7 Proven Techniques to Tame Your Default Mode Network and Boost Your Focus

It took 45 minutes, but you have finally focused inon that report your boss asked for last week.

But…

You’ve written all of 3 sentences before you find yourself researching the best bouncy house for your son’s birthday next month.

What’s up with that, brain?!?!?

What’s up is that your ADHD brain is hearing the siren call of its playground- the Default Mode Network. It’s the place where it gets to roam at will- exploring one compelling question after another with no explicit purpose or direction.

It feels great (unless it feels terrible). More on that in the post The ADHD Brain Revealed: The Surprising Truth of the Default Mode Network.

But regardless of how great or terrible it feels, for ADHD brains– it’s really, really hard to turn off.

AND, we can do hard things, remember?

So how do we do THIS hard thing? Well, here are 7 strategies proven to help call your brain in from recess and get it down to work.

1. Give yourself some Grace

First, let’s just acknowledge that this is hard. Really. Hard. Can you imagine trying to get a first grader to read at a desk set up beside the world’s most fun-looking playground? That’s what it’s like trying to get your brain focused.

So if you’re having a hard time with it- that’s pretty expected, not a signal that you’ve done something wrong. Beating yourself up about that very normal process is bound to lead to more negative playground time. Acknowledge what’s happening, see if you can bring in some more support, and get back on task.

2. Use your breathing

You know how teachers have kids line up to go back into the classroom after recess? It’s a small, relatively easy task that gets them ready to head back in and start working again.

Focusing on your breath can be the same thing for your brain. Slowly counting your breaths can be just enough of a TPN task that it can start to quiet down the playground and get you ready for the next goal.

3. Put on blinders

Part of the reason a classroom next to the playground is an issue is that our brains are always seeing it and wanting to go play. Putting up a partition (even if it’s not the solid wall that neurotypical brains may have) can help reduce the temptation.

How do you do that?

Turn off your notifications, leave your phone in a different room, clear the visual distractions and clutter, put on noise-canceling headphones, and all the other distraction reduction strategies that can help shield your brain from the siren call of the monkey bars.

4. Let it play

I know I said that the playground can be a dark and cruel place, and it’s certainly distracting. But what happens if you don’t let a classroom full of kids out for recess? They turn the classroom into a jungle gym! Your brain needs time to wander and space to go wherever it feels like and if you don’t give it the space, it will take it when you least want it to.

So give yourself some time to relax- not just time when it’s absorbed with something else like TV, but the time when your brain can wander at will- daydreaming, remembering, and wondering with the best of them.

5. Get Engaged

Even though it’s hard for ADHD brains to turn off the default mode network when the task-positive network turns on, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. In fact, hyperfocus is a prime example of just this happening- the TPN shining brightly while the DMN dims completely.

So if you find yourself circling, stuck in an obsessive DMN loop, try to engage in something that lights you up– maybe it’s that hobby you’ve been so engrossed in lately or the project you just couldn’t tear yourself away from, or perhaps it a video game you love- but go find the thing that turns that TPN on in technicolor so it outshines that cruel playground. (2,4)

Wondering how to best engage your brain? Check out the 4 things that motivate the ADHD brain.

6. Begin a Meditation Practice

I know. I can hear the collective groan as I write this. But just hold on for one minute because meditation is actually an ideal practice ground for gaining skills for taming your DMN.

Picture this: a bustling city street filled with honking cars and chattering pedestrians. Amidst the chaos, there's a serene oasis, a peaceful park where the noise dissipates and tranquility takes over. That's what meditation can do for the busy ADHD brain and its ever-active Default Mode Network (DMN). (1)

By embracing mindfulness and meditation, we invite the DMN to take a much-needed breather, turning down the volume on endless ruminations and emotional loops. Like a calming conductor, meditation helps soothe the DMN's siren call, allowing the brain to find focus, clarity, and newfound inner stillness. It's the perfect escape from the playground of distractions, providing a sanctuary where the ADHD brain can finally find its moment of peace and recenter for more productive and harmonious journey.

So, let's take a deep breath, close our eyes, and embark on a mindful adventure together – turning off the DMN, one blissful meditation session at a time.

7. Fill your Regulatory Tank

So I already spoke about one of the ways we fill our regulatory tanks. But if meditation isn’t your thing- there are 5 other ways to fill that regulatory capacity: sleep, exercise, meditation, medication, nutrition, and connection.

When we fill our regulatory capacity, we give our brains the boost they need to find that perfect middle ground between all-in and all-out. And the thing is that the same thing that fuels that just right middle ground is the same thing that helps you turn that TPN on when you need it and turn down the volume of your DMN.(1,2,4)

So, if you find yourself getting caught up in a DMN loop or constantly called onto the playground, check out your 6 regulatory factors- where can you give yourself a boost?

Resources:

1. Garrison KA, Zeffiro TA, Scheinost D, Constable RT, Brewer JA. Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2015 Sep;15(3):712-20. doi: 10.3758/s13415-015-0358-3. PMID: 25904238; PMCID: PMC4529365.

2. Liddle, E. B., Hollis, C., Batty, M. J., Groom, M. J., Totman, J. J., Liotti, M., ... & Liddle, P. F. (2011). Task‐related default mode network modulation and inhibitory control in ADHD: Effects of motivation and methylphenidate. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(7), 761-771.

3. Uddin, L. Q., Kelly, A. C., Biswal, B. B., Margulies, D. S., Shehzad, Z., Shaw, D., ... & Milham, M. P. (2008). Network homogeneity reveals decreased integrity of default-mode network in ADHD. Journal of neuroscience methods, 169(1), 249-254.

4. Rubia, Katya, Analucia Alegria, and Helen Brinson. "Imaging the ADHD brain: disorder-specificity, medication effects and clinical translation." Expert review of neurotherapeutics 14.5 (2014): 519-538.

5. Westbrook, Andrew, and Todd S. Braver. "Dopamine does double duty in motivating cognitive effort." Neuron 89.4 (2016): 695-710.