As someone with ADHD, you’re probably already familiar with how your symptoms can sometimes lead to missed deadlines, unfinished projects, difficulty prioritizing tasks, and distractions in the workplace. These challenges can be frustrating and even demoralizing. But having ADHD doesn’t mean you’re unmotivated or bad at your job, it just means it takes extra effort to achieve some of the goals others may reach more easily and quickly.
Having ADHD doesn’t mean you’re lazy or lack willpower, says Russell Ramsay, PhD, psychologist who specializes in adult ADHD and author of Once I Get Started: The Adult ADHD Program for Turning Your Intentions into Actions.
“There are many high-functioning adults with ADHD,” he says. “College professors, executives, professional athletes, musicians, and other people who are really skilled in their jobs. And a lot of them are going double time to keep up, or working twice as hard for half as much, as one of my colleagues once said.”
But there are strategies you can use to help translate your abilities and showcase the gifts you have to offer on the job and elsewhere. You can start by reframing how you think about your capability for attention, says Ramsay.
“ADHD is more of an attention allocation problem than an attention deficit,” he says.
In other words, it’s not that you’re not paying attention, it’s that your brain has trouble directing your attention toward the most important task at a particular moment and staying with it long enough to make progress. You may sit down with the plan to work on a report but find yourself pulled toward emails, conversations with co-workers, administrative tasks, or other activities that feel more manageable or rewarding in the short term.
You likely know you’re capable of doing your work because you’ve done it successfully before. But you may not trust that you’ll be able to do it when you need to. That can lead to feelings that you’re unreliable, inconsistent, and not up to a task — a perfect recipe for procrastination and avoidance.
Here are some ways to approach your work from different angles that may make more sense for you.
Break Tasks Into Small, Simple Steps
In ADHD, there’s often a wide gulf between understanding what you need to do and actually sitting down to do it. Ramsay says it’s common when you have ADHD to know the task at hand, organize, and create detailed plans, but then hit a wall you can’t scale in order to begin.
This is because one of the defining characteristics of ADHD is emotional regulation, Ramsay says, and even if you love your job, work is still work.
“That impacts your ability to manage the discomfort that comes with getting started on work,” says Ramsay.
To bypass this hurdle, he encourages focusing on the smallest possible action that moves you toward the task you’re trying to start. It’s important to understand your goal, but once you do, back up and ask yourself, “What am I going to do first?”
“The fancy phrase for it is event segmentation, which means to break a large task down into small steps,” says Ramsay. “Small, actionable steps turn it from a concept into reality, and by definition, now you’re engaged.”
For example, if you have a big project due, think of the smallest actions you need to take to move in the direction of doing it: opening a document, reviewing the instructions, or creating a new file, for example. Taking a small, concrete action transforms the project from an abstract to-do into smaller benchmarks you can start checking off.
Once you begin working, Ramsay says it’s common to discover that the task is less difficult or unpleasant than you thought it would be.
Create a Dedicated, Distraction-Free Workspace
Having a space that’s only for working helps your brain create a link between your physical environment and being productive. Ramsay recommends having a set apart workspace whenever possible, even if you work from home.
When you return repeatedly to the same location, it creates routine and reduces the effort you need to transition into work mode.
Take stock of potential distractions around this space, too. Although everyone gets distracted occasionally, Ramsay says it’s more difficult when you have ADHD to reengage with a task after your attention has been pulled away. Spend a few minutes in your workspace and notice what draws your eye or ear, and think about whether you can make helpful adjustments.
For example, if you face a window, consider turning your chair away from it so your gaze doesn’t wander every time a bird or car passes by.
Ramsey says it can be tricky if you work in an office with an open environment because you’re sitting in the middle of constant interruptions. Try tools such as noise-canceling headphones, earbuds, or physical barriers that block out visual distractions to boost concentration. You may also find that instrumental music gives you enough “white noise” to keep your brain locked into the task at hand.
Keep Information Visible
ADHD impairs your working memory, or the ability to hold information in real time. Instead of trying to remember all your responsibilities, deadlines, and priorities, use systems that keep those details physically in front of you. Keeping a task list, calendar, whiteboard, and meeting notes can reduce your need to rely solely on your brain to stay up-to-date.
You can find apps and workplace software that offers reminders and notifications, too. These are often easiest to update and edit, says Ramsay, but writing things out longhand with pen and paper has additional memory benefits.
“It makes us sit with the information longer, which may help with recall later,” he says.
These strategies work for anyone, not just people with ADHD. But when you have ADHD, you may depend on physical cues more heavily because executive function challenges make it harder to hold and switch between multiple pieces of information at once.
Communicate Early and Often
Clear communication with your co-workers and employers can reduce misunderstandings, clarify expectations, and help you feel more confident about what you’re being asked to do. One strategy Ramsay recommends is summarizing assignments or instructions and sending them back to a supervisor for confirmation. This creates a written record while giving you a chance to ask any questions you may have.
“It allows you to say, ‘Here's my summary, boss. Can you read it to see if I missed anything?’” he says. “It will take a little more time and effort, but it can reduce your uncertainty as you move to doing the task.”
Self-advocacy is a skill many people have to practice. You may feel nervous to ask questions or request extra support and clarification, especially if you have a past filled with negative work experiences related to your symptoms.
Ramsay says to think about these situations in terms of your role. If part of your role as an employee is understanding what needs to be done, then asking questions is not a sign of incompetence. It’s a way for you to do your work successfully.
“People often say that even if their request is rejected, they feel better having asked,” says Ramsay. “You’re looking out for yourself, and trying to get the information you need.”
Lean on Accountability Partners
One helpful productivity tool for people with ADHD is the concept of body doubling. This is a strategy where you do a task or project in the presence of another person (or people). You don’t have to be doing the same work as you are, and they can be with you either physically or virtually. The point is a shared environment of focus.
“You know what they say: Misery loves company,” says Ramsay. “So you connect with somebody else, you both lay out what you’re going to do over a certain time period, you go forth and do, and then you check in at the end.”
Body doubling creates accountability and also reduces feelings of isolation. You may find that just knowing another person is working nearby helps you stay engaged with your own task.
Regular check-ins with supervisors, co-workers, coaches, or mentors can work in a similar way. Scheduled progress updates give you external structure and remind you that deadlines are coming up, which makes you more likely to start a task.
Ask for Workplace Accommodations
Although you can take care of most of these ADHD-friendly strategies on your own, you may be best served by asking for formal workplace accommodations for some issues. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may protect your right to changes that help you do your job more effectively with ADHD, but you have to disclose your diagnosis to your employer.
Accommodations for ADHD often focus on reducing distractions and improving access to information. For example, you may ask for permission to use noise-canceling headphones, have access to a quieter workspace, get additional written documentation, or have a more flexible schedule.
For more formal accommodations, employers typically require you to provide documentation from a health care professional. But once you get to the actual conversation, he encourages a teamwork approach.
“If you’re having issues at work related to the timing of your medication, you could say, ‘Hey, what if rather than 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., I come in at 10 a.m. and stay until 6 p.m.?’” says Ramsay. “You can also ask to try a change for three months or so to see if this works for both you and your employer.”
Build on Your Strengths
Although ADHD in the workplace can often seem like a list of negatives, Ramsay says there are also many positives an ADHD brain offers. For example, you may thrive in fast-moving environments where you can respond quickly to changing demands or generate new ideas. Or the way you see the world may bring about new solutions to problems.
“ADHD often comes with a lot of negative self-beliefs, but a lot of the attributes of ADHD are what brings excitement, creativity, and divergent thinking to the workplace, and we need these things,” says Ramsay.
With practical strategies, you can better harness these strengths, he says.
“Things can get a whole lot better,” he says. “You can get more done, improve your well-being, enjoy time outside of work, and take pride in what you’re doing.”
Show Sources
Photo Credit: E+/Getty Images
SOURCES:
Russell Ramsay, PhD, psychologist, author, Once I Get Started: The Adult ADHD Program For Turning Your Intentions Into Actions.
CHADD: “Workplace Issues.”
Attention Deficit Disorder Association: “15 Good Work Habits for Adults with ADHD: Boost Productivity and Career Success.”
Cleveland Clinic: “What Is ‘Body Doubling’ and Can It Help With ADHD?”
