Diet matters. Protein, especially in the morning. Carbs and sugar are so bad for focus.

Sleep is essential. Getting a full night of quality sleep will probably help more than anything else. If you often wake up feeling tired already then maybe do a sleep study to see if there are problems there.

Exercise helps.

Developing a system for organization is key to unburdening your mind. There are various books for adults, for me I also found an executive function coach gave me the right amount of accountability and discipline to practice the systems enough that they didnt feel like a burden anymore.

Thanks! It has helped explain a lot of things about my life, and what I now understand as dopamine-seeking behavior, as well as why I found it so difficult to switch focus once I became obsessed with something.

I got a prescription for Adderall, and I take 10mg dose a couple of times a week when I need to get psyched up for deep-cleaning the house or doing a week's worth of food prep, or folding and putting away a mountain of laundry. Moving your body doing repetitive manual tasks just feels amazing on speed. My wife is pretty happy not having to over-function for me, and to have help around the house. Having healthy food that you want to eat in your fridge is also very helpful.

I seem to get plenty of motivation and focus for doing things I want to do by doing an hour of cardio every morning at the gym. Recently I've been moving between HR zones 1-4 while listening to the 4 movements of Beethoven's 9th, which I have a recording of that is just over an hour. I sometimes time it so I walk out of the gym at the end of the 4th movement to thunderous applause in my headphones. Reading while doing boring steady state Zone-2 on the elliptical is amazing -- I rarely feel smarter or more engaged. I read all of Jane Austen's novels that way, and it inspired me to read more!

I also go to bed every night at the same time, get up at the same time every morning, and if I don't manage to get at least 7 hours of sleep I take a nap during the day. I have developed friendships with the regulars at my local coffee shop and often have good conversations at nearly the same time several times a week. I meet with a couple of old college friends every week for dinner. I also take leisurely cold-ass showers every morning when I get back from the gym to prove to myself that I have executive function, and because by the time I've shaved and brushed & flossed I feel like a million bucks.