I’m diagnosed AuDHD (Autism + ADHD). That means executive function can be a real challenge. My ADHD wants variety, novelty and shiny, my Autism demands consistency, order and regularity. With all that going on, my brain struggles with focus, especially when I’m faced with too many distractions or the temptation to multitask. But one small change has made a surprisingly big impact on my ability to stay present: I stopped using my phone for photography and started using an old digital camera instead.
I’ve always enjoyed taking photos – my Dad was a press photographer, so I’ve grown up surrounded by film, lenses, tripods and all the technical jargon. But whenever I pulled out my phone to snap something, I’d get derailed almost immediately. Notifications would pop up – messages, emails, social media alerts – and before I knew it, I was scrolling through Instagram or replying to someone, completely forgetting the photo I meant to take.
So I dug out a 10-year-old digital camera. It doesn’t have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or any smart features. And that’s the beauty of it. With that camera, there’s only one thing I can do: take photos. No apps, no notifications, no distractions.
Modern digital cameras often come with built-in connectivity – they’ll upload to the cloud, link to your phone, or let you edit and share instantly. For some people, that’s great. But for my AuDHD brain, it’s just another layer of potential distraction. The simplicity of my older camera removes all that. I take the photo, and that’s it. No temptation to do anything else in the moment.
This ties into something psychologists call extraneous cognitive load – the mental effort spent dealing with distractions that have nothing to do with the task at hand. By taking my phone (and its endless possibilities) out of the equation, I reduce that load and free up my brain to actually enjoy photography.
Since making this change, I’ve noticed I feel calmer, more focused, and more connected to the creative process. That little camera has become more than just a tool – it’s a quiet, distraction-free space where I can just be in the moment.