Adults with ADHD at Work

Name: Envision Wellness
Address: 1900 SW 57th Avenue, Suite 2, Miami, FL, 33155, United States
Telephone: (305) 501-0133

Woman working with AHDH, Miami FL, Psychological Testing

The Struggle

You know those complicated feelings all too well – the combination of fear, regret, and anxiety that pops up when you’ve missed a deadline when half the day is gone. You’ve made little to no progress on a critical report or when you’re late to work again! For adults with ADHD at work, these can all be familiar and even painful experiences. You know you’re capable, but you feel like you’re always falling short when it comes to time management, organization, punctuality, or focus.

Signs & Symptoms

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a neurodevelopmental disorder. This is a very clinical way of saying ADHD starts with an irregularity in how the brain develops during childhood. And, although it begins early in life, ADHD never really goes away. The good news is adult ADHD can be successfully managed to reduce symptoms and fully enjoy all life has to offer. To that end, if you’re an adult with ADHD at work, don’t fret! Enough research has been done so that mental health professionals have identified some of the most common ways that ADHD in the workplace can present itself. Keep reading for descriptions of these symptoms and some practical solutions on how to deal with each.

Issue: Co-worker Conflict

Usually, when we think of ADHD, we might imagine someone who has a hard time concentrating and forgets to do things. It’s important to remember the H in ADHD, though, which stands for hyperactivity. Hyperactive symptoms are closely linked to impulsivity. Impulsivity, on the other hand, is closely related to interpersonal conflict. What does this mean for the person experiencing ADHD at work? Sometimes, it can be hard for them to get along with their colleagues and even their bosses. Blurting things out, being quick to anger, and a low threshold for frustration can be a real burden if you need to get along with your peers at the office.

Solution: Rest and Re-consider

Impulsivity means we might say or do things, especially in the heat of a moment, that we will later regret. We might raise our voice, drop an f-bomb, or storm out of a colleague’s office if we have a hard time controlling our impulses. A career in most fields, however, requires getting along with people. So, if your ADHD at work is causing you interpersonal grief, get into the habit of sleeping on things. Discussing things when you’re angry can backfire pretty quickly. If something happened that upset you, take a day to reflect on it before you address it with your boss or co-worker. By implementing a waiting period, you can better understand your feelings before deciding how (or even if) to address something.

Issue: Messy Meetings

Who doesn’t love a work meeting?! Well, all sarcasm aside, if you don’t have ADHD and you’ve felt bored out of your mind at work meetings before, imagine what that same meeting might be like for a person with ADHD. Some meetings aren’t dull, though. Instead, a stressed higher-up might be frantically searching for information or answers at a meeting that was only scheduled a few hours earlier. Now imagine what that must be like for a person who struggles to pay attention and organize their ideas. ADHD at work can make it really hard to process a lot of information at once. If the boss is yelling and demanding answers, that adds a stressful and emotional component that only worsens things.

Solution: Nifty Notes

You may be thinking: “Taking notes during a meeting?… Groundbreaking!” Well, there’s a little more to this particular solution. It goes without saying that anyone dealing with ADHD at work should be taking notes during important meetings. Here’s the thing, though… How many times haven’t we filled up a page or two with meeting notes that we never looked at again? There’s an essential second step here: immediately after your meeting, take a minute to type up your notes and keep them in an organized electronic file. This addresses a few issues caused by ADHD- you won’t have to worry about misplacing a notebook, you’ll always have access to notes if you store them in a web-based file, and most importantly, revisiting your notes right after a meeting is a highly effective way of re-processing and internalizing the information you just received. It gives your mind twice the chance to remember and understand things and prioritize tasks and next steps.

Issue: Timeline Troubles

The work world runs on a schedule. Whether it’s due dates for reports, presentations, payment deadlines, or preparing for an important meeting, things need to get done on time. Because people with ADHD can have difficulties focusing, organizing, and prioritizing, troubles with timelines are typical.

Solution: The Comprehensive Calendar

Again, this one might seem obvious… But when ADHD at work makes it difficult for you to stick to due dates, deadlines, and timelines, it’s about how you keep your calendar. A couple of critical things to keep in mind:

1) Electronic is best. Since every smartphone and email account has a built-in calendar function, you can have it with you at the tip of your fingers no matter where you go. Ditch the notebook agendas and get comfortable with their electronic alternatives.

2) Check it every day at the same time – This sounds easier than it is. People with ADHD can have a hard time remembering tasks, even if they occur daily. Get into the habit of opening your calendar and looking through it every morning and evening. Like this, you will always know what’s going on, and you won’t be caught off guard anymore when something is due.

Issue: Forgetful Frustration

ADHD at work means that, even when you looked at your calendar this morning and saw you have a 3pm meeting, you may be cursing yourself when it’s 3:30, and you just realized that you totally spaced. Perhaps you meant to stop by the post office at lunch to mail that vital envelope, but you blanked, and now the office has closed.

Businesswoman typing on a laptop, Psychological Testing, Coral Gables, FL

Solution: Nifty Notes

Issue: Timeline Troubles

Solution: The Comprehensive Calendar

Issue: Forgetful Frustration

group of people working, ADHD testing, Miami Fl,

Solution: Alarms and Alerts

It’s worth pointing out that the productivity tools on a smartphone can be real God-sends for people with ADHD. Alarms and alerts are the necessary and practical extension of the calendar function we already discussed. Get into the habit of putting alarms on your phone when you have to remember something! These will pop up at precisely the time you need to remember to do a task, make a call, or run an errand. Another awesome thing about the alarm functionality is that you can snooze your reminders, so if you need an extra ten minutes before you get to something, your phone will remind you again until you turn the alarm off.

Issue: Concentration Constraints

For people with ADHD at work, this is one of the most common difficulties we hear from patients. “Writing this email should have taken me twenty minutes, but the entire morning went by, and I was still working on it!” If you have ADHD, you’re probably all too familiar with the experience of getting easily side-tracked.

Solution: Timer Trick

Here again, the almighty smartphone can be a huge help. When starting to work on emails, a report, or an important assignment, set a timer for yourself. Make it your goal to put your head down and work until the timer goes off or your clock shows the appropriate time. This turns the broader and often elusive goal of “concentrating” into a manageable and more precise objective. Instead of simply trying to will your mind into concentrating all day (ADHD or not, no one can go that long without getting distracted), you’re telling your mind that you only have to focus for 20, thirty, or 45 minutes. You’re not sending yourself the message that you won’t answer a text, scroll the web, or watch funny cat videos…. You’re just saying that you’ll do it once you’ve met your goal for a few focused minutes.

Issue: Sitting and Squirming

Remember, the H in ADHD stands for hyperactivity. This little letter reminds us that, as people with ADHD, our bodies crave movement. If we deny ourselves this mobility, we can become tired and anxious. Unfortunately, much of the modern workplace happens in a chair and often for 8 hours or more at a time. Are you playing the drums on your desk? Has your knee been bouncing up and down for hours? Perhaps you’re tangling your fingertips with the rubber bands from your desk until they turn purple. These are all signs you’re having trouble sitting still.

Solution: Movement Moments

Overcoming ADHD at work is not about suppressing our limitations and difficulties but rather about working with them. One of the most common self-regulation practices that ADHD workers can do to help keep themselves focused is to make room for moments in the day for movement. Take a walking lunch, get up and go to the bathroom or for a drink of water, even pace while you’re on a call if you can. These provide mental and physical breaks – the body gets to move and burn some energy. At the same time, the mind is satiated by a change in routine and scenery.

Don’t Despair!

ADHD at work does not mean your professional goals can’t become a reality. On the contrary, adults with ADHD worldwide are enjoying successful careers in the fields they love, and so can you. That being said, it does require some targeted efforts. Give yourself a chance you deserve by implementing the preceding strategies, and you will likely be surprised at how your professional life flourishes. If you’re looking for more support, call us at (305) 501-0133 or click here to schedule a free 15-minute Clarity Consult to find out more.

Envision Wellness, Therapy, Psychological Assessments, Coral Gables and Miami Envision Wellness is a private practice that offers psychotherapy, psychological testing, and life coaching in Miami, FL. Our team has a passion for helping others achieve happy, fulfilling, and change-making lives that make the world a better place. Each therapist has their areas of expertise. Not sure who you’d like to work with? Click here to schedule a free 20-minute phone consult to help you decide.

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Who We Are

Envision Wellness is a team of specialist psychologists that provide in-person mental health therapy and psychological evaluations to clients in Miami, FL and online therapy throughout Florida.
Psychologist, therapist, and counselor providing therapy, counseling, and coaching for depression, anxiety, stress, OCD, social anxiety, self esteem, codependency, dating, heartbreak/breakups, perfectionism, people pleasing, and trauma.
Psychological testing and evaluations for gifted/IQ test, psychoeducational testing for learning disabilities, career test, ADHD testing, ADD test, psychological evaluation for bariatric surgery, pre-adoption psychological evaluation, neuropsychological testing, and personality disorder testing

Adults with ADHD at Work

The Struggle

Signs & Symptoms

Issue: Co-worker Conflict

Solution: Rest and Re-consider

Issue: Messy Meetings

Solution: Nifty Notes

Issue: Timeline Troubles

Solution: The Comprehensive Calendar

Issue: Forgetful Frustration

Solution: Nifty Notes

Issue: Timeline Troubles

Solution: The Comprehensive Calendar

Issue: Forgetful Frustration

Solution: Alarms and Alerts

Issue: Concentration Constraints

Solution: Timer Trick

Issue: Sitting and Squirming

Solution: Movement Moments

Don’t Despair!

LIKED THIS POST?

Who We Are

Let’s Talk

On the Blog

Helpful Links

Search

Adults with ADHD at Work

The Struggle

Signs & Symptoms

Issue: Co-worker Conflict

Solution: Rest and Re-consider

Issue: Messy Meetings

Solution: Nifty Notes

Issue: Timeline Troubles

Solution: The Comprehensive Calendar

Issue: Forgetful Frustration

Solution: Nifty Notes

Issue: Timeline Troubles

Solution: The Comprehensive Calendar

Issue: Forgetful Frustration

Solution: Alarms and Alerts

Issue: Concentration Constraints

Solution: Timer Trick

Issue: Sitting and Squirming

Solution: Movement Moments

Don’t Despair!

LIKED THIS POST?

Thank you!

Who We Are

Let’s Talk

On the Blog

Helpful Links

Search