Fidget to Focus

Concept: Checklist

This is an excerpt from the Fidget Strategies workbook included in the appendices of Fidget to Focus.

Directions:

1) Identify one activity you have trouble attending to and for which you would like to find an effective fidget or “menu of fidgets”.

2) If applicable, identify the primary sensory mechanism(s) required for the activity.

3) Make note of what fidgets you already use when you engage in that activity. Mark these strategies in the list below.

4) Now, using both the checklists and your existing strategies as inspiration, experiment with new strategies to see what works best for you in that moment when the activity is just not interesting enough to sustain your attention.

FIDGETS:

Sight

These strategies involve noticing details in the environment or watching, noticing, or tracking something while engaged in the mundane task.

using colorful tools (e.g., pens, folders, highlighters)
watching a fish tank, water/oil toy, screen saver, etc.
glancing out a window
playing video or computer games, or games on your phone or PDA
other ___________________

Sound

These strategies involve listening to or hearing something while reading, talking, planning, etc.

playing familiar music (e.g., classical, rock, jazz)
whistling or humming or talking to yourself
listening to television or talk radio
listening to a ticking clock or timer
other ___________________

Movement

etc

WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE BOOK

"Full of tips and strategies collected over years of shared experiences, Fidget to Focus is a gold mine of information and sometimes surprising, sometimes heart-warming stories about how to stay focused and on track, even when tasks are tedious, dull, and boring."

Thom Hartmann
Author of Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Roland Rotz,
Ph.D.

Sarah D. Wright,
M.S., A.C.T.