ADHD Mind Wandering: How to Leverage it + How to stop it*

"Mind like a butterfly," "So laid back she's horizontal," "If she'd just apply herself, she could go far." Do these report card comments sound familiar? If you have ADHD, your mind probably wandered quite a bit as a child. But what if I told you that this wandering mind could be something you can take advantage of?

A wandering mind is often seen as a drawback, especially in a world that values laser focus. However, for those of us with ADHD, a wandering mind can be both a gift and a curse. It can lead to creative insights but can also be dangerous in certain situations (especially when we are unmedicated and undiagnosed.

The Neurological Underpinnings: the DMN and the TPN

In typically developing brains, the Default Mode Network (DMN) is active during mind-wandering, while the Task-Positive Network (TPN) is active during focused tasks.

In ADHD brains, these networks are often working at the same time - co-activated, leading to a blend of focus and mind-wandering. This unique neural configuration can be an advantage in tasks that require creative problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking but it can also make focusing in a laser-like way more difficult to achieve ‘on command’.

Think of the way they work in typical brains as a ‘see saw’ that kids play on - as the DMN goes up, the TPN goes down. As the TPN goes up (focusing on a job) the DMN goes down (into the background and quiet).

With ADHD, that just doesn’t seem to happen - and an MRI can show when the DMN is too active and predicts a ‘mistake’ 20 seconds before it happens, according to Dr Hallowell.

Research shows that a wandering mind - or an active DMN - can boost creativity and problem-solving. It works because it allows your brain to make connections that a focused (or… less interesting?) mind might miss. However, it can also lead to impulsivity and risky behavior, especially when not managed well.

Maximise the Benefits

How can we use this ‘dual mode’ brain activity as a positive?

Structured Daydreaming: Allocate specific times for your mind to wander freely. This can lead to creative breakthroughs and allow you to feel less ‘constrained’ - one of the main reasons for the revenge bedtime procrastination.

Use Undemanding Tasks: If you have a problem that needs a creative solution, try doing something simple and repetitive that requires minimal focus. Research has suggested this leads to more creative problem solving.

Making time to daydream and allow your mind to wander is a positive, ADHD friendly choice.

Work on Growing ‘Flow’ - Although ADHD brains might struggle to get into the flow state more easily because of our executive function challenges. However, I think it’s something that’s incredibly beneficial to try and increase for ADHD. The ways to enter ‘flow’ are for a longer article next time but think of it as the perfect ADHD mixture of challenge, novelty, fun and ‘hyperfocus’ - and it bathes our brain in the most amazing combination of neurotransmitters and while we are in flow, the creative solutions will become a part of the whole experience.

Csikszentmihalyi’s original theory of flow was developed after talking to lots of creative people - and one of the ways we as ADHDers can experience flow is when we play music, especially something we know but still have to make an effort to avoid mistakes; another example is gaming, which as we know many people with ADHD can focus on for a considerable length of time - yes, that is flow too; which is one of the reasons why we find it so enjoyable. Our brains enjoy the combination of neurotransmitters we are rewarded with. Learning and hobbies are also helpful for ‘flow’ - but they have to be just challenging enough to keep our focus and not so hard we give up and feel incompetent.

The main problem we might have getting into it is the initial act of rejecting distraction - the deliberate stilling of all notifications, all interruptions, and choosing one activity to begin with (which is why daily mindfulness so we have that initial foot in the door of focus is an essential in your toolkit).

Managing the Risks

There’s no doubt that it can also cause problems - our mind slips into ‘DMN’ or neutral for a second and it can cause havoc in the wrong circumstances. What can we do to mitigate some of the risks?

Set Deliberate Boundaries: Know when it's safe to let your mind wander and when it's not. For example, avoid daydreaming while driving.

Restless Thoughts: can become incredibly stressful and upsetting, when we feel unable to control our minds. There is solid research showing that practicing mindfulness daily - not the kind where you have to be still for an hour, but the ‘holding our mind’s eye and focus on a single breath or an action’ ADHD friendly kind - can reduce the stress that results from and can cause this restless thinking.

Accountability: Use tools or ask someone to hold you accountable when you need to focus - this might be a regular ‘chime’ on your phone that brings you back to attention or a friend who can give you a nudge.

Medication: adequate medication for ADHD reduces the hyper-connectivity of the DMN, which some adults find reduces as they get older anyway. For those of us who continue to experience that ‘two track’ type of brain, medication with stimulants is an effective way to reduce it so that the symptoms are manageable.

The important thing is to accept that it’s part of our overall brain wiring - it’s just how it is. There are definitely things we can do to manage the dangers and use it to our advantage in some circumstances so please, let go of the shame. With the right strategies, you can turn this often-maligned trait into an asset. So the next time your mind starts to wander, don't be too hard on yourself. You might just stumble upon your next great idea.

Have you ever had an idea that arrived when your mind did a bit of wandering? Or have you had an accident when your focus slipped?

Want to learn more?

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Warmly,

Katherine

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Further Reading

Christakou, A., et al. (2013). "Decoupling of the Amygdala to Other Salience Network Regions in Adolescent-Onset Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder." Psychological Medicine, 43(6), 1237-1248. 

Baird, B., et al. (2012). "Inspired by Distraction: Mind Wandering Facilitates Creative Incubation." Psychological Science, 23(10), 1117-1122. 

Tang, Y. Y., et al. (2015). "The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213-225. 

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Rong Wang, Yongchen Fan, Ying Wu, Yu-Feng Zang, Changsong Zhou, (2022), Lifespan associations of resting-state brain functional networks with ADHD symptoms, iScience, Volume 25, Issue 7.

Amritha Harikumar, David W. Evans, Chase C. Dougherty, Kimberly L.H. Carpenter, and Andrew M. Michael. (2021) A Review of the Default Mode Network in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Brain Connectivity.May 2021.253-263.http://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2020.0865

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