Imagine this:
You are at a computer, trying to work on a project, however several tabs and pop-up notifications keep interrupting your workspace.
One tab contains the task you are supposed to be doing.
Another reminds you about something you forgot.
Another brings up a conversation from yesterday.
Another contains an idea you do not want to lose.
Another notices a sound in the room.
Then a new pop-up suddenly appears that says: "Wait... did I remember to send that email?"
In our study of individuals with ADHD, attention feels like this.
What is The Mental Tabs Metaphor?
The ADHD Mental Tabs metaphor is a visual way of describing how thoughts, reminders, sensations, memories, ideas, and unfinished tasks can compete for attention at the same time.
Many ADHDers describe different categories of these mental tabs:
🟦 Foreground tab:
The task or conversation currently in front of the person.
🟨 Background tabs:
Other thoughts, memories, questions, ideas, or unfinished tasks remaining mentally active.
🟥 Pop-up windows:
Sudden reminders, unrelated associations, worries, impulses, or new ideas that unexpectedly demand attention.
The browser may rarely feel completely quiet. Several tabs may remain active, each competing to become the focus tab (foreground tab).
⚠️ Notice: It is important to note that this is not a literal description of what the brain is doing, but a metaphorical description that resonates with many individuals with ADHD whom we have interviewed, and thereby may not be representative of every ADHDer’s experience.
Community Term: Parallel Thinking
AUplusDHD term: ADHD Mental Tabs.
Clinical Term: N/A
