ADHD and Hyperfixation: From “What’s This?” to “I Know Everything About It”
So let’s talk about hyperfixation—aka, the ADHD superpower and sometimes curse that takes us from “I’ve never heard of this thing” to “I can’t think about anything else ever again” in record time.
For me, that thing was Chess. I learned how to play when I was 17, and I swear, something in my brain just clicked. One day I was fumbling through the rules, and the next I was knee-deep in YouTube videos, tactics puzzles, openings, and probably dreaming about rooks. I’m not even exaggerating. It got intense. But also? It felt amazing. Like, finally—my brain was quiet and focused… for once.
What Is Hyperfixation in ADHD?
Hyperfixation is when your brain latches onto something—an activity, hobby, topic, or idea—and it becomes your entire world for a while. It’s more than just being interested. It’s an all-consuming mental spotlight. And if you have ADHD, you’ve probably experienced it more than once.
It’s not always Chess. Sometimes it’s crochet. Or skincare. Or a specific video game, or a historical era, or a niche type of bird. The subject doesn’t matter as much as the intensity. You need to know everything about it. It’s like your brain has finally found a comfortable place to land, and it’s not letting go anytime soon.
The Double-Edged Sword of Hyperfixation
Okay, so here’s the deal: hyperfixation isn’t inherently bad. Honestly, it can be kind of magical. It’s that rare window where the ADHD brain feels locked in, engaged, focused. You feel capable. Alive. Productive. That kind of flow state is something most of us chase constantly, so when we find it, we ride it hard.
But the tricky part? It can also become… a bit much.
- You forget to eat.
- You don’t reply to texts for days.
- Your sleep schedule? Absolutely demolished.
- And once it fades, it can leave you feeling kind of empty or aimless.
There’s also that moment when someone asks, “So, how’s your hobby going?” and you’re like, “Oh… I haven’t touched it in months.” Which can be awkward. Or sad. Or just one more thing that makes you feel “inconsistent,” even though inconsistency is kind of a package deal with ADHD.
Learning to Coexist with Hyperfixation
So what do we do with our hyperfixations? Try to suppress them? Nah. That’s like trying to tame a lightning bolt with a wet paper towel. What’s helped me more is learning how to ride the wave—without getting totally swept out to sea.
Here are a few things I’ve picked up along the way:
- Set gentle boundaries. If you feel yourself getting pulled in, build in soft reminders to eat, stretch, or even just blink. (Seriously, blink.)
- Share it. Sometimes talking about your hyperfixation with someone else—whether they get it or not—helps you feel less isolated in it.
- Let it fade without guilt. Interests change. That doesn’t make what you learned or created any less valuable. You still grew. You still were that version of you.
- Document it. Journals, photos, bookmarks—anything that lets Future You look back and remember how deeply you cared about it at the time. It’s actually kind of beautiful.
From Obsession to Curiosity (and Back Again)
Chess hasn’t stayed a 24/7 fixation for me—but it’s always kind of there. Like an old friend. And every now and then, I’ll go right back into the rabbit hole. I think that’s what hyperfixation leaves behind sometimes: a trail of deep knowledge, even if it’s not currently front and center.
So if you’re in the middle of a hyperfixation right now, or if one just faded and you’re feeling a little lost, know this—it’s normal. It’s an ADHD rhythm. Obsession, fade, drift, return. You’re not flaky. You’re not broken. You’re just wired to dive deep and love hard for a while. That’s actually kind of beautiful.
If you want to explore more of how your brain works and why ADHD patterns can feel so intense, check out our post on ADHD and meditation.
You’re not alone. And if you’re currently hyperfixating on reading about ADHD… hey, same. If you want to read more about hyperfixation, check out this article.