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UC study: Mindfulness can get wandering thoughts back on track

Psychology research investigates collective views on how to abate mind wandering with mindfulness.

Everyone has times where their mind won't stay on task. For example, you might be listening to someone talk in a meeting or class and your mind wanders to your dinner plans. 

Notably, research suggests that 30% to 50% of our daily thoughts are spent on this kind of mind wandering, and that excessive mind wandering can lead to many negative outcomes like poorer performance on standardized tests and poorer recall of information.

“While zoning out for a few minutes during a meeting may not hurt, it can impact you negatively if it goes on for long periods of time,” says Lynley Turkelson, a University of Cincinnati doctoral student and lead author of a new study on mindfulness and mind wandering published in the  Journal of Cognitive Enhancement .

“When distracting thoughts or feelings come up, mindfulness helps us gently set them aside and refocus on what is right in front of us,” says Turkelson.

Methods of practicing mindfulness vary but include practices such as breathwork and meditation.

For example, Turkelson says, one can practice mindfulness by paying attention to the experience of eating a favorite food: “You may start by noticing the smell of the food before you eat it, what it feels like as you bite into it, how it feels in your mouth, and the taste. Or perhaps you pay attention to the flow of breath in and out of your lungs or on the sensations you experience in various parts of the body.” 

During COVID, people are facing even more distractions than normal, so it is important to find research-based ways to decrease mind wandering and improve attention.

Lynley Turkelson UC doctoral student in psychology

For the study, Turkelson, a doctoral student and fellow in UC’s Department of Psychology, and co-author Quintino Mano, PhD, a UC associate professor of psychology, conducted a systematic review of research that looks at the relationship between mindfulness and mind wandering.  

What they found is that while mindfulness — the ability to intentionally focus attention on the present moment — can be effective for reducing mind wandering, results do differ depending on the research methodology. For instance, people are sometimes unaware when they are distracted, so asking them to report their own mind wandering is not reliable. The study results show it's better to measure mind wandering in other ways, such as using computer-based testing.  

“During COVID, people are facing even more distractions than normal, so it is important to find research-based ways to decrease mind wandering and improve attention,” says Turkelson.

Turkelson says that their systematic review looks at the research on this topic and synthesizes the results so that researchers know how consistent these findings are, as well as what still needs to be studied to improve our understanding of how mindfulness helps with mind wandering. 

Featured image at top: Magnet.me/Unsplash.

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How to tame a wandering mind: 12 ways to refocus your mind

Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic , PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA

A wandering mind is normal but can be frustrating. Learn about the psychology of mind wandering including how to manage mind wandering and refocus your mind.

It’s completely normal for your mind to wander. But in a world that demands our constant attention, from work commitments to balancing a social life to reserving time for self-care, a consistent battle with a wandering mind can become a problem. 

But why does this happen? And is it possible to tame a wandering mind and channel our focus more effectively?

What does it mean to have a wandering mind?

A wandering mind is when your thoughts drift away from the present task to unrelated topics or experiences. It’s often referred to as daydreaming, but while the term “daydreaming” suggests a positive experience, mind wandering can include all kinds of thoughts .

Scientists believe that your mind wanders for one of two reasons : because the task or activity you’re working on is non-demanding and repetitive or because it’s very challenging. As a coping mechanism for either, your brain looks for something more interesting to do, like daydreaming, replaying memories, or worrying about the future . 

This shift of attention can happen involuntarily, when we don’t realize it’s happening until several minutes go by and we notice our focus has waned. Or it can happen voluntarily, like in a really boring lecture.

Struggling with a wandering mind is a common human experience. In fact, a study by Harvard University found that the average person spends 46.9% of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing. 

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s totally natural and there’s actually a strong link between creativity and mind wandering. The tendency can become problematic, however, like when focus and attention are required. Your mind could wander to a recent argument while you're in an important meeting, or you could find yourself daydreaming about upcoming weekend plans when you should be working. 

These mental excursions might seem harmless–and sometimes they are–but they can significantly impact your productivity if you find yourself often distracted by your own thoughts.

When does mind wandering become a problem?

A sign that a wandering mind has become detrimental instead of a fun, quick escape is if it begins to affect your mental wellbeing in a negative way. Neuroscientists have shown that when our minds wander from a cognitive or engaging task to daydreaming, the brain shifts to the default mode network (DMN). This network is activated when our attention becomes disengaged from the outside world and, instead, turns inward. Even though DMN is natural, if your brain spends too much time engaged in your DMN, you can struggle with depression , anxiety , and other mental health disorders. So, in short, wandering minds can be unhappy minds .

The goal isn’t to rid our minds of engaging in our imaginations, but instead to manage our thoughts and refocus our wandering minds when necessary.

How do I know if I have a wandering mind?

You find yourself daydreaming:   The most common way to recognize a wandering mind is through daydreaming. Daydreaming is when your mind takes a short vacation from the present moment and leads you into imaginative thinking. Daydreaming can be used as an escape or a momentary break from your current task.

You spend time ruminating: Opposite daydreaming is rumination. Rumination is when you obsessively think about past events or consistently worry about future uncertainties . Rumination can be distressing, counterproductive, and oftentimes exhausting, as it tends to consist of cyclical thoughts and thought patterns that are difficult to escape.

You start to problem-solve creatively: Interestingly, not all avenues of a wandering mind are counterproductive. Sometimes, when your mind wanders, it might lead you to solutions for problems you’re experiencing. This spontaneous form of problem-solving occurs when we’re not consciously trying to solve an issue at all. 

You find yourself on autopilot: If you frequently find yourself physically engaged in a task but feel mentally absent, you might be operating on autopilot. Being on autopilot is common during routine tasks like driving , washing dishes, or walking, and while it can seem harmless, it can also be dangerous, as we often miss details or forget other tasks we should be doing in between the more mundane activities.

What causes a wandering mind?

The answer to understanding what causes a wandering mind can be complex and dependent on the person. However, understanding what can trigger a wandering mind can help you manage and potentially reduce the frequency of getting lost in thought, especially when it becomes disruptive. 

Stress can cause mind wandering

Stress is a significant catalyst for a wandering mind. When we’re stressed, our minds bounce around, ruminating on worries or potential problems that can happen in the future. Stress causes our minds to drift away from the present moment, which leads to an endless loop of anxiety and mind wandering. Discover ways to manage your stress so you can keep the daydreaming at bay.

Boredom can lead to a wandering mind

When we're bored or disengaged from what we’re doing, our mind naturally seeks stimulation elsewhere in search for something more exciting than the current situation.

Fatigue may cause the mind to wander

Mental and physical fatigue can disrupt our ability to focus. When you're tired, it becomes increasingly more difficult to stay engaged and on task, so it’s more likely your mind will wander to something that requires less mental and physical effort.

External distractions can cause a wandering mind

External distractions, such as noise, social media notifications, or interruptions from colleagues can derail our focus, causing our minds to wander . Try silencing your notifications during moments of intense focus, moving to a quieter location to work or wearing headphones, and setting boundaries with colleagues or opting for quiet hours during the day.

Internal distractions can leads to mind wandering

Internal distractions consist of physical discomfort or pain, hunger or thirst, or emotional disturbances like feeling sad, stressed, or angry. If there’s an internal cue that’s being ignored, it can cause stress levels in the body to spike. High stress can cause your mind to wander on overdrive, which can increase your stress even further and perpetuate the cycle.

Hyperactivity and attention disorders may exacerbate mind wandering

People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience a wandering mind at a higher degree than people without ADHD. People with ADHD are more prone to having thoughts that dart from topic to topic and excessive and often spontaneous mind wandering with a reduced ability to control or monitor this mental meandering.

Lack of interest or relevance could cause the mind to wander

When we find a task uninteresting or irrelevant to our lives, goals , or interests, our minds are more likely to wander. Explore ways to stay focused and remain in the present moment. Sometimes, chewing on a piece of gum can help you focus or even playing with a fidget spinner.

Understanding the causes of a wandering mind is the first step toward developing strategies to manage it. Luckily, there are techniques to refocus a wandering mind and enhance your ability to stay on task.

12 tips to help tame a wandering mind and increase focus 

Taming a wandering mind can be challenging, but having coping strategies on hand can help you manage. Remember, the goal isn't to eliminate mind wandering entirely, as it plays a crucial role in creativity and problem-solving. Instead, you’re aiming to achieve balance between entering a flow state to increase productivity  and allowing your mind to wander creatively and constructively. 

By integrating these practices into your daily routine, you can significantly tame a wandering mind and improve your focus.

1. Explore mindfulness exercises

Practicing mindfulness can significantly reduce mind wandering. Daily mindfulness meditation sessions can train your mind to stay in the present moment, and you can become more aware of when it begins to wander.

💙 If meditation is new to you, check out Mindfulness for Beginners . 

2. Try entering a flow state

Being fully immersed and engaged in a task can be incredibly effective in preventing mind wandering. Seek activities that challenge and interest you to encourage flow state , a state of mind where what you’re engaged in interests you fully and time passes by in the blink of an eye.

3. Use noting techniques to provide focus for the mind

Similar to mindful journaling or meditation, noting techniques are where you acknowledge distractions or wandering thoughts without judgment and gently bring your focus back to the task at hand. For example, if you’re trying to focus on a task but other thoughts come into your mind and start competing for attention you can simply label the thought, “work,” “personal life,” “house stuff,” etc… and then let it go. 

4. Refocus your mind with a body scan meditation

Practice body scan meditation to anchor yourself in the present moment. By progressively focusing on different parts of your physical body, you can divert your attention from wandering thoughts. Gently ease your mind from acknowledging the imaginary to recognizing how you feel physically instead. 

💙Body scan meditations are a great way to bring your mind out of the clouds and re-center it in the body and the present moment. Try our tuning into physical sensations to deepen your awareness with this Body Scan session. 

5. Empty your mind of thoughts through journaling

Writing down your thoughts, worries, or to-do lists can free your mind from rumination and allow you to deepen your concentration .

6. Move your body to refocus your mind

Physical activity, like a short walk or shaking out your arms and legs in between meetings, can interrupt the cycle of mind wandering and re-energize your focus.

💙 If the mind is wandering, try bringing it back to the present moment through movement. Check out Mindful Movement with Mel Mah. 

7. Use grounding exercises 

Grounding exercises , like feeling your feet on the floor or touching something tangible, like grass or even petting your dog, can bring your mind back to the present.

💙 Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique as a meditation. 

8. Try equal breathing to feel more centered

It’s no secret that focusing on your breath can calm your anxiety, so it should be no surprise that it can also calm a wandering mind. Try the equal breathing technique — a breathing pattern of inhaling for four seconds and exhaling for four seconds, and witness your wandering mind become more at ease. Looking for more of a challenge? Extend the seconds you inhale. Just don’t forget to exhale for the same amount of time! 

💙 If you’re feeling stressed or unfocused, try to Reset With the Breath .

9. Change your environment to give your mind a reset

A new-to-you environment can help reset your mind. If possible, switch up your surroundings when working on a project or studying. If you’re unable to leave your office or home, a simple clean-up or rearranging your workspace can do wonders to minimize distractions and reignite your focus.

10. Connect with nature to re-energize your mind

Spending time in nature can significantly reduce mind wandering and promote a calm, focused energy. Exercise your mind and practice being present by pointing out things in nature you see, like the colors of leaves, dogs running in the park, or the way the sunlight reflects off of a stream or pond.  

💙 If you’re not in a place to be able to connect with nature at the moment, you can still tap in by listening to a soothing nature soundscape like Peaceful Stream .

11. Prioritize sleep

Poor sleep can lead to an increase in mind wandering the following day as we search for various ways to stay alert. Getting enough rest is important in quieting the mind and staying focused. Plus, our brains unpack our subconscious thoughts as we sleep. 

💙 When it’s time to settle in at the end of the day, try a sleep meditation like Soften into Sleep to nudge you in the right direction.

12. Dedicate specific time for mind wandering

If you’re prone to daydreaming, the habit can’t be broken overnight. And that’s okay. Mind wandering is a natural and necessary bodily function, as long as it’s used appropriately. To satisfy the natural inclination to wander, allow yourself specific times for daydreaming or letting your mind imagine freely. 

Wandering mind FAQs

A wandering mind can be caused by factors including stress, boredom, fatigue , and other internal and external distractions. It's a natural phenomenon where the mind drifts away from the task at hand. Neuroscientifically, it's associated with the activation of the brain's default mode network (DMN). The underlying causes may vary from person to person and could be influenced by individual circumstances, mental state, or certain conditions like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Is mind wandering a symptom of ADHD?

Mind wandering can be a symptom of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). People with ADHD often find it challenging to maintain focus on a single task they don’t find engaging and are more prone to distractions, leading to a wandering mind. However, it's important to note that mind wandering occurs in everyone, and not everyone who experiences mind wandering has ADHD.

How do I stop my mind from wandering?

Stopping a wandering mind can be accomplished by practicing mindfulness , engaging in activities that promote a state of flow, and employing techniques to refocus when your mind drifts. Effective strategies can include mindfulness meditation, journaling, physical movement, breathing techniques, and quality of sleep. 

Does anxiety cause a wandering mind?

Anxiety can lead to a wandering mind. When you’re anxious, your mind may drift to or ruminate on worries, fears, or stressful scenarios, often relating to past events or potential future outcomes. It can be distressing and counterproductive. Practicing relaxation techniques and mindfulness while addressing the underlying causes can help in managing anxiety and a wandering mind.

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Why Mind Wandering Can Be So Miserable, According to Happiness Experts

We still don’t know why our minds seem so determined to exit the present moment, but researchers have a few ideas

Libby Copeland

For you, it could be the drive home on the freeway in stop-and-go traffic, a run without headphones or the time it takes to brush your teeth. It’s the place where you’re completely alone with your thoughts—and it’s terrifying. For me, it’s the shower.

The shower is where I’m barraged with all the “what-ifs,” the imagined catastrophes, the endless to-do list. To avoid them, I’ve tried everything from shower radio and podcasts to taking a bath so I can watch an iPad. I’ve always thought this shower-dread was just my own neurosis. But psychological research is shedding insight into why our minds tend to wander without our consent—and why it can be so unpleasant.

Scientists, being scientists, sometimes refer to the experience of mind-wandering as “stimulus-independent thought.” But by any name, you know it: It’s the experience of arriving at work with no memory of the commute. When you’re engaged in mundane activities that require little attention, your brain drifts off like a balloon escaping a child’s hand—traveling to the future, ruminating on the past, generating to-do lists, regrets and daydreams. 

In the last 15 years, the science of mind wandering has mushroomed as a topic of scholarly study, thanks in part to advances in brain imaging. But for a long time, it was still difficult to see what people’s brains were doing outside the lab. Then, when smartphones came on the scene in the late 2000s, researchers came up with an ingenious approach to understanding just how often the human brain wanders in the wilds of modern life.

As it turns out, our brains are wily, wild things, and what they do when we’re not paying attention has major implications for our happiness. 

In 2010, Matt Killingsworth, then a doctoral student in the lab of happiness researcher Daniel Gilbert at Harvard University, designed an iPhone app that pinged people throughout the day, asking what they were experiencing at that very moment. The app asked questions like these, as paraphrased by Killingsworth:

1. How do you feel, on a scale ranging from very bad to very good?

2. What are you doing (on a list of 22 different activities, including things like eating, working and watching TV)?

3. Are you thinking about something other than what you're currently doing?

Killingsworth and Gilbert tested their app on a few thousand subjects to find that people’s minds tended to wander 47 percent of the time. Looking at 22 common daily activities including working, shopping and exercising, they found that people’s minds wandered the least during sex (10 percent of the time) and the most during grooming activities (65 percent of the time)—including taking a shower. In fact, the shower appears to be especially prone to mind wandering because it requires relatively little thought compared to something like cooking.

Equally intriguing to researchers was the effect of all that mind wandering on people’s moods: Overall, people were less happy when their minds wandered. Neutral and negative thoughts seemed to make them less happy than being in the moment, and pleasant thoughts made them no happier. Even when people were engaged in an activity they said they didn’t like—commuting, for example—they were happier when focused on the commute than when their minds strayed.

What’s more, people’s negative moods appeared to be the result, rather than the cause, of the mind wandering. Recently, I asked Killingsworth why he thought mind wandering made people unhappy. “When our mind wanders, I think it really blunts the enjoyment of what it is that were doing,” he told me.

For most, the shower in and of itself is not an unpleasant experience. But any pleasure we might derive from the tactile experience of the hot water is muted, because our minds are elsewhere. Even when our thoughts meander to pleasant things, like an upcoming vacation, Killingsworth says the imagined pleasure is far less vivid and enjoyable than the real thing.

Plus, in daily life we rarely encounter situations so bad that we really need the mental escape that mind wandering provides. More often, we’re daydreaming away the quotidian details that make up a life. “I’ve failed to find any objective circumstances so bad that when people are in their heads they’re actually feeling better,” Killingsworth told me. “In every case they’re actually surprisingly happier being in that moment , on average.”

When I told Killingsworth I spend my time in the shower imagining catastrophes, he wasn't surprised. More than a quarter of our mental meanderings are to unpleasant topics, he’s found. And the vast majority of our musings are focused on the future, rather than the past. For our ancestors, that ability to imagine and plan for upcoming dangers must have been adaptive, he says. Today, it might help us plan for looming deadlines and sources of workplace conflict.

But taken to an extreme in modern day life, it can be a hell of an impediment. “The reality is, most of the things we’re worrying about are not so dangerous,” he said.

In some cases, mind wandering does serve a purpose. Our minds might “scan the internal or external environment for things coming up we may have to deal with,” says Claire Zedelius , a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Santa Barbara who works in the lab of mind wandering expert Jonathan Schooler . Mind wandering may also be linked to certain kinds of creativity , and in particular to a creativity “incubation period” during which our minds are busy coming up with ideas, Schooler’s lab has found. 

It’s unclear how our tendency to drift is affected by the diversions and distractions of our smartphones. As Killingsworth pointed out, all those distractions—podcasts, email, texts and even happiness trackers—may mean we’re effectively mind wandering less. But it may also be that “our capacity to direct our attention for sustained periods gets diminished, so that then when we’re in a situation that’s not completely engaging, maybe we have a greater propensity to start mind wandering.”

I took up mindfulness meditation a few years ago, a practice which has made me much more aware of how I’m complicit in my own distress. For about 15 minutes most days, I sit in a chair and focus on the feeling of my breath, directing myself back to the physical sensation when my mind flits away. This has helped me notice how where I go when I mind wander—away from the moment, toward imagined future catastrophes that can’t be solved.

Cortland Dahl , who studies the neuroscience of mind wandering and has been meditating for 25 years, told me that he was six months into daily meditation practice when he witnessed a change in the way he related to the present moment. “I noticed I just started to enjoy things I didn’t enjoy before,” like standing in line, or sitting in traffic, he says. “My own mind became interesting, and I had something to do—‘Okay, back to the breath.’” Killingsworth’s findings help explain this, said Dahl, a research scientist at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds.

“We tend to think of suffering as being due to a circumstance or a thing that’s happening—like, we’re physically in pain,” he says. “And I think what this research points to is that oftentimes, it’s not actually due to that circumstance but much more to the way we relate to that.”

Killingsworth is still gathering data through Trackyourhappiness.org , which now has data from more than 100,000 people, and he plans to publish more papers based on his findings. He says the lesson he’s taken from his research so far is that we human beings spend lots of time and effort fixing the wrong problem. “A lot of us spend a lot of time trying to optimize the objective reality of our lives,” he told me. “But we don’t spend a lot of time and effort trying to optimize where our minds go.”

A few months ago, I decided to try mindful showering. If I could observe the mental script and divert myself back to breath during meditation, I figured, perhaps I could divert myself back to the present moment while washing my hair. Each time I do it, there’s a brief moment of dread when I step into the shower without a podcast playing. Then, I start to pay attention. I try to notice one thing each time, whether it’s the goose bumps that rise when the hot water first hits, or the false urgency of the thoughts that still come. They demand I follow them, but they’re almost always riddles that can’t be solved.

The trick is in recognizing the illusion— ah yes, there’s that ridiculous clown car of anxiety coming down the road again. The saving grace, when I can manage to focus, is the present moment. 

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How to Tame Your Wandering Mind

Learn to take steps to deal with distraction..

Posted April 24, 2022 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• Understanding Attention
• Find counselling to help with ADHD
• We can tame our mind-wandering.
• Three tips can help you use mind-wandering to your advantage.
• These include making time to mind-wander and controlling your response to it.

Researchers believe that when a task isn’t sufficiently rewarding, our brains search for something more interesting to think about.

You have a big deadline looming, and it’s time to hunker down. But every time you start working, you find that, for some reason, your mind drifts off before you can get any real work done. What gives? What is this cruel trick our brains play on us, and what do we do about it?

Thankfully, by understanding why our mind wanders and taking steps to deal with distraction, we can stay on track. But first, let’s understand the root of the problem.

Why do our minds wander?

Unintentional mind-wandering occurs when our thoughts are not tied to the task at hand. Researchers believe our minds wander when the thing we’re supposed to be doing is not sufficiently rewarding, so our brains look for something more interesting to think about.

We’ve all experienced it from time to time, but it’s important to note that some people struggle with chronic mind-wandering : Though studies estimate ADHD afflicts less than 3% of the global adult population, it can be a serious problem and may require medical intervention.

For the vast majority of people, mind-wandering is something we can tame on our own—that is, if we know what to do about it. In fact, according to Professor Ethan Kross, director of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory at the University of Michigan and author of Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It , mind-wandering is perfectly normal.

“We spend between a third to a half of our waking hours not focused on the present,” he told me in an email. “Some neuroscience research refers to our tendency to mind-wander as our ‘default state.’”

So why do we do it?

“Mind-wandering serves several valuable functions. It helps us simulate and plan for the future and learn from our past, and it facilitates creative problem-solving,” Kross explained. “Mind-wandering often gets a bad rep, but it’s a psychological process that evolved to provide us with a competitive advantage. Imagine not being able to plan for the future or learn from your past mistakes.”

Is mind-wandering bad for you?

“Like any psychological tool, however, mind-wandering can be harmful if used in the wrong context (i.e., when you’re trying to focus on a task) or inappropriately (i.e., when you worry or ruminate too much),” according to Kross. In other words, mind-wandering is a problem when it becomes a distraction. A distraction is any action that pulls you away from what you planned to do.

If, for instance, you intended to work on a big project, such as writing a blog post or finishing a proposal, but instead find yourself doing something else, you’re distracted.

The good news is that we can use mind-wandering to our advantage if we follow a few simple steps:

1. Make time to mind-wander

Mind-wandering isn’t always a distraction. If we plan for it, we can turn mind-wandering into traction. Unlike a distraction , which by definition is a bad thing, a diversion is simply a refocusing of attention and isn’t always harmful.

There’s nothing wrong with deciding to refocus your attention for a while. In fact, we often enjoy all kinds of diversions and pay for the privilege.

A movie or a good book, for instance, diverts our attention away from real life for a while so we can get into the story and escape reality for a bit.

Similarly, if you make time to allow your mind to drift and explore whatever it likes, that’s a healthy diversion, not a distraction.

The first step to mastering mind-wandering is to plan time for it. Use a schedule maker and block off time in your day to let your thoughts flow freely. You’ll likely find that a few minutes spent in contemplation can help you work through unresolved issues and lead to breakthroughs. Scheduling mind-wandering also lets you relax because you know you have time to think about whatever is on your mind instead of believing you need to act on every passing thought.

It’s helpful to know that time to think is on your calendar so you don’t have to interrupt your mind-wandering process or risk getting distracted later.

2. Catch the action

One of the difficulties surrounding mind-wandering is that by the time you notice you’re doing it, you’ve already done it. It’s an unconscious process so you can’t prevent it from happening.

The good news is that while you can’t stop your mind from wandering, you can control what you do when it happens.

Many people never learn that they are not their thoughts. They believe the voice in their head is somehow a special part of them, like their soul speaking out their inner desires and true self. When random thoughts cross their mind, they think those thoughts must be speaking some important truth.

Not true. That voice in your head is not your soul talking, nor do you have to believe everything you think.

When we assign undue importance to the chatter in our heads, we risk listening to half-baked ideas, feeling shame for intrusive thoughts, or acting impulsively against our best interests.

A much healthier way to view mind-wandering is as brain static. Just as the random radio frequencies you tune through don’t reveal the inner desires of your car’s soul, the thoughts you have while mind-wandering don’t mean much—unless, that is, you act upon them.

Though it can throw us off track, mind-wandering generally only lasts a few seconds, maybe minutes. However, when we let mind-wandering turn into other distractions, such as social-media scrolling, television-channel surfing, or news-headline checking, that’s when we risk wasting hours rather than mere minutes.

If you do find yourself mentally drifting off in the middle of a task, the important thing is to not allow that to become an unintended action, and therefore a distraction.

An intrusive thought is not your fault. It can’t be controlled. What matters is how you respond to it—hence the word respon-sibility.

Do you let the thought go and stay on task? Or do you allow yourself to escape what you’re doing by letting it lead you toward an action you’ll later regret?

3. Note and refocus

Can we keep the helpful aspects of mind-wandering while doing away with the bad? For the most part, yes, we can.

According to Kross, “Mind-wandering can easily shift into dysfunctional worry and rumination. When that happens, the options are to refocus on the present or to implement tools that help people mind-wander more effectively.”

One of the best ways to harness the power of mind-wandering while doing an important task is to quickly note the thought you don’t want to lose on a piece of paper. It’s a simple tactic anyone can use but few bother to do. Note that I didn’t recommend an app or sending yourself an email. Tech tools are full of external triggers that can tempt us to just check “one quick thing,” and before we know it, we’re distracted.

Rather, a pen and Post-it note or a notepad are the ideal tools to get ideas out of your head without the temptations that may lead you away from what you planned to do.

Then, you can collect your thoughts and check back on them later during the time you’ve planned in your day to chew on your ideas. If you give your thoughts a little time, you’ll often find that those super important ideas aren’t so important after all.

If you had acted on them at the moment, they would have wasted your time. But by writing them down and revisiting them when you’ve planned to do so, they have time to marinate and may become less relevant.

However, once in a while, an idea you collected will turn out to be a gem. With the time you planned to chew on the thought, you may discover that mind-wandering spurred you to a great insight you can explore later.

By following the three steps above, you’ll be able to master mind-wandering rather than letting it become your master.

Nir Eyal, who has lectured at Stanford's Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, is the author of Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.

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ADHD Intrusive Thoughts: How to Spot and Manage Them

• Posted by ADDA Editorial Team
• Categories ADHD in Real Life
• Date February 14, 2024
• Comments 0 comment

Do you sometimes have thoughts that make you feel distressed or uneasy?

These are called intrusive thoughts – unwanted, strange, and persistent ideas or images that appear in your mind – and you’re not alone in having them.

Research has found that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to have more intrusive thoughts than those without the disorder. [1]  This can be explained by the unique wiring of the ADHD brain , which makes it harder for the person to control their attention and thinking.

If you have ADHD, this might be something you struggle with. It might even cause you to question who you are.

However, it’s important to remember that your thoughts don’t define or represent you – what matters is what you choose to do with them.

Understandably, they can still be disruptive and cause you to lose focus or become anxious. But with the right mindset and techniques, you can learn how to manage and overcome intrusive thoughts.

Signs of ADHD Intrusive Thoughts

Many adults with ADHD experience intrusive thoughts without knowing what they are.

By understanding what these thoughts can look like, you can label them for what they are – simply thoughts.

Here are some traits of intrusive thoughts:

• Unwanted and inappropriate. These thoughts can be disturbing. For example, they may be explicit or violent, such as imagining yourself causing harm to someone else.
• Worrying or distressing. Many people find that their intrusive thoughts are troubling or anxiety-inducing. For example, they may have negative self-thoughts. Alternatively, they could worry about doing something embarrassing in front of others.
• Out of character. You might feel disturbed because they deviate largely from your personality. They’re unusual and don’t follow your usual thinking patterns.
• Fast-paced or racing. These thoughts are usually fast-paced, as the ADHD brain can jump quickly from one idea to another.
• Repetitive and obsessive. They can be repetitive and keep coming back. The more you try to get rid of them, the worse they become.
• Unexpected and sudden. They may appear out of the blue, coming and going unpredictably.

If you experience these types of thoughts, it can be a relief to know that many other people do, too.

Having a supportive community around you can also provide comfort and relief. Through ADDA+ , you’ll gain access to a community of adult ADHDers who understand what you’re going through.

How Does ADHD Cause Intrusive Thoughts?

Intrusive thoughts in ADHD might come from a glitch in what’s called executive function [2] —a key player in how we remember, focus, plan, and keep our impulses in check.

Think of it as the brain’s command center that ADHD can sometimes disrupt, making those unwelcome thoughts more likely to pop up.

Because of this, ADHDers may find it challenging to focus and direct their attention. They might also have trouble inhibiting unwanted thoughts and behaviors. [1]  As a result, they can experience streams of intrusive thoughts that are hard to control.

Aside from this, ADHD is also linked to problems with the default mode network (DMN) of the brain. [3] This part of the brain clicks on when you daydream.

Due to this, ADHD can be associated with excessive mind wandering and mental restlessness. [4] As a result, you may often overthink and have streams of thoughts that are distracting and difficult to control.

Understanding the link between intrusive thoughts and the ADHD brain can help you show more compassion to yourself.

Essentially, these thoughts are involuntary and appear frequently because of how the ADHD brain is wired. You’re not to blame for having them.

4 Tips to Manage Intrusive and Obsessive Thoughts in ADHD

While it’s difficult to eliminate these thoughts entirely, by handling them well, you can minimize their impact on your focus, productivity, and mental health.

Here are some ways to manage intrusive thoughts:

1. Acknowledge the Thought

Trying to push these thoughts away can make them worse. Instead, try to accept them.

Acknowledge them with a non-judgemental mindset so you don’t invest emotions into them. Label them as intrusive, then let them float by. They’re likely to return, but that’s okay.

Ultimately, intrusive thoughts are involuntary and out of our control. You’re not a bad person for having them. But you’re probably irritated by them because they’re out of character and so unlike you.

2. Externalize the Thought

You might be afraid to open up about this issue. But confiding in someone you trust can help you externalize the thought, so it no longer holds as much power in your mind.

Find someone to confide in who’s non-judgemental and knows your character. They’ll provide relief and help comfort you by reminding you of who you truly are.

Another way to externalize your thoughts is journaling. By writing your thoughts down, you’re able to reduce them down to a manageable size, cutting down their perceived vastness.

This also provides you with the added benefit of being able to revisit your thoughts in the future, to see how the way you think has changed over time.

3. Keep Yourself Occupied

While you should acknowledge the thought, it’s important not to overthink or ruminate on it.

Find something that takes your focus out of your mind. When your brain finds something else to engage with, it will be much easier for the thought to float by instead of sticking around.

Certain activities can also help you to relax and destress. For example, taking a walk in nature, exercising, or spending time with your friends and family.

4. Carry Out Mindfulness Exercises

Research suggests that mindfulness exercises can help reduce how much your mind wanders. [5] This means you can be attentive and focus better on the present moment, and you are less likely to get distracted by unrelated thoughts.

Additionally, one study discovered that mindfulness training can help a person reduce intrusive thoughts [6]  This skill teaches you to observe your thoughts without judging or attaching any emotions to them.

You can practice mindfulness at any time and anywhere. If you’d like, you can enhance this skill in your spare time by doing mindfulness exercises.

Simply find a quiet place where you won’t be bothered. Focus on how your body feels. Concentrate on your breathing, counting to four each time you breathe in and each time you breathe out. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to focus on your body and breathing.

Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Professional Help and Therapy

Navigating ADHD and intrusive thoughts is a journey you don’t have to embark on by yourself.

Though it may seem challenging, reaching out for treatment and support can significantly enhance your ability to manage those thoughts, turning the journey into one of empowerment and growth.

Certain ADHD therapies can also help. One example is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of talking therapy. It helps you replace unhelpful thinking patterns with healthier ones.

[1] Abramovitch, A., & Schweiger, A. (2009). Unwanted intrusive and worrisome thoughts in adults with Attention Deficit\Hyperactivity Disorder. Psychiatry Research , 168(3), 230–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2008.06.004

[2] Roselló, B., Berenguer, C., Baixauli, I., Mira, Á., Martinez-Raga, J., & Miranda, A. (2020). Empirical examination of executive functioning, ADHD associated behaviors, and functional impairments in adults with persistent ADHD, remittent ADHD, and without ADHD. BMC psychiatry , 20(1), 134. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02542-y

[3] Saad, J. F., Griffiths, K. R., Kohn, M. R., Braund, T. A., Clarke, S., Williams, L. M., & Korgaonkar, M. S. (2022). Intrinsic Functional Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Differentiates the Combined and Inattentive Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Types. Frontiers in human neuroscience , 16, 859538. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.859538

[4] Kandeğer, A., Süheyla Ünal, & Metin Ergün. (2023). Mentation processes such as excessive mind wandering, rumination, and mindfulness mediate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and anxiety and depression in adults with ADHD. European Psychiatry , 66(S1), S113–S114. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.309

[5] Kandeğer, A., Odabaş Ünal, Ş., Ergün, M. T., & Yavuz Ataşlar, E. (2023). Excessive mind wandering, rumination, and mindfulness mediate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and anxiety and depression in adults with ADHD. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy , 10.1002/cpp.2940. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2940

[6] Ashton, S. M., Sambeth, A., & Quaedflieg, C. W. E. M. (2023). A mindful approach to controlling intrusive thoughts. Scientific reports , 13(1), 10966. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-37447-9

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