Man shares ADHD 'hack' that helps him get more done during the work day

An entrepreneur who deals with ADHD on the daily has shared his 'favourite hack' that helps his brain stay more focused.

Alex Partridge, the founder of LADBible and UNILad and host of the ADHD Chatter Podcast, has revealed his simple trick he uses to set deadlines while working on his laptop.

In a video posted to the podcast channel's TikTok account, Alex explained he takes his laptop to a coffee shop to work - but leaves the charger behind. Gloucestershire Live reports by doing this, Alex claims this sets a timer for him to get as much work done as possible until the battery dies off.

The man explained: "Here’s my favourite ADHD productivity hack. Pick up your laptop and go to a coffee shop, but leave the charger at home.

"You now only have a limited amount of time before your laptop runs out of battery. So, you’ve created your own deadline, your own urgency, your own last minute panic. It’s in this stage that our ADHD brains fire up and become their most productive."

This video has already been watched almost 100,000 times as Alex added in the comments: "This plan doesn’t work if you forget to charge it before you leave the house."

People left their thoughts on this 'hack' in the comments section as one wrote: "I do this every time I have serious writing to do, it’s brilliant."

Another said: "LEGIT! Did this by accident and the amount of work done in 46% was like a matrix glitch."

And a third wrote: "I'll do you one better, go to a coffee shop with a notebook and no cellphone (for writing stuff). You'll finish and be back soooo quick."

However, not everyone agreed, as one said: "Still it won't work, I would be anxious about the battery life and unable to focus on the task itself."

Another wrote: "I will stare at my laptop dying and people flying by with their lives."

And a third added: "I am incapable of leaving my house without being fully prepared for absolutely anything. I even carry a backup charging bank just in case an outlet is not available."

According to research published in the Journal of Neural Transmission back in 2017, those with ADHD have issues maintaining sustained attention for long periods of time. This can suggest people with ADHD have problems staying focused while performing daily tasks - no matter how big or little.

The study only found people with ADHD also had trouble with selective attention - focusing on one task for a period of time) and divided attention (focusing on more than one task - when compared to those without ADHD.

This could mean if you have the condition then you may find it difficult to focus on one or multiple tasks for long periods of time.

PsychCentral shared a number of tips to help people with ADHD stay productive and minimise distraction. These included:

• Planning your day the night before

• Find an organisational system which works for you (planner, calendar, journal, or whiteboard)

• Set manageable intentions

• Work in intervals
  

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