The ADHD Walkabout
Why ADHD brains need time to wander
I've coined this term based on the idea of exploring a wilderness with abandon ie the Aussie Outback but in a mind wandering metaphysical sense. And yes, I did watch Crocodile Dundee too much as a child- Flamin’ Galah! (still not sure what this means)
I don't know if anyone else has described it like this, although there is research suggesting that people with ADHD experience more spontaneous mind wandering than neurotypical people. That's not quite what I'm talking about here though.
it’s a walkabout but not as we know it
What are you talking about then?
I'm talking about choosing to create space for that wandering rather than constantly trying to suppress it. We're all very aware of social media algorithms being designed to keep us following somebody else's path- sometimes we want that. An ADHD Walkabout is almost the opposite. It's giving yourself permission to follow your own internal algorithm. To notice what your own brain is curious about instead of what someone else's platform or schedule decides you should be looking at.
I'm talking about creating intentional space to follow your curiosity and let your brain breathe. The ADHD walkabout is not something that leaves you distressed, stuck or ruminating.
It might describe a state you knew well before you were diagnosed. A space where time seems to disappear and you're simply following your curiosity from one thing to another. You might spend hours imagining, thinking, tinkering, reading, making, pottering, listening to music, rearranging furniture, wandering outside or moving between projects without feeling like you have to justify any of it.
What is it then? Does it involve dingoes?
For me, it's a feeling of freedom in both my brain and my body. Some people might describe it as being in flow and it is a version of that but this kind of ADHD flow is not just about one activity- it’s about allowing yourself to be in YOUR natural flow for a set period of time.
As we become more aware of our ADHD, many of us work hard to build structure because we recognise we need it. We use calendars, reminders, body doubling, routines and accountability because they help us stay connected to everyday life- those guardrails are our friends- most of the time.
But sometimes, in building all that structure, we stop allowing ourselves the freedom our brains naturally crave. In my opinion, we still need time to simply be ourselves without restrictions. Sometimes our brains need permission to wander and for us to be able to bimble around with no outcomes required of us
Some silly names
Here are some of the names I use to describe this kind of state of being :
Bimbling
Bumbling
Pottering
Freewheeling
Chasing Butterflies
Boopeedoing
Adventuring
Investigationing
In my happy place
This might look like turning off your phone/ notifications, reading, browsing, lying on the sofa, listening to music, going away by yourself, trying out a new guitar pedal, moving between creative ideas, going for a walk, tidying a room you've been meaning to sort, researching a completely random topic or mostly- just spending time following your curiosity wherever it leads.
No scroll zone
This isn't about mindlessly scrolling because you can't stop or trying to feel numb or escaping your life. If there is an escape, it’s an escape back to you- to who and how you are when left to your own devices. It's curiosity-led rather than algorithm-led.
The important part, though, is that we're choosing to enter this space.
An ADHD Walkabout isn't about randomly disappearing for three days, spiralling and forgetting the rest of your life exists. We know how easily our brains can lose track of time, so we plan our walkabouts and build ourselves a way back.
That might mean:
setting several alarms
asking someone to call you at a certain time
putting a Post-it note on the front door
arranging for someone to arrive later that day
planning your Walkabout between two fixed points in your diary
We needs structure… but we hates it!
The aim is to find the balance between giving yourself enough freedom AND structure so that you can fully relax into the time you've created, knowing you'll find your way back afterwards. Otherwise we can end up caught between two difficult states:
Waiting mode, where we never quite allow ourselves to sink into the time we have.
Or total freewheeling, where we get so absorbed that we lose sight of everything else.
The sweet spot is giving ourselves permission to wander while creating enough of a framework to return to everyday life afterwards.
Like my work? Let my brain make it then
For me, this is also about energy management.
After periods of being "on", whether that's performing, touring, socialising, parenting, working or simply keeping lots of plates spinning, I often notice I need some Walkabout time. This is different from downtime which is often about restoring energy, grounding and resetting senses.
I need fire breaks- some respite-space and time to "not".
We often talk about recovery as sleep or rest, but I wonder whether many neurodivergent people also need periods where they simply get to be themselves without having to fit into the rhythms of a 9-5 world.
It's often those moments that directly or indirectly feed the creative outputs people value from us. We need extended moments for our divergent brains to replenish ideas and come up with new things and sometimes we can only do that when we can escape time and responsibilities for a while.
An ADHD Walkabout might look like:
wandering off on your own for an hour during a family holiday because something has caught your attention (with agreement!)
following your curiosity around a museum or exhibition
spending all afternoon experimenting with a new piece of music equipment
rearranging furniture while your favourite album plays
pottering in the garden
going away just for you and following your interests
trying hand knitting just because
taking yourself out for lunch and seeing where the day goes
starting three different creative projects before settling into one
having a huge sort out because your brain suddenly wants to
letting yourself think about the future without trying to solve it
Maybe you recognise these behaviours in yourself but you've never called it an ADHD Walkabout before. Maybe you are noticing the dichotomy of needing structure and not wanting it at all. Perhaps the antidote is to build in ADHD Walkabouts regularly and make space for wandering/wondering whatever that means to you.
So, when was the last time you gave yourself permission to follow your own internal algorithm?
What might your next ADHD Walkabout look like?
