Hi there community! I am a virtual assistant to ADHD entrepreneurs - in addition to having ADHD myself - and was hoping this wonderful community could help me out with a question. I write a monthly blog for my business that offers tips and ideas to those trying to work while having ADHD and am struggling with new topics that will genuinely benefit them. I'm trying to gather a list of genuine pain points that we experience while working, so I can suggest solutions and helpful options in the blog. I feel almost as if I'm blind to my own pain points because I've "just" worked with them for so long, so for the time being I have tapped out my own experiences as a resource.
My questions:
1. What kinds of things do you struggle with at work due to your ADHD (scheduling, planning, etc.) that if you had the opportunity to delegate to someone else you would? Please feel free to be as specific as you want - it doesn't have to be as generic as "planning".
2. Are there any specific ADHD-related topics that you would personally like to read about?
Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to respond to this! I'm personally tired of reading the same old tropes and want to get deeper than "set a timer".
Written by
Jozlynn
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EVERYTHING is a struggle with ADHD. OK, I exaggerate a little, but not really. One, people have high rates of depression and anxiety accompanying ADHD. People are confused--they don't know they need to treat that depression aggressively in addition to treating their ADHD.
People stop meds are two days of bad side effects and give up on meds entirely. Which is like going to play basketball with friends and quitting the entire sport after losing one game.
Prioritizing is a problem. Addictions. Compulsions. Emotional Reactivity. Yes, planning and weak executive function. Relationships and marriages get strained because the ADHD partner is struggling to keep up with work kids and so on ...
ADHD people can be quick to panic ... which is a real handicap if you're trying to build new behaviors ...
Literally everything becomes harder with ADHD. Go read the online magazine "additude" if you want some more topics ...
Thank you for replying! All of this resonates with me. You're right - all the things can be hard with ADHD. The depression aspect is HUGE, and we've (my ADHD children) personally (myself included) struggled with addiction in the past - and I think it's all related to the ADHD. I really appreciate your input here! Thank you also for the Additude referral - I definitely devour what I can on there and on the CHADD site.
I struggle with working memory. If I don’t write down a thought, observation, to-do item, etc right away it is often gone. At work my assistant is always present to write down things that I say I need to do or remember for later. It’s been tremendously helpful. Though I understand that much time with someone in your space may not be helpful to or wanted by others. Always having a notepad and pen with me help as well.
Thank you for taking the time to reply! That's awesome that you have an assistant. Honestly, I think all of us with ADHD could really benefit from having someone who helps fill in the gaps, allowing us to avoid dropping the ball (if only it were that simple, right?!). Could not agree more with always having the notepad and pen on hand at all times!
I can relate to this one big time. My brain is always thinking about a response to a question being asked or as part of a discussion and if I don’t write down a point I want to make, it’s gone a second later and then I have to be prompted to remember it. My boss knows I’m ADHD and will stop sometimes and ask if to write something down so I don’t forget it. I’m a senior product manager so I switch gears every 5 minutes. I was diagnosed 2 years ago at 52. Memory and executive function started to decline at 40. Got my MBA at 47. No idea how. I am medicated and get your comment on side effects and stopping them. They worked for me from the first one. But it takes time. Now that I recognize some of my behaviors, I’ve learned to redirect myself to stay on task.
It's what I would need to move up the career ladder. A good old-fashioned secretary. Unfortunately I'm stuck with ideas and just good enough to feed those to the people who have risen to the ranks. Still looking for the alternative where I could have that magical dopaminergic person
i think training at a new job is the most difficult task for me. training material is designed for people with in the box thinking. When someone is trying to present it to me, it makes no sense. i ask 100 questions and say things like “ do you men xyz…” and then my trainer is lost . 15 min of back n forth i will finally just complete the task using the method in which my brain processes things and i get to the same exact answer n endpoint- just in a complete ass backwards way!! the trainers are kinda speechless bc they were under the impression that i wasnt smart enough to grasp their holy material. they dont say that, but i know- i sense it. ive been in workforce for almost 30 yrs. it always works out okay but the initial training period is very frustrating. also, tolerating new co- workers that annoy me is very difficult. to constantly will myself to be nice n use all my adhd coping skills in order to not make it completely obvious absolutely sucks the life out of me. i will get overwhelmed and its not bc of the work itself. how could i possibly explain that to someone who doesnt have ADHD without sounding like a self absorbed intolerant bitch?
This was helpful to read that someone else has the same issues. Also for me, I ask people one simple question and for some reason they feel they need to repeat the entire thing all over again. Just answer my question! So annoying
Hello Jozlynn, my husband and I own a business and he suffers with ADHD and in my opinion not properly medicated. It is severely affecting the success of our business. What is the name of your business and your blog? I'd love to read it.
I've literally just started, so there's not a lot there yet. When I initially started the business I hadn't been diagnosed yet and wasn't clear on who I wanted to serve. After my diagnosis, and after learning everything I could get my hands on about ADHD, I knew that I wanted to help others who struggled the way I had before being treated. I can absolutely understand not being properly medicated severely affecting your business. For years it was like my brain just absolutely refused to behave the way I expected it to. I was dropping balls left and right. All that to say, there isn't a lot of material there yet, but I'm currently working on 3 additional blogs that will be added soon. theambitiousassistant.com/b...
Jozlynn, I LOVE your website! Beautiful design. Isn't it odd how we can help other people with their paperwork,... and just leave our own in piles,..that get moved here and there, and maybe attended to....well after the deadline!
It IS odd - but has definitely worked in my favor! THANK YOU!! I appreciate your comments on the website. I just had a brand designer basically tell me I was an idiot for choosing the colors and florals that I did, and that it looks like I should be selling makeup or perfume. Um...OK. lol!!
I'm an ADHD'er and own my own business. Everything was handled when i was still small, but now I'm growing and the strategies I used to use no longer work due to multiple moving parts and subcontractors at different stages of the work. The "list" that I used to have has turned into 800!
For me though, anything with numbers is the worst - estimates, invoices and, ahem, taxes. Finding a straight forward way to combat that would be helpful for me.
This is extremely helpful, thank you! I appreciate that you took the time to respond. And WOW - congratulations on growing so much! This makes so much sense. I'm that weird individual that loves me a good spreadsheet, but I absolutely understand how all of that becomes too much. Oddly enough, I can do those kinds of things for others without a problem - but I tend to put them off and procrastinate when it comes to my own - which I think it stereotypical of those of us with ADHD. This is an awesome topic to dive into!
Accountability buddies have helped me to a degree, but I just don't friggin understand numbers, and I don't know anyone else with their own (B2B) business that's a service provider with regard to accessibility stuff. Nothing quite like mine, so others can help to a degree, but most ppl don't know how to help.
For me personally, having a regular online session with a group of accountability buddies who know about numbers stuff (lol, account-ability??) would be extremely helpful.
I spend WAY too much time on the minutiae of transfering info from one place to the next, educating clients, etc. I also lurve me a spreadsheet, but it's too much now. Any automations that are not too expensive and would help with estimates, what I'll need from ppl to do the work, if/ when they have it ready, and then it gets funneled into an invoice would also be amazing. There are tons (too many!) so potentially something that lists pros and cons for each, costs, and whatever else in a consistent manner would be great too!
Firstly, please write about Kanban if you haven't already. I saw it in use in an office long before I was diagnosed, and it was just so helpful to me in organising work. It's a gospel I want to spread.
Perhaps you could talk about the pitfalls of the productivity mindset too. Since we have such issues with being productive, when we overcome that, we can get into this mindset where we think we have to be productive all the time, and where we're beating ourselves up when we aren't. It comes down to having a good work/life balance. But when neurotypicals have bad work/life balance, it means they're working too much, but with a negative productivity mindset and ADHD, you're beating yourself up as well.
My biggest struggle is executive dysfunction in all its wonderful varieties. Executive dysfunction is hard enough to wrap my head around. The idea that you are unable to do something, not for lack of time or motivation, you just... can't, is so strange. As an ADHD business blogger, I'd write about that.
This is excellent stuff - thank you!! I agree - Kanban is a lifesaver! I use a project management tool called Teamwork that has that Kanban and it keeps everything I do straight! I really appreciate the insight here - this gives me a lot to work with. Thank you for replying!
You liked my controversial comment. For that I thank you and want to help you. ADHD and work is a fascinating one for me and I have tons of ideas and sources. What topics gave you got covered so far? And don't worry. I'm not the competition and I won't copy you I promise. Got a great well-paid job already. I'm very interested in the legislation as well as common things people stumble over and struggle with at work and I think you got yourself a really great business idea there.
Thank you! I prefer to take things in the spirit in which it feels (to me) they were meant. Saves me from being pissed off too often.
Even if you were my competition, I would share this with you - just sayin'. The list below were topics that piqued my interest, and honestly, I won't know if they'll pan out to full blogs until I complete my writing. Sometimes I'll write about a subject, but either find I don't have enough to say on the topic, or find that my heart wasn't as in it as I thought. If my heart's not in it, I'm not going to publish it - because that likely means it won't be a good read. I didn't take writing a blog as seriously as I do now - before I knew that I would be helping to support others with ADHD. Because this is something so near and dear to my heart - plus, something I'm continuously trying to learn more about - I'm trying to avoid the fluff and filler that I'm finding in a lot of 'help' articles for those with ADHD.
Thank you very much for your offer of help! I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts and ideas!
I have a list gathered from the wonderful people who answered above - most of which I haven't begun to tackle yet - but I am working on a few different topics at the moment. It just depends on what I'm feeling enthusiastic to write about that day. I refuse to allow myself to start any more than what's listed below until at least half of these are complete. So far, the topics I'm currently working are (these are not working titles...just topics):
*A frustrating non-presence of mind – what to do about adult ADHD
*How to Deal With Adult ADHD at Work
*5 Beliefs Adults With ADHD Have… Before They Know They Have ADHD
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The list below were topics that piqued my interest, and honestly, I won't know if they'll pan out to full blogs until I complete my writing. Sometimes I'll write about a subject, but either find I don't have enough to say on the topic, or find that my heart wasn't as in it as I thought. If my heart's not in it, I'm not going to publish it - because that likely means it won't be a good read. I didn't take writing a blog as seriously as I do now - before I knew that I would be helping to support others with ADHD. Because this is something so near and dear to my heart - plus, something I'm continuously trying to learn more about - I'm trying to avoid the fluff and filler that I'm finding in a lot of 'help' articles for those with ADHD. 
New to ADHD 
Are there really no examples of anyone diagnosed with ADHD as a juvenile obtaining a doctorate?
How do you approach managing your ADHD?
