If you’ve ever scrolled through a job or internship board, chances are you’ve seen these terms: “attention to detail,” “time management,” “organization,” and “attentiveness.” The fact that these phrases have littered job postings, the bullet points of resumes, and common interview questions is no coincidence—these are all qualities that employers associate with good employees. But when you have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), these skills can be difficult to manage, making it a challenge to excel at work and maintain a job.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, and it affects more than 8 million people in the US. Of course, the symptoms of ADHD may look different from person to person. One person may struggle to stay focused during a meeting while another may struggle to meet deadlines, but many of these symptoms can affect overall work performance. For example, outside of managing time and paying attention, an employee with ADHD can also struggle with staying organized, following directions, completing assignments, arriving on time, sitting still, and keeping emotions under control. While all of these aspects can present challenges in the workplace, there are multiple ways you can manage these symptoms to improve your productivity, performance, and peace of mind.
Set a Routine
If you have trouble continually meeting deadlines or arriving to work on time, whether that derives from being easily distracted or losing focus, try setting up regimented routines. According to a 2019 study by MDPI, researchers found that having a structured morning routine was a key factor in improving efficiency in college students with ADHD. By doing the same things at the same time every day and slowly developing a schedule, these college students were able to avoid procrastination and manage task completion. The same method could be applied to work. For example, you could reserve blocks of time on your calendar for certain tasks and apply it to each day moving forward. If your job consists of checking inboxes, the first twenty minutes of your work shift could be reserved for responding to emails. If you have a huge project due in a couple of weeks, cutting out small daily blocks of time to work on it could help you submit it on time. Even if you tend to have a messy work desk, setting off ten minutes every day to organize it can help improve productivity. Of course, developing a routine and sticking to it isn’t something that can be achieved overnight, but slowly placing these foundational blocks can make it more manageable and, most importantly, doable.
Create a Reward System
Another way to manage work with ADHD, especially if you have trouble staying focused and organized, is to set up incentives—a reward system, if you will. Setting up a system where you reward yourself after completing a task can help with motivation, especially in doing tasks that are on the duller side. These rewards can be small: taking a ten-minute break, going for a short walk, or drinking your favorite beverage. If you need something more motivating, promising yourself bigger rewards can also help, whether that be purchasing a new album from your favorite artist, watching a few episodes of that show you’ve been binging, or taking yourself out to eat at a restaurant. Establishing these rewards, where you can only do these things if you check off items on your to-do list, can help push you to complete projects and stay focused.
Switch Things Up
People with ADHD tend to get bored easily, which may make it hard to focus on specific tasks or finish assignments. When you find yourself lulling into boredom, try switching things up. For example, if you tend to get distracted easily, try changing your work location. If you work at an office, you may briefly move to an unused conference room or cubicle, creating a bubble away from things that might steal your focus, such as a chatty coworker or the view from your window. The same could be said for remote work. If you get too distracted at home, going to the local library or coffee shop may force you to focus on work. That said, not everyone has the ability to move their workspace. In that case, reducing clutter, decorations, photos, and other items in your workspace can prevent your mind from lingering elsewhere. If all else fails, restricting access to your cell phone during work hours or limiting phone notifications may be the best way to get you back to business.
For duller, repetitive tasks, on the other hand, you can use that opportunity to multi-task with something you find enjoyable. For example, listening to music, playing a podcast, or implementing a reward system could help make these mind-numbing yet important tasks more interesting.
Write Things Down
Writing things down may not seem like a helpful technique to manage ADHD at work, but it has a lot of benefits, especially if you tend to zone out during conversations or struggle to remember instructions. In a 2021 study on university students and graduates, it was found that physically writing things down increases brain activity and the ability to recall information. Having a written list that you can check off, as well, releases dopamine and motivates you to complete tasks.
Writing things down could be as simple as jotting down notes in your notebook or computer during meetings, phone calls, and other important conversations. Having a written record that you can look back to can help you remember directions, requests, and assignments, so you’re less likely to become confused or forgetful about any work-related tasks. Instilling an organization system, whether that’s color-coding priority tasks or bolding important pieces of information, can also help to create structure and make this process easier to manage.
Conclusion
While many work environments require skills that people with ADHD tend to struggle with, such as attention to detail, organization, and time management, excelling at work is not a complete lost cause for ADHD employees. Although these skills may not be your strong points, the energy, creativity, and desire to try new things, which come with many symptoms of ADHD, could be a great asset to an employer. In fact, according to WebMD, studies have shown that many adults with ADHD end up as entrepreneurs or find success in careers that prioritize those traits. So, while these tips can help you navigate through some of the difficulties of ADHD at work, it’s good to remember that ADHD can be a factor in your success as well.
Resources
If you’re interested in this topic and want to learn more about managing work with ADHD, here are some additional resources:
