The ADHD Skills Lab

Why ADHD Brains Rely on Hyperfocus (and Why It Backfires)

22 snips
Jan 5, 2026
In this insightful discussion, William Curb, a research-informed ADHD educator, explores the complex phenomenon of hyperfocus. He explains how urgent situations trigger intense productivity but lead to stress and burnout. Discover why ADHD symptoms correlate with increased hyperfocus, how this pattern impacts everyday tasks, and the difference between hyperfocus and sustainable focus. Curb offers strategies to manage reliance on hyperfocus and emphasizes the hidden costs of this intense concentration, warning it often borrows energy from your future self.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Hyperfocus Is Not A Single Thing

  • Hyperfocus is intense, narrow attention that shrinks awareness of surroundings and time.
  • Researchers measured distinct kinds of hyperfocus including attention-driven and reward-driven focus.
INSIGHT

ADHD Severity Links To More Hyperfocus

  • ADHD symptom severity correlated with both executive function difficulties and hyperfocus frequency.
  • The paper found executive functioning mediates the link between ADHD symptoms and hyperfocus.
INSIGHT

Surveys Conflate Flow And Hyperfocus

  • Existing hyperfocus surveys measure different aspects and may conflate flow and reward-driven focus.
  • Distinguishing attention-driven hyperfocus from reward-related flow clarifies inconsistent self-reports.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app