Managing Your ADHD at Work
ADHD. While many of us may associate Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with children, an estimated 2.5% of adults also battle this diagnosis. For those of us who are in the working world, getting distracted is a common occurrence-especially as many of us continue to work from home and be around spouses, children, pets or roommates. Even if we are by ourselves, we have had to learn new ways to manage the constant distractions in our own home.
If you are an adult who has or believes they may have ADHD, here are 3 tips that may help:
Make use of the ‘Downtime’ feature on your phone: If you have a smartphone, find the setting that lets you control and set limits for your apps. If you need to keep your phone close by for work texts or calls, but don’t want to get distracted by social media, this is incredibly useful.
Make small to-do lists: I know myself and if I am given a long list of tasks, I tend to get a bit overwhelmed. I have found it is easier to break a larger list down into a smaller list of tasks that I need to complete each day. This not only helps me gain some sense of direction, but also gives me the satisfaction of crossing something off at the end of the day!
Schedule breaks: I don’t know many people that can sit and work for multiple hours straight. If you do, I highly urge you to get up and move around. This can include taking a quick walk or even getting outside for some sunshine. It is also important during these breaks to doing something that re-charges and re-sets your brain and not taking ‘fake-breaks’, such as scrolling through social media or watching Netflix.
Above all, remember to be patient with yourself. Sometimes you can follow all of the advice on the internet and still find it hard to focus. It’s important to do what works best for you and know that everyone has different work styles. In addition, if you find that the symptoms of ADHD are getting in the way of being productive, despite efforts to minimize distractions, you may want to seek outside sources. This can include behavioral coaching, cognitive-behavioral therapy and support groups. It won’t change overnight, but finding and implementing useful techniques and coping strategies is important in the long run – so keep going!
Staff Blogger: Mollie Clupper
Mollie Clupper is working for MHA as a Communications and Support Specialist. Using her own experiences, she wants to help bring awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, drinking coffee, and spending time with her fur-niece.