It’s no secret that all of us – but especially those of us who are neurodiverse – have a tendency to interrupt.
Whether we’re in the middle of a conversation or meeting, it can be difficult for us to control our impulses and stay focused on what others are saying.
But while interrupting may feel like second nature, it’s important to learn how to stop this habit—especially if you want to make sure that your opinion is heard and respected in the workplace.
So, let’s take a look at how you can break the cycle of interrupting when you have ADHD or another type of neurodiversity.
Why It’s Common to Interrupt When You Have ADHD
Interrupting is a common behavior associated with ADHD and neurodiversity. It can be frustrating for both the individual and those around them. People with ADHD may have difficulty filtering out their own thoughts and ideas from those of others.
As a result, they may find themselves speaking over other people without realizing it. This can be especially difficult in conversations where multiple people are talking at once.
Another reason why people with ADHD interrupt is that they may be more easily distracted than others by their environment or other stimuli, such as sounds or movements around them. This means that when something catches their attention, they may become so engrossed in it that they forget what was being said before or jump into a new topic mid-conversation without realizing it.
Many people with ADHD tend to talk faster than others, too, which can lead to them inadvertently cutting off others while speaking.
Finally, neurodiverse people may struggle to maintain eye contact during conversations, which can make it difficult for them to pay attention to what is being said and respond appropriately.
They may also feel overwhelmed by long-winded conversations due to difficulty concentrating on one thing for extended periods of time – leading them to interject in order to take control of the conversation and get everyone back on track again quickly.
How to Stop Interrupting: Tips for Neurodivergent People
Are you a person who finds it difficult to avoid interrupting others in conversations? If so, you’re not alone. Many neurodiverse people struggle with this issue, but there are steps that can be taken to help improve your conversation skills and make sure everyone gets their chance to speak without being interrupted.
Let’s take a look.
Be Aware of How Often You Do It
One of the first steps in reducing your interrupting is becoming aware of how often you do it. The next time you’re in a conversation, take note of how many times you interrupt someone else. This will give you an idea of how much work you need to do to reduce your interruptions.
Mentally Rehearse Conversation Strategies
Before entering into a conversation, it’s a good idea to mentally rehearse strategies for avoiding interruption. Think about what strategies have worked for you in the past and practice them before speaking up. This will give you a better chance at staying on track and avoiding interruption during the actual conversation.
Stay Present in Conversations
The first step to breaking any habit is understanding why it exists in the first place. For people with ADHD, interrupting often comes from feeling overwhelmed or bored by conversations. When we’re not engaged, our minds start wandering off and we might jump into conversations without even realizing it.
The key is to focus on staying present in conversations and actively engaging with what other people are saying. This means avoiding multitasking while someone else is talking and being mindful of your body language (e.g., making eye contact, nodding along) so that you don’t inadvertently tune out of conversations.
Learn Non-Verbal Cues
Non-verbal cues can also be helpful for people with ADHD who struggle with interrupting. In particular, learning how to recognize when someone else has finished speaking can help ensure that you don’t jump in too soon without giving them a chance to finish their thought.
Pay close attention to body languages such as facial expressions and hand gestures—these can tell you a lot about when someone is done talking, even if they haven’t said “I’m finished.”
Not only that, but making an effort to listen carefully will help ensure that everyone gets their turn to speak without interruption.
Give Yourself Timeouts
Sometimes, recognizing non-verbal cues isn’t enough—sometimes, we just need more time before jumping into conversations or meetings. To give yourself some extra thinking time, try taking mental “timeouts” during conversations where you count silently up to 10 before chipping in with your thoughts or opinions (and yes, out loud counting works too!).
This way, you won’t feel rushed into joining conversations before taking some time for yourself first—and importantly, it gives others who may be less vocal the opportunity they need to join the discussion as well!
Practice Deep Breathing During Conversations
When in the midst of a conversation, practicing deep breathing can help to keep your mind from wandering and keep yourself from jumping into the discussion too quickly. Taking deep breaths also helps to reduce stress levels and keeps us more focused on the task at hand – listening and engaging with others instead of speaking over them.
Take Notes
Taking notes during conversations is also a great way to stay focused and avoid interruption. Not only does it help us remember important points being made, but it also serves as a visual cue that we should listen instead of talk when someone else is speaking.
Ask For Permission to Interrupt
This may seem like an obvious one, but asking for permission before interjecting can go a long way towards making sure everyone feels heard and respected during conversations. It’s polite, shows respect for the other person’s opinion, and allows them time to finish what they were saying uninterrupted before moving on to another topic or introducing another point of view.
If You Catch Yourself Interrupting, Apologize
If you catch yourself interrupting someone mid-sentence, apologize right away. This can help the other person feel heard and respected while also letting them know that your interruption wasn’t intentional. It’s important to remember that everybody makes mistakes and no one is perfect. Acknowledge your slip up and move on!
Ask Questions
One way to avoid interrupting other people is to ask questions throughout a conversation instead of talking over them. Asking questions about what the other person is saying will demonstrate that you are listening intently and want to learn more about what they have to say. Plus, it gives both parties an opportunity to connect on a deeper level!
Post Reminders for Yourself
If you find yourself getting easily distracted in conversations, try posting reminders around your home or office as a reminder not to interrupt when talking with someone else. This could be as simple as sticking post-it notes around your workspace or writing inspirational quotes on notecards that can serve as visual cues when having conversations with others.
Be Honest
Sometimes we can get caught up in our own thoughts without even realizing it until it’s too late! If this happens, don’t be afraid to be honest with the other person about why you interrupted them. Being open and honest will show them that you value their opinion and want to make sure everyone has an equal voice in the conversation.
Practice Conversations with a Friend
Finally, if all else fails, practice conversations with a friend or family member before engaging in real-life situations where interruptions might occur. This can help give you an idea of how much time you should take between statements or questions so that everyone has a chance to speak without being interrupted.
Practicing ahead of time can also make it easier for you to stay focused when having real-world conversations later on down the line!
Get Professional Help
Executive function skills coaching is an invaluable tool when it comes to addressing interruptive behaviors associated with ADHD and neurodiversity.
Not only does this type of coaching help individuals learn more effective communication strategies, but it also helps them gain insight into their own thoughts and behaviors. By helping you begin to understand why you may be interrupting in certain situations, executive function coaching is able to provide solutions for better managing your reactions.
Furthermore, this type of coaching also focuses on goal setting and planning tasks in advance, which can help eliminate the temptation of interrupting in the first place.
With strategic guidance from an executive function coach, you can start breaking free from the cycle of interrupting and tap into your potential more than ever before.
Final Thoughts
Interrupting isn’t just rude—it’s also counterproductive for those who are trying to make sure their opinions are heard and respected by their peers at work or elsewhere.
That’s why it’s important for us neurodiverse folks to take proactive steps towards breaking this habit, such as staying present in conversations, learning non-verbal cues from others around us, and giving ourselves timeouts whenever needed before jumping into discussions ourselves.
With a bit of practice and dedication, though, we will all be able to break this habit once and for all!
Further Reading
- Rebekah Pierce: 14 Tips for Managing ADHD (and Neurodivergence) at Work
- ADDitude: Stop Interrupting! Self-Control Strategies for ADHD Kids
- Rebekah Pierce: Emotional Regulation & ADHD: What You Need to Know