3 Things People with ADHD Struggle with at Work
I'm late again.
I wake up in the morning, look at the clock, and feel despair.
I blame myself, wondering, 'Why does this happen every time?'
At work, I forget my schedule.
When I have multiple tasks at once, my mind goes blank.
Am I just not cut out for work?
I've thought that so many times.
But since being diagnosed with ADHD, the way I see things has changed little by little.
It wasn't that I couldn't do the work, it was just that the methods weren't right for me.
Today, I want to talk about three things I've struggled with at work as someone with ADHD, and how I've overcome them.
1. My sense of time is off
I need to leave in five minutes or I won't make it.
I know that in my head. But I think, 'Just a little longer,' and before I know it, ten minutes have passed.
As someone with ADHD, my sense of time is off.
Things I think will take five minutes end up taking twenty. Tasks I think will be finished quickly end up taking until the evening.
Getting ready in the morning always takes time, too.
While picking out clothes, I start thinking about something else, like, 'By the way, where did that shirt go?' If I pick up my phone, I get distracted by notifications and start looking at them.
Before I know it, I've run out of time.
At the office, I was thought of as being loose with time.
But it wasn't on purpose. I try to be on time. But my sense of time just doesn't keep up.
I might think I have thirty minutes left, when in reality, I only have ten.
Even when I look at the clock, I think, 'I'm still okay.'
And then, before I know it, I'm late.
But things changed when I tried some strategies.
Now, I make time 'visible'.
I use a timer to have it notify me with a sound when there are '10 minutes left' or '5 minutes left'.
I also set multiple alarms on my smartphone with plenty of buffer time.
Instead of 'leaving at 9:00,' I decide specifically to 'stand at the front door at 8:50.'
I can't do it perfectly, but I'm late less often than before.
I finally realized that while I can't change my ADHD sense of time, I can cover for it with strategies.
2. Schedule management is catastrophic
'Do you remember we have a meeting at 10:00 tomorrow?'
When a colleague asks me that, I go, 'Huh?'
It's written in my planner. But I forget to look at it.
As someone with ADHD, my schedule management used to be catastrophic.
Even if I put in an appointment, I forget it.
Even if I set a reminder, I miss the notification.
Even if I write a note, I forget that I even wrote the note.
I've even gotten the meeting time wrong and waited in an empty conference room.
I've also forgotten appointments with clients and gotten a huge scolding.
My boss tells me, 'Manage your schedule properly.'
I know. I'm trying to. But I can't.
Even if I buy a planner, I only use it for the first week.
Even if I download an app, I forget to open it.
'I'm a failure as a working professional.'
Thinking that, I felt depressed.
However, once I realized I had ADHD, I noticed that my way of doing things was wrong.
Found a method that works for me
Now, I keep my schedule in one place.
Only on my smartphone calendar. I don't use planners or sticky notes. I consolidate everything into one place.
And I set notifications to be persistent.
One hour before, 30 minutes before, 10 minutes before a meeting. I make sure I get notifications for everything.
I made it a habit to open my calendar as soon as I wake up in the morning.
It's not perfect, but I forget my plans less often than before.
For me, with ADHD, standard schedule management doesn't work. But I've learned that if I use a method that suits ADHD, I can manage.
3. My brain gets overwhelmed by multitasking
"Do this, do that, and that one is urgent too."
When my boss asks me to do multiple tasks at once, my mind goes blank.
As someone with ADHD, I cannot multitask.
When I'm focused on one thing, I can be extremely focused. But when I try to do multiple things at once, everything ends up half-finished.
But when I try to do multiple things at once, everything ends up half-finished.
I get a phone call while I'm in the middle of writing an email. While I'm handling the call, I forget about the email. When I remember the email and go back to it, I get asked to do another task.
While I'm handling the call, I forget about the email.
When I remember the email and go back to it, I get asked to do another task.
Before I know it, everything is half-finished. Nothing is completed.
When I'm asked, "Did you do that?" I apologize, saying, "Oh, I forgot." This happens over and over again.
This happens over and over again.
My colleagues handle multiple tasks skillfully. But I can't do that.
"I'm not good at my job."
Thinking that, I lost my confidence.
Being unable to multitask is a trait of ADHD.
But I didn't know that at the time.
I used to blame myself, saying, 'I'm not trying hard enough' or 'I lack focus.'
I became able to work using single-tasking
My current workplace accepts single-tasking.
My boss told me, 'It's okay to do things one at a time.'
I prioritize tasks and finish them one by one.
If I'm asked to do another job in the middle of one, I say, 'I'm working on this right now, so I'll start on that once I'm finished.'
I still can't multitask.
But I can do a great job with single-tasking.
And when someone with ADHD is focused, they work incredibly fast.
'Being unable to multitask' is a weakness, but 'being able to focus on one thing' is also a strength.
ADHD doesn't mean you can't work
Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I thought, 'I am a person who is bad at their job.'
I was loose with time. I couldn't manage my schedule. I couldn't multitask.
I blamed myself, thinking, 'I'm a failure as a working professional.'
But after I found out I had ADHD, my way of thinking changed.
It wasn't that I 'couldn't work,' it was just that 'the standard way of doing things didn't suit me.'
If my sense of time is off, I just need to cover for it with adjustments.
If I'm bad at schedule management, I just need to find a method that works for me.
If I can't multitask, I just need to look for an environment where I can work by single-tasking.
ADHD isn't a disability; it's a 'trait.'
There are weaknesses, but there are also strengths.
・Can focus on one thing
・Can pursue things they are interested in to the fullest
・Creative ideas come to mind
・Can respond flexibly
These are all strengths of ADHD.
Finding a way of working that suits you
I want to tell people with ADHD.
It's not that you can't do your job.
It's just that the "normal way" doesn't suit you.
Being loose with time, struggling with schedule management, and being unable to multitask are not your fault.
They are characteristics of ADHD.
But with some ingenuity, you can manage.
・Visualize time
・Set persistent schedule notifications
・Look for an environment where you can work on single tasks
If you find a way that suits you, you can work even with ADHD.
And if it's a job where you can leverage your ADHD strengths, you can excel more than anyone else.
Let's try making some small adjustments starting tomorrow
If you are currently struggling with work due to ADHD, why not try making some small adjustments?
・Try using a timer
・Try consolidating your schedule in one place
・Try finishing tasks one by one
Small adjustments are fine.
You can't change the characteristics of ADHD, but you can change how you deal with them.
And it's okay to look for an environment that suits you.
There is no need to conform to the "normal way."
You have a way of working that is right for you.
Let's find a way that works for you, at your own pace.
Because as someone with ADHD, I know you can do it.
Why not put an end to "I'm too anxious to sleep again"?
Do you have these worries?
o Do you get anxious when a LINE reply is slow, thinking "Did they hate me?"
o Can't stop worrying about "What if I fail..."
o Can't get motivated unless you can do it perfectly
o Care too much about what others think
o Dwell on trivial things for days
For those who checked 3 or more.
"I couldn't sleep again because of anxiety"
"I can't get trivial things out of my head"
"Am I stuck living with anxiety for the rest of my life..."
Are you holding onto thoughts like these?
I myself carried this suffering for many years.
Just when I was about to give up, thinking "This is just my personality, it can't be helped," I encountered cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness, and I was able to change little by little.
It's not that my anxiety became zero.
But,I became "someone who is okay even with anxiety."There is no need to give up and say, "This is just my personality, it can't be helped."
My life changed when I encountered cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness.
I have compiled that experience into a 10-day practical program.
Program Features:
✅ A scientific approach combining cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness
✅ 30 minutes a day, completed in 10 days
✅ 10 downloadable worksheets
✅ Includes examples to keep you on track
What you will gain from this program
✔ Ways to stop circular thinking
✔ Techniques to stop worrying about trivial things
✔ Discovery of your own strengths
✔ An anxiety-coping toolbox you can use for life
The goal of this program is not to make anxiety zero, but to become "someone who is okay even with anxiety."
10 days from now, you will definitely have changed.
I want to deliver this method to those who are suffering in the same way.
That is the thought with which I created this.
Shall we start together?
See program details👇