Why can I focus on video games but not on work?

"If you can spend 6 hours gaming, you clearly don't have attention problems."

Anyone who's said this to you fundamentally misunderstands how ADHD works.

ADHD isn't about lacking attention

It's about regulating attention. Your brain can do two things:

• Hypofocus: Can't concentrate on "boring" stuff no matter how hard you try
• Hyperfocus: Intense, almost uncontrollable concentration on stimulating things

Both are symptoms of the same underlying issue: you don't get to choose where your attention goes.

Why video games work so well

Video games are engineered to capture attention. That's their job:

Instant rewards: Points, level-ups, achievements every few seconds. Your ADHD brain craves frequent dopamine hits, and games deliver them constantly.

Non-stop stimulation: Visuals, sounds, action. There are no "boring" moments where your mind can wander off.

Immediate feedback: You know right away if you did well or messed up. No ambiguity.

Adaptive difficulty: The game adjusts to you. There's always an optimal challenge, not too easy, not too hard.

Why work doesn't hit the same

Most jobs offer the exact opposite:

• Delayed rewards: Paycheck comes in weeks
• Repetitive tasks: Same thing over and over, little variation
• Slow feedback: You might not know if you did well until much later
• Abstract stakes: "This is important for your career" doesn't activate anything in your brain

It's not about wanting to

Your brain isn't choosing to ignore work. It's responding to how it's wired:

• Lower dopamine baseline = needs more stimulation to engage
• Struggles with delayed gratification
• Motivation system runs on interest, not importance

This isn't a willpower problem. It's neurology.

How to "hack" your own brain

You can borrow principles from game design and apply them to work:

1. Break tasks into small missions with frequent mini-rewards
2. Use timers (Pomodoro technique) to create urgency
3. Gamify it: Apps like Habitica turn tasks into actual games
4. Add stimulation: Background music, change of scenery
5. Work on what genuinely interests you whenever possible

The silver lining

Hyperfocus can be a superpower if you point it in the right direction. Many people with ADHD excel in fields they're passionate about because of this ability to go all-in.

The trick isn't forcing yourself to function like a neurotypical brain. It's finding work that naturally activates your hyperfocus.