ADHD Fidgeting: 14 Tips to Improve Focus

What Causes People With ADHD to Fidget?

Although not every individual diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will present with the same symptoms or behaviors, fidgeting is one of the more common symptoms for both adults with ADHD and children with ADHD. Fidgeting often occurs when someone with ADHD is placed in an understimulating environment, and to stimulate their brain, they will fidget.

Individuals with ADHD often have a dopamine deficiency in their brains, which can cause them to have delay aversion. In simple terms, individuals with ADHD will really struggle with the time spent waiting for a reward (be that an event, gift, person, etc.).¹ As they struggle with the waiting period, the person will likely fidget, which helps distract their brain from the waiting required to receive their “reward.”^{2, 3}

Does ADHD Fidgeting Help With Focus?

People with ADHD often focus better when they can fidget during a task, so long as the fidget does not require more concentration than the task itself.⁵ Research has indicated that participating in a fidgeting behavior while engaging in an understimulating task aroused the person’s brain enough to improve overall performance in the task.⁶

14 ADHD Fidgeting Strategies for Focus

Some may think that fidgeting is a maladaptive behavior; however, fidgeting is a practical and effective solution for individuals with ADHD to improve focus. It is important to discover fidgeting behaviors that don’t further distract oneself or others from the task at hand. Finding the right fidget can be a process of trial and error.

Fidgets are often considered physical but may not always involve physical motion from the individual, such as auditory and olfactory fidgets. A productive fidget does not require visual or auditory concentration, so the individual can stay focused on the task at hand. One should also avoid fidgets that may physically impact their ability to complete a task.

Here are fourteen fidgeting strategies a person with ADHD can try:

1. Use fidget toys: Fidget toys can vary from spinners to buttons, to stretchy toys, among many other options. Fidget toys may be more distracting than helpful for children due to their frivolity and level of stimulation, but older teens and adults may benefit from the mindless motion the toys require.
2. Knit or crochet: Knitting and crocheting are great fidget options due to the repetitive motions required throughout the activity. This may be a good fidget strategy for someone more practiced in knitting or crocheting. Someone newer to the activity may require more focus to accomplish the task, which could take away from the original task.
3. Tap your fingers: Tapping one’s fingers on a surface or object may provide an outlet for excessive energy and be a productive fidget activity. While tapping, one should be conscious of those around them to avoid distracting others or being disruptive.
4. Wiggle your toes: Like tapping one’s fingers, wiggling one’s toes will provide an outlet for excessive energy. Wiggling one’s toes may also be less disruptive to others, as it requires less motion and creates less noise than tapping.
5. Chew gum: Similar to tapping fingers or wiggling toes, chewing gum offers a simple, repetitive motion to stimulate one’s brain without requiring intense mental focus.
6. Doodle or color: Doodling or coloring will provide the individual with a physical outlet as they keep their mental focus on the task at hand. Doodling consists of simple or nonsensical drawings rather than intense artworks. Similarly, coloring should result in simple artwork that does not require intense focus.
7. Play with textured items: Touching items with texture will provide one’s brain with stimulation as it processes the texture without distracting from the task at hand. Try keeping items with a variety of textures on hand throughout the day to easily access them if needed.
8. Use a stress ball: A stress ball is a simple and easily transportable item to keep on hand throughout the day. The tension provided while squeezing, depending on the stress ball, will provide the individual with an outlet for excessive energy and offer a repetitive motive to stimulate the brain as they squeeze and unsqueeze.
9. Use a stretchy band: Similar to a stress ball, stretchy or resistance bands offer an item with tension to engage with. An individual will practice repetitive motion that stimulates one’s mind and body without requiring too much mental focus.
10. Sit on a balance ball: Balance balls call for an individual to focus on maintaining the balance of their body so as not to fall off. Tensing one’s body to maintain balance will give the individual a simple focus. People who are less practiced in this activity may find it more distracting than helpful.
11. Pace or walk: Pacing or walking will stimulate the body without distracting the mind. Moving throughout different spaces will provide simple stimuli to one’s mind as it observes a new setting, while the walking or pacing motion stimulates the body.
12. Engage in physical activity: If engaging in a walk or pacing activity is out of one’s reach or capabilities, consider engaging in stationary physical activity. Under-desk treadmills or other machines may allow them to engage in physical activity without taking one away from their workspace.
13. Listen to music or ambient noise: Listening to music or ambient noise through a sound machine will stimulate an individual’s mind and prevent one from becoming distracted by other environmental stimuli. Brown noise is particularly conducive to ADHD focus. One should carefully consider what they will listen to, as certain auditory stimuli can be more distracting than helpful.
14. Listen to a podcast or watch a television show: Consider listening to a podcast or watching a television show. Listening to or watching something one has already seen, such as a “comfort show,” may call for less mental focus as it fades into the background. One should consider this strategy carefully, as it may provide more distraction than assistance.

Other Strategies to Increase ADHD Focus

Even while utilizing fidgeting strategies, focusing with ADHD can be difficult. One should not feel ashamed or discouraged if they cannot focus on certain tasks at times. As fidgeting behaviors alone may not be enough to engage in focus, it’s important that those with ADHD understand supplemental strategies to promote their ability to focus.

Other strategies that can help a person with ADHD to focus include:

Exercise Beforehand

Exercising before a task will help the individual exert excessive energy. Exerting one’s excessive energy before attempting to complete a task will ideally allow one to focus more intently on the task at hand, as one will be less easily distracted.

Avoid Multitasking

While multitasking may seem efficient, as one is accomplishing multiple tasks simultaneously, individuals with ADHD may find multitasking behaviors to be more harmful than helpful. Multitasking offers more opportunities for distraction from one task to another, which may result in taking longer to get either task done than if one were to attempt one task at a time.⁷

Set Timers

People with ADHD may benefit from setting timers to subdivide one’s taskwork. For example, 30 minutes of work, followed by 10 minutes of break, may allow one to mentally recuperate their energy and focus for the next 30 minutes. The specific time parameters depend on the individual and what works best for them. This type of approach is known as the Pomodoro Technique.⁸

Break Up Tasks

Outside of setting time parameters for oneself, an alternative option is to break up one’s tasks into more manageable segments. For example, rather than relying on a timer, one may set out to accomplish steps 1 and 2 of their taskwork before taking a break and returning to complete steps 3 and 4, before taking another break and completing steps 5 and 6. In this example, looking at the task work as smaller segments, 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 5 and 6, maybe less overwhelming to consider completing as opposed to completing steps 1 through 6 as one whole.

Use Visual Reminders

Utilizing visual cues will assist those with ADHD with staying on task. The visual cues can be a calendar or day planner, or even something simpler such as a sticky note on one’s computer. In any case, a visual reminder is a powerful tool to keep one on task.

Limit Distractions

In addition to engaging in fidgeting behavior to hold one’s focus, it’s equally as important that one limits distractions in their working environment. One may use earplugs or white noise machines to drown out auditory distractions, and one should remove visual distractions from their field of vision. If one cannot remove visual distractions, they should consider moving away from said distraction. 

Move Into a New Environment

Moving to a new environment provides a mental reset for an individual. This strategy may be particularly helpful for those who struggle with working at home or in a space that is too comfortable and has a variety of distractions. Consider moving to a café or library.

When to Seek Professional Support

A person with ADHD should consider seeking professional support when their inability to focus begins to impair their performance at school or work and interferes with their ability to connect deeply with the people in their lives. Additionally, individuals with ADHD may require support for any ADHD-related anxiety or depression that stems from their ADHD.

When looking for a therapist, it is important to find a neurodiverse-affirming therapist because they will have the best understanding of ADHD struggles and provide practical strategies for coping with ADHD symptoms. An online therapist directory is a great tool for finding a therapist specializing in ADHD treatment. If you have difficulty fitting therapy into your busy schedule, consider an online therapy platform that makes therapy easily available from the comfort of your home.

Here are a few ADHD treatment options to explore:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT for ADHD is a structured therapeutic approach that helps individuals develop practical strategies to manage their symptoms. It focuses on identifying and modifying negative thought patterns and behaviors that may contribute to an individual’s inattention, hyperactivity, and/or ADHD-induced impulsivity.
• Neurofeedback: Neurofeedback for ADHD  is a non-invasive technique that monitors brain activity to help individuals gain better control over their attention and impulse control.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT for ADHD is a mindfulness-based therapeutic approach that helps individuals accept their symptoms and make commitments to change their behaviors based on their values. ACT fosters greater self-awareness and self-compassion, which can improve emotional regulation and goal-directed behaviors in individuals with ADHD.

In My Experience

In my experience, ADHD can be an incredibly frustrating diagnosis for clients to deal with. I have worked with clients who have struggled with anxiety, depressive thoughts, and even anger, caused by distress related to their ADHD symptoms. Fidgeting is a powerful coping mechanism to utilize for those with ADHD, especially those struggling with their tendency to become distracted.

I believe it’s important for any mental health practitioner to have fidget objects on-hand for clients to utilize during sessions if needed. Additionally, practitioners should work with clients to identify which fidgets work for that client’s specific needs. For example, engaging in monotonous household tasks may not seem like a fidget to some, but the repetitive nature of certain chores, such as folding laundry, may inadvertently function as a fidget that fits into a specific client’s day-to-day routine.