Park distractions for later
Hold on to a useful thought without letting it pull you off the task you chose.
Not ratedADHD evidence
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Run it in your head: a side thought turns up, you give it a short label, you go back to the task.
5 minutes
Start a short task with a place to capture side thoughts in a few words.
15 minutes
Try one focus block, then review the distraction note at the end.
30 minutes
Use the note through a work and break cycle and keep only the entries that still need action.
A plan
Practise returning
- Put a capture note beside one task.
- Record side thoughts briefly during a work block.
- Review them at the stopping point and schedule only what matters.
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 clinical guidance and programme content; the isolated strategy has no separately rated efficacy estimate.
The number, drawn
Keep a notebook for ideas to revisit later
Why it matters
A side thought can drag you into a different job before the current one is done. Writing it down and coming back to it later is taught as distractibility delay in adult ADHD CBT. In the cited evidence, the technique has not been tested apart from the wider treatment programme.
How to do it
- Keep a small note next to the task.
- When an idea that isn't urgent shows up, write a few words.
- Go back to the task until the stopping point you planned.
- Read the note then, and decide what actually needs doing.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- Note 'check train tickets' while writing, then return to your paragraph.
- Capture a new project idea without opening another browser tab.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeWriting a detailed plan can become the distraction. Capture a short cue and stop.
- Common mistakeDon't park urgent safety needs. This is only for thoughts that can wait.
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
- Keep a notebook for ideas to revisit later (Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, 2026)
- Benefit
- 41/100 The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Some effort
Sources
- Tier 1 guidelineEducation (ADHD: while you wait)Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, 2026
- Tier 2 studyDescription and Demonstration of CBT for ADHD in AdultsCognitive and Behavioral Practice, 2010
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.