Artwork: Marc Martin
Understanding Attention Through a Somatic Lens, Without Relying on Stimulants
When Focus Feels Out of Reach
A 2024 study from Ohio State University found that an estimated 25% of adults have undiagnosed ADHD. Many adults, whether diagnosed or simply wondering if ADHD may be part of their experience, find themselves in a familiar pattern.
There are things they want to do, often things that matter and yet starting feels out of reach. Attention drifts, fragments, or disappears altogether. At times there is a kind of fog. At other times, there is so much energy that it becomes difficult to stay with one thing for very long.
ADHD is often understood as a problem of attention, but attention does not exist on its own. It is shaped by the state of the nervous system. When the system has enough activation, but not too much, attention becomes more available. When activation moves outside that range, it becomes harder to begin, organize, and stay with a task.
What often follows is an attempt to override the system. We push through, search for more discipline or look for a better strategy. But if attention depends on the state of the nervous system, then effort alone is not the issue.
What if the question began to shift? Rather than asking, Why can't I focus? we might begin by asking, What state is my nervous system in right now?
That question opens the door to a different way of understanding attention and a different way of working with it.
Supporting Attention Through State
Much of the conversation around ADHD focuses on productivity: how to organize better, stay on track or follow through. These strategies can be helpful, but they often assume that attention will be available if we simply find the right system.
For many people, this isn't their experience. There are days when attention comes easily and days when it feels almost impossible to access. The difference is not always motivation or willpower. Often, it is the state of the nervous system.
Rather than trying to force focus, let’s begin by supporting the conditions from which focus can naturally emerge. Sometimes that means gently increasing activation. Other times it means slowing down, organizing excess energy or creating an environment that helps the system settle.
The sections that follow offer practical ways to support attention through this lens. They are not about becoming more disciplined. They are about learning to work with your nervous system rather than against it.
“Attention becomes more available when the nervous system is supported.”
You can download a simple visual map of this to keep at your work station here:
→ Download the printable ADHD Support Handout (PDF)
Beginning with State
Before choosing a strategy, begin by noticing your current state.
Do I feel under-activated, low energy, foggy, hard to start?
Do I feel over-activated, restless, scattered, unable to settle?
Both of these states will need something different.
Supporting a Foggy or Low Energy State
When the system is under-activated, attention is often not available yet. In these moments, the focus is not on concentration but on gentle activation.
You might try:
stepping outside for a few minutes of light or fresh air
brief movement such as walking or stretching
eating something with protein
beginning with a very small, clearly defined task
This shift is subtle.
“We don’t want to push the system, we want to invite it toward engagement.”
Supporting a Restless or Activated State
When the system is more activated, attention may feel scattered or hard to sustain. The goal here is on discharging excess energy and creating containment.
You might try:
movement before starting a task
working in shorter periods with breaks, set a timer
simple grounding, such as feeling your feet, seat or breath
Rather than forcing stillness, let’s allow some movement and then gradually organize from there.
Sleep
Sleep plays a background but important role in attention. From a nervous system perspective, sleep helps set the baseline state from which attention and regulation become possible. When the system is under-rested, it is often either harder to activate or harder to settle, making it more difficult to begin, organize or stay with tasks.
What can look like difficulty focusing is often a reflection of the state the system is starting from. Rather than approaching sleep as something to perfect, you might begin by gently supporting rhythm.
You could experiment with:
going to bed and waking at similar times
reducing light and stimulation in the evening
allowing space to wind down before sleep
Even small shifts can support a more stable baseline and from there attention often becomes more available.
Setting the Tone in the Morning
The ADHD brain benefits from support with activation, especially early in the day, helping to support dopamine and engagement. A simple morning rhythm can help set this up.
no screens or scrolling within the first hour of waking
light exposure within the first 30 minutes
some form of movement, even briefly
protein early in the day
one small, doable task
This helps the system orient toward the day and can make starting easier.
Using Movement
Movement can support both activation and regulation.
You might notice what happens when you:
take a short walk before starting
stand or stretch during a task
pause to move when attention drops
Attention can become more available after the body has moved.
Making Tasks More Approachable
Many difficulties with attention are actually difficulties with initiation and organization. The task itself may not be the problem, but the distance between where you are and where the task begins might feel too vast.
You might experiment with:
breaking tasks into very small steps
writing things down in one place
using a timer to define a beginning and an end
A helpful reframe is this:
“Starting is the task.”
Working with Interest
Attention is naturally pulled toward what feels engaging.
You might:
begin with the part of a task that feels most accessible
pair tasks with something you like
shift your environment if you feel stuck
Start where something in you is already willing. Momentum is often easier to build than motivation.
Shaping the Environment
Rather than relying on willpower, it can help to adjust your surroundings.
You might try:
keeping important items visible
reducing visual clutter, even if it’s only the corner of the room that you can see
setting things up ahead of time
creating a soothing sensory environment your system can associate with ease
Small environmental shifts can reduce the effort required to begin.
Practice: Finding the Starting Point
There are moments when attention is not available yet and the most helpful shift is not another strategy, but a pause.
You can listen to a short guided version of this practice here:
Pause.
Let your eyes move gently around the space, noticing a few neutral or familiar objects. Bring your attention to your body, your feet on the ground, your back supported, your breath as it is.
Now bring the task to mind. Ask what is the smallest place I can begin. Let it be very small.
Take a breath. And begin there.
A Different Relationship to Attention
Attention is often treated as something that needs to be controlled or corrected. When it doesn’t respond, it can be easy to turn that frustration inward and many people begin to believe that they are the problem.
But attention and focus are not something you force or will into action. They become more available when your system is supported, gently activated or settled and working with rather than against itself.
You do not need to change everything at once. The work begins by noticing your state and supporting your nervous system from there. That’s enough to begin.
If you're interested in exploring this work more deeply, my self-paced course Somatic Skills for Embodied Awareness offers a guided, experiential approach to building awareness of your nervous system and learning how to work with it in real time.
Through practices such as grounding, resourcing, breathwork and embodied awareness, the course supports your ability to recognize and shift state, making it easier over time to begin, organize and stay with what matters, not by forcing attention, but by supporting the system that attention depends on. Learn More Here.
About the Author
Shauna Bergh, LMFT, SEP, RYT-500 is a somatic psychotherapist and yoga teacher based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her work integrates trauma informed psychotherapy, nervous system education and contemplative practices drawn from yoga philosophy.
In addition to her clinical practice, Shauna teaches courses for therapists and individuals interested in embodied awareness, helping people develop greater awareness of their nervous system through breathwork, somatic practices and guided self inquiry. Her approach bridges psychology, the body and contemplative traditions with a focus on cultivating safety, presence and deeper connection in our increasingly complex world.