The Superpower Hidden in the Noise: How I Channel AuDHD for Ultra-Endurance and Focus

For a long time, I believed that focus was about silence. I thought that to achieve anything great—whether it was building a business or completing a physical challenge—I had to quiet the storm inside my head.

I spent years fighting my own operating system. I tried to force my brain into linear boxes, berating myself when I couldn't sit still or when the texture of a t-shirt felt like it was shouting at me. I viewed my neurodivergence—specifically the combination of Autism and ADHD (AuDHD)—as a bug in the code. A hurdle I had to constantly jump over just to keep up with the "normal" world.

But here is the truth I discovered during the darkest miles of my ultra-endurance challenges: The hurdle isn't there to block you. It’s there to force you to fly.

When I stopped trying to fix my brain and started learning how to drive it, everything changed. I realised that the energy of ADHD and the structuring of Autism weren't deficits. They were a dual-engine jet system. One provided the explosive fuel; the other provided the navigation.

This is how I re-engineered my relationship with neurodivergence, turning "the noise" into the ultimate performance enhancer.

The AuDHD Paradox: Why "Grit" Looks Different for Us

In the world of high performance, we often talk about "grit" and "discipline" as if they are blunt instruments. We imagine the stoic athlete, teeth gritted, forcing their way through pain.

But for a neurodivergent mind, brute force rarely works. If I try to force myself to focus on something my brain finds under-stimulating, it feels physically painful. Conversely, if I lock onto something that ignites my interest, I enter a state of flow so deep that the rest of the world ceases to exist.

This is the AuDHD paradox: We can be paralysed by the simple task of folding laundry, yet capable of performing 50,000 pull-ups with laser-like precision over months of grinding monotony.

The shift happened for me when I stopped asking, "What is wrong with me?" and started asking, "How does this machine work?"

I realised that my sensitivity to sensory input wasn't a weakness; it was a high-fidelity data stream. My inability to tolerate boredom wasn't laziness; it was a demand for high-stakes engagement. I didn't need to be "fixed." I needed to be regulated.

Hyperfocus: The Endurance Athlete’s Secret Weapon

You often hear me talk about Project X and the sheer volume of physical work I undertake. People ask how I handle the repetition. How do I do the same movement, thousands of times, without losing my mind?

The answer is that I don't shut my mind off. I tune it in.

The ADHD brain craves dopamine. The Autistic brain craves structure and repetition. Ultra-endurance challenges satisfy both. The structure of the reps provides the safety and rhythm my autistic side loves. The intense physical sensation and the challenge of the goal feed the ADHD need for stimulation.

When I am deep in a pull-up session, I am not thinking about the grocery list. I am hyper-aware of the recruitment of my latissimus dorsi. I am listening to the specific rhythm of my breath. I am monitoring my heart rate variability in real-time.

I use The Observer Mindset—a concept I’ve written about before—to detach from the fatigue. Instead of feeling, "I am tired," I observe, "The body is generating a fatigue signal." This slight dissociation, common in neurodivergent brains, becomes a tactical advantage. It allows me to endure discomfort that might stop a "neurotypical" mind because I can simply step back and watch the sensation without becoming it.

The Toolkit: Protocols for Neurodivergent Performance

If you are neurodivergent, or if you simply struggle with a noisy mind, you cannot leave your state to chance. You must proactively engineer your environment. Here are the three pillars I use to turn the noise into focus.

1️⃣ Sensory Anchoring (The Pink Noise Protocol)

My brain doesn't filter out background noise well. A conversation across the room demands as much attention as the person in front of me. To combat this, I don't aim for silence; I aim for controlled noise.

I use Pink Noise and Binaural Beats extensively. Unlike white noise, which can be harsh, pink noise has a deeper frequency that mimics the natural rhythms of the world (like heavy rain or wind). It occupies the "distractible" part of my brain, keeping it busy so the rest of my mind can work.

2️⃣ The Digital Hippocampus (Outsourcing Executive Function)

People often perceive me as exceptionally organised. I never miss a meeting, and my tasks are executed with military precision. However, if you were to remove my devices, I would struggle to function.

I realised early on that relying on my own working memory (the brain's RAM) was a recipe for anxiety. Trying to "remember" every detail, calendar event, and to-do list item felt like work in itself. It was filling the hippocampus part of my brain with administrative data, leaving no room for creativity or deep focus.

So, I embraced technology to outsource my executive function.

• ➡ The Calendar is the Source of Truth: I use a digital calendar for absolutely everything. If it isn't on the calendar, it doesn't exist.
• ➡ Strategic Alarms: I use alarms that are linked to my calendar events. These aren't just to wake me up; they are transition signals. They allow me to go into deep focus without the background worry of "What time is it?" or "Am I missing something?"
• ➡ The "Do Not Disturb" Fortress: This mode is my saviour. I sync it across all my devices—phone, watch, laptop—to create a unified barrier against the world. It stops unhelpful notifications from interrupting the flow of my concentration, ensuring that when I am in the zone, I stay there.

3️⃣ Breath as a Remote Control

Anxiety and overstimulation often go hand-in-hand with neurodivergence. When the sensory input gets too high, the nervous system redlines.

I use the "Double Five" (5-5 Breathing) technique as an immediate reset button. It is mechanically simple:

• ➡ Inhale through the nose for 5 seconds.
• ➡ Exhale through the mouth (or nose) for 5 seconds.
• ➡ Repeat for 5 minutes.

The Bar Raiser Perspective

If you are reading this and you feel like you are constantly fighting your own mind, I want you to pause.

Your sensitivity is not a flaw; it is the capacity for deep empathy and observation. Your "obsession" is not a disorder; it is the engine of mastery. Your need for systems is not a weakness; it is the architecture of high performance.

The world needs minds that don't fit the standard mould. It needs the outliers, the deep divers, and the relentless pursuers of "why."

Don't try to mute the noise. Tune it. Outsource what you can't carry, regulate what you can't ignore, and find your frequency. Once you do, you’ll find that you can run further, lift heavier, and see clearer than you ever imagined.