Block one distracting digital route
Not ratedADHD evidence
Put a small barrier between work and an unrelated app or site.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Name the one app or website that most often breaks into a task you want to finish.
5 minutes
Set one temporary limit using a tool you already have.
15 minutes
Test that limit during one small task and note what still needs to stay accessible.
A plan
Test a useful barrier
- Identify one recurring digital detour.
- Try a limited block during one task.
- Keep, adjust or remove the barrier based on what happened.
How sure the science is
Not rated, ADHD evidence
- No pooled trials to rate.
- This rests on single studies, expert consensus or clinical practice.
- Measured in people with ADHD.
ADHD-specific NHS study guidance recommends blockers; the measured trial is a general adult two-week full mobile internet block; no formal certainty rating.
The number, drawn
Use apps that block distractions
Why it matters
- In a general adult randomised trial, blocking all smartphone internet for two weeks, with calls and texts still working, improved sustained attention.
- Sticking with it was hard: only 119 of 467 people who agreed, 25.5%, kept the block on for most days, and the authors suggest less restrictive blocks may work better.
- NHS ADHD study advice recommends blocking apps for distracting sites, so a small, targeted block during one task is the practical version, and its ADHD-specific benefit is unmeasured.
How to do it
- Name the app or site that most often pulls you away from a task you chose.
- Use a built-in limit or blocker for a short, planned work period.
- Leave open the tools and contacts you actually need.
- See whether the barrier helped before adding more restrictions.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- Block a shopping site while you submit a work form.
- Limit a distracting feed during a planned study period, leaving course resources available.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeBlock everything and the task becomes impossible. Allow the resources you need.
- Common mistakeGetting around a limit feels like failing. Shorten the period, or block a more specific distraction.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- C Small or mixed studies, expert consensus or clinical practice. Worth knowing, not worth betting on.
- The number
- Use apps that block distractions (Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, 2026)
- Benefit
- 39/100 An editorial priority for the general list, weighted by certainty. It does not predict what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Quick win
Sources
- Tier 1 guidelineEducation (ADHD: while you wait)Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, 2026
- Tier 2 studyBlocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-beingPNAS Nexus, 2025
- Tier 1 guidelineADHD in adultsNHS, 2025
- General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan.
- Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you.
- Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.