Mastering the workplace with adult ADHD

Have you ever felt like you're swimming against the current in your workplace? Do you find yourself constantly battling missed deadlines, scattered priorities, and communication mishaps?

These challenges, and more, are common experiences for those with adult ADHD. Fortunately, with the right strategies and tools, you can thrive in your career. Let's explore four crucial skills that can help ADHD adults navigate the workplace more effectively: time management, prioritization, task initiation, and workplace communication.

Time management

For many adults with ADHD, managing time can feel like trying to grasp water. You might often find yourself saying things like, "I lost track of time" or "I had no idea it would take this long." This struggle isn't due to a lack of effort – it's a result of how ADHD affects your brain's perception of time.

💡To combat this "time blindness," try these strategies:

• 👀 Visualize time: When scheduling appointments, include travel and preparation time. Set alarms for each step of the process. For example, for a 2 PM meeting, set alarms at 1:30 PM (to start wrapping up previous tasks), 1:45 PM (to gather materials), and 1:55 PM (to walk to the meeting room).
• 📅 Create intermediate deadlines: Break large projects into smaller, manageable chunks with their own deadlines. For example, if a report is due by Sunday: finish planning by Tuesday, finish first draft by Thursday, finish edits by Sunday)
• 🏆 Reward task completion: Give yourself small rewards for finishing tasks to boost motivation. For example, use a sticker chart or a gamified task management app like Habitica.

Prioritization

When everything seems equally important, it's hard to know where to start. This overwhelm isn't your fault – it's a result of how ADHD impacts your executive functions.

💡To improve your prioritization skills:

• Use a Prioritization System: For example, you could use a prioritization matrix to evaluate tasks based on urgency vs importance, effort vs value, impact vs cost, impact vs effort, etc. Or, use paired comparison to compare tasks vs each other, rather than by other criteria. This video shows it in action!
• Find an accountability buddy: Talking through your priorities with someone else can provide clarity and support.
• Try Body Doubling: For additional accountability, many people with ADHD find body doubling helps with sticking to the tasks on your list.

Task initiation

Starting tasks can feel like trying to push a boulder uphill. For those with ADHD, that boulder is often much larger, requiring more energy to get moving.

💡Try these techniques to make task initiation easier:

• 💃 Try 1 minute of dancing to favorite song: It may feel silly, but that just makes it more effective - physical activity, laughter, and music are all great for boosting dopamine, which is key for motivation in ADHD
• ⚡ Add more energy to the task: Try to make the task more interesting by introducing something novel or challenging. For example, you can turn a task into a game by setting a timer and trying to get as much work done as possible.
• 🔧 Reduce the size of the task: Rather than identifying all the tasks you need to complete, you can focus on identifying the first step, ****and breaking that step into smaller, more actionable chunks. For example, if you have a large project you need to complete, break it into smaller subsections and reward yourself as you progress through each subsection

Navigating feedback and boundaries

For many adults with ADHD, receiving feedback can be particularly challenging due to Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). Here are some strategies to help you process and respond to feedback at work more effectively:

1. Take Time to Process. Give yourself space to reflect on the feedback before responding. This pause can help mitigate the emotional impact of RSD and allow for a more constructive response.
2. Remember Criticism Isn't a Character Judgment. Remember that feedback is about your work or actions, not your worth as a person. This perspective can help alleviate the intense emotions often associated with RSD.
3. Acknowledge and paraphrase. Get on the same page by restating the feedback in your own words.
4. Ask questions. Seek clarification using "how," "what," "where," and "when" questions to understand the specifics.
5. Stand your ground. Incorrect or undeserved criticism can be especially frustrating. To avoid blowing up:
   • Use the Broken Record Response: Calmly repeat your point until it's recognized.
   • Try Emphatic Escalation: Restate your response with increasing assertion, while remaining polite.
   • Employ Sensitive Listening: Acknowledge the other person's view before stating your own, using "and" instead of "but" to prevent defensiveness.

Remember, managing feedback is a skill that improves with practice. By implementing these strategies, you can turn potentially stressful feedback sessions into opportunities for growth and improved communication in the workplace.

Career success with ADHD

As you implement these strategies, be patient with yourself. Progress may not always be linear, and that's okay! Set aside time on a regular basis to reflect, celebrate your small victories, and learn from setbacks. Each step forward, no matter how small, is a success.

Finally, remember that you're not alone. Consider connecting with other professionals who have ADHD, or trying out ADHD coaching. Sharing experiences and strategies can be incredibly empowering.

By focusing on developing these key skills, you can not only survive but thrive in your career. Your journey in mastering workplace skills is just that—a journey. And with each step, you're becoming a more effective, confident, and successful professional.

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