ADHD
in the Workplace:
Yes, You Can Be Successful with Adult ADHD
 Up
to 50 percent of the time, children with ADHD grow into adults
with attention difficulties. Just like the ADHD child often
has concerns in school, the ADHD adult has concerns in the
workplace. For example, adults with attention deficit disorder
may be easily distracted from managing time, organizing, prioritizing,
getting started on tasks, and finishing tasks. More specifically,
if you’re an adult with ADHD, you may recognize the
following scenarios:
- Getting so absorbed
in a task that you lose track of time and possibly miss
a deadline (also known as hyperfocus)
- Becoming bogged down
in details because you can’t sort out what’s
relevant
- Not being able to plan
out your day
Having attention
difficulties means you might need to do things differently
than others, but it does not have to limit your success in
the workplace. There are some brilliant inventors, scientists,
artists, writers, and more who are thought to have had ADD/ADHD,
but it didn’t stop them from achieving their dreams.
Here are some tips known to help ADHD adults in the workplace:
- Exercise before you
go to work. It clears the mind and helps you to focus.
- Go through your in-basket
and e-mail during certain times of the day so that you’re
not distracted every time a new piece of information arrives
to your desk.
- Give yourself a certain
amount of time to complete work and stick to your schedule.
Use alarms and timers to keep you on task.
- Write down 10 priorities
or less at the beginning of the day. Do not divert from
your list unless it’s an emergency.
- Take notes during all
meetings. It forces you to focus and keeps your mind from
wandering.
- Keep a notepad to write
down requests you receive throughout the day and information
you need to remember. Post-it notes and dry erase boards
are also good for writing down reminders.
- Let your coworkers
know that you’re easily distracted and you prefer
to work in a quiet environment. Use earphones if it helps
keep the distractions at bay.
- Face your desk away
from a high-traffic area.
- Do not overbook yourself;
under-commit instead. Schedule extra time for tasks in
case things take longer than expected.
- Be careful with ADHD
impulsivity. Refrain from interrupting conversations,
blurting things out, or agreeing to do things that you
have no time for. Behavior
therapy for ADHD may help you to refrain from impulsive
conduct.
- Complete boring tasks
at a time you have lots of energy, instead of waiting
until you are too tired.
- Plan to be early wherever
you go, and resist the urge to do “one more thing”
before you leave.
- Review your progress
with your supervisor at regular intervals, and don’t
be afraid to ask for help.
By being
honest with yourself about your ADHD tendencies and confronting
those tendencies head-on, there’s no reason why you
can’t be as successful as anyone else. Assess yourself,
manage yourself, and emphasize your strengths so that your
talent is able to shine in the workplace.
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