ADHD and Variable Attention Stimulus Trait (VAST)

In a recent stressful day with a long to-do list, I found myself ping ponging between short intense moments of productivity and then short intense moments of feeling like my brain was offline. I would make a call and then check social media for no reason. I would reply to an email and then add cleaning supplies to my online shopping cart, ultimately being distracted by shopping for other unnecessary things. I would schedule an appointment and then stare blindly out the window, daydreaming or spacing out. Feel familiar?

There are times when it’s difficult to engage despite knowing what needs to be done. These moments feel influenced by something else, something hard to explain. Is it stress I wondered? Then I ran across the concept of “VAST” in the book ADHD 2.0 (Hallowell and Ratey, 2021). VAST stands for Variable Attention Stimulus Trait. The authors define this concept as a symptom of the behavioral conditioning our technology driven and stimulated culture has on us. Our environment has an increased pace where we are more connected, engaged, and distracted, requiring our brain to process more than ever before. Hallowell and Ratey (2021) refer to VAST as “ADHD’s environmentally induced cousin.”

What do we do if we start to relate to VAST? Hallowell and Ratey (2021) offer reframing for symptoms and behaviors that may be initially viewed as problematic. They identify the opposite or “useful” reframe of these traits which provoke a mindset shift and ability to use them as strengths in our day. One example from their list is to reframe being easily distracted to being naturally curious. Reframing how we view our limitations changes how successful we feel and therefore how successful we will be. The authors offer many practical exercises including finding ways to engage the brain and stay focused, ways to practice balance (yes, physical balance), ways to seek and receive connection from others, and many other ways to supportive practices.

These concepts can all be explored in more detail in the book ADHD 2.0 (Hallowell and Ratey, 2021). If you relate to the concept of VAST yourself or know someone diagnosed with ADHD, this book can be a great resource!

Kris Loomis, MSW, SWLC 

Reference

Ratey, J. J., & Hallowell, E. M. (2021). ADHD 2.0. Random House Publishing Group.