govern attention, energy, and emotion.
Each of the seven days below targets a distinct neural process that can be strengthened through simple, deliberate action.
Day 1 — Work With Your Brain, Not Against It
ADHD involves variability in brain activation, not a lack of discipline.
In practice:
Identify whether you’re under-aroused (flat, foggy) or overloaded (racing, scattered).
Match the input: move, stretch, or change temperature to lift energy; lower noise and light to calm.
Replace moral labels (“lazy”, “hopeless”) with descriptive ones (“low-energy”, “distracted”).
Day 2 — Move Before You Focus
Physical activation primes the prefrontal cortex for clarity and decision-making.
In practice:
Do 5–10 minutes of brisk movement before focused work.
Re-move every 90 minutes — walk, stretch, breathe.
Day 3 — Approach What You Avoid
Avoidance provides short-term relief but long-term instability in executive control.
In practice:
Work on an avoided task for ten minutes only.
Repeat daily, gradually extending time.
Day 4 — Engineer Your Environment
Attention is contextual. Every cue competes for salience.
In practice:
Declutter your workspace and screen.
Use visual cues for priorities.
Separate physical zones for work, rest, and play.
Day 5 — Pair Effort With Reward
ADHD motivation is driven by immediacy, not intensity, of reward.
In practice:
Link tasks to sensory or emotional rewards — coffee, music, visible progress.
Use predictable reinforcement (e.g., same playlist for deep work).
Day 6 — Rest as Recovery, Not Escape
Scrolling is stimulation, not rest. True recovery restores your brain,
In practice:
Schedule rest intentionally: quiet time, nature, mindfulness, or naps.
Protect sleep; it’s cognitive maintenance, not indulgence.
Day 7 — Regulate Your Reward Economy
Your attention is currency — spend it deliberately.
In practice:
Note which activities replenish or drain you.
Replace transient dopamine hits (novelty, scrolling) with sustainable ones (learning, movement, connection).
Review weekly where your attention went.
Closing Thought
Regulation is not moral; it’s mechanical.
When you align body, environment, and intention, you create the conditions for consistent performance.
Small, repeated actions rewire the systems that drive attention — and that is how sustainable change begins.
Blog 2: Body Doubling: A Practical Tool for Focus and Regulation in ADHD
By Dr Parisa
October 2025
Understanding how external structure can enhance attention and motivation.
Body doubling is an evidence-informed ADHD strategy that improves focus, motivation, and emotional regulation by introducing calm external structure. Learn how and when it works, and how to apply it effectively.
What Is Body Doubling
Body doubling refers to completing a task in the presence of another person who is quietly engaged in their own activity. The “body double” does not assist, prompt, or instruct — their role is simply to be present, either in person or virtually.
For many individuals with ADHD, this external presence can make a significant difference in their ability to start, persist, and complete tasks. It provides gentle structure and reduces the sense of isolation that often accompanies self-directed work.
Why It Helps
Body doubling provides a form of external regulation that compensates for variability in executive functioning commonly seen in ADHD. It works through several key mechanisms:
Externalised executive function
The presence of another person acts as an anchor for attention, reducing cognitive drift and helping sustain engagement.
Social facilitation
Humans tend to concentrate more effectively when behaviour is observed, even passively. A quiet companion provides a mild level of stimulation that increases alertness.
Dopamine regulation
The ADHD brain often requires a higher level of stimulation to maintain focus. The subtle social input of another person can raise arousal and motivation to an optimal level.
Rather than relying on willpower, body doubling supports state regulation — helping the nervous system find balance between under- and over-stimulation.
When It’s Most Useful
Body doubling is particularly effective when:
Tasks feel uninteresting, repetitive, or difficult to start
There is minimal structure (for example, working from home)
Avoidance or procrastination is present
You seek accountability without pressure or evaluation
It is less effective when:
The other person is talkative or easily distracted
The task requires solitude or deep creative work
It becomes a dependency rather than a support
The aim is to use body doubling as a supportive scaffold, not a permanent prop. Over time, consistent practice can help internalise the same regulatory stability independently.
How To Implement It
Choose the right person
Select someone calm, consistent, and respectful of boundaries. Their focus and neutrality are more important than what they are doing.Define the task and timeframe
Be specific: one task, one time block — for example, 45 minutes.Work in parallel
Avoid conversation during the session. Quiet environments or light background music help maintain rhythm.Reflect afterwards
Notice whether the session improved focus, reduced avoidance, or changed your energy levels. Reflection builds insight and reinforces self-awareness.
Virtual and Group Variations
Body doubling can also be done virtually through coworking platforms, ADHD community sessions, or simple video calls. Even the visual presence of another person on screen can provide enough structure to stabilise attention.
Small, well-managed groups can also be effective when each member maintains focus on their own task while sharing mutual presence.
Limitations and Considerations
Body doubling is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment of ADHD. It is a behavioural tool that can complement other interventions. Its usefulness varies depending on personality, environment, and task type.
If it causes distraction or anxiety, it can be adjusted — shorter sessions, cameras off, or substituting a recorded “focus companion” to simulate presence.
Summary
Body doubling is a simple yet powerful strategy for improving focus, motivation, and emotional balance in ADHD.
It transforms attention from a purely internal effort into something co-regulated through structure and presence.
By shaping your environment to work with your neurobiology, you make focus less about discipline — and more about intelligent design.
“Understanding your ADHD brain is the first step in moving forward with your hopes and aspirations.”
— Dr Parisa