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Strategies
What are the best evidence-based strategies for improving focus with ADHD?
The evidence hierarchy for ADHD focus strategies is clear: medication has the strongest effect (effect size 0.8–1.0), followed by aerobic exercise, then behavioural strategies. The strategies below are ranked by evidence quality.
| Strategy | Evidence | Effect size |
|---|---|---|
| Stimulant medication (Ritalin, Adderall, etc.) | Very strong | Large (0.8–1.0) |
| Aerobic exercise (20–30 min before tasks) | Strong | Moderate (0.5–0.7) |
| Non-stimulant medication (Strattera, Intuniv) | Strong | Moderate (0.5–0.6) |
| CBT for ADHD | Moderate | Moderate — especially for adults |
| Mindfulness-based therapy | Moderate | Small-moderate |
| External structure (time blocking, alarms) | Clinical consensus | Practical, evidence-limited |
| Body doubling (working alongside others) | Emerging evidence | Moderate anecdotally |
| Phone/notification elimination | Common sense + some evidence | Practical |
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Quick Answer
Medication (stimulants or non-stimulants) has the strongest evidence — effect sizes of 0.8–1.0. Beyond medication: exercise (immediate dopamine boost), body doubles, time-blocking, minimising digital notifications, and the Pomodoro technique all have supporting evidence.
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