Squirrel Brain
Do You Ever...?
Do you ever start telling a story and end up talking about something completely different? Or have so many ideas at once that choosing one feels impossible?
That is a symptom we delightfully call “squirrel brain”.
What is it?
Squirrel brain means:
- Lots of thoughts zooming at the same time.
- Jumping quickly from one idea to another.
- Seeing connections everywhere.
It can feel messy but is also a huge source of creativity.
Why does this happen?
ADHD brains often think in parallel, not in a straight line. New ideas pop up quickly, and one idea reminds you of another. This is great for creativity but can make it hard to:
- Finish tasks.
- Stay on topic.
- Remember your original plan.
What can I do?
Capture ideas instead of holding them.
Use a notebook, app, or whiteboard. When you get a new idea, jot it down and return to your current task.
Pick one “main track.”
Decide: “For the next 15 minutes, my main mission is math” or “finishing this drawing.” Everything else goes on your ideas list.
Use mind maps.
Put your main topic in the center, then draw branches for each idea. This matches how your brain likes to think.
Schedule idea time.
Set aside time just to explore your ideas, without needing to finish anything. This tells your brain “We will get to the fun stuff.”
Fun Fact!
For a young person with ADHD, this can be a super power: a “squirrel brain” that notices tons of tiny cues – expressions, vibes, energy shifts – and can piece them together into big-picture insights before most people even realize what they’re seeing. Even if it’s hard to explain how they knew something, their rapid-fire intuition and thin slicing can help them read situations creatively, and connect with others in unique, powerful ways.
