Working Memory is Creating Problems At Work

[cmeanonymous]

I was diagnosed two years ago at 47. Since then I’ve seen a steady decline in my working memory. If I’m in a stressful situation my memory gets worse. I’m making a lot of mistakes at work. I’m making todo lists and priority lists. I wear noise cancelling ear buds but I’m interrupted constantly at work. I work in a cubicle o I have limited privacy and a lot of distractions. I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like I’ve exhausted all of my tools. Any suggestions?

[PizzaPatron]

A lot of what you provided are great external resources. Perhaps a few changes in your diet could help? Blueberries are really great at improving recollection. Green teas provide L-theanine which help with cognition. I take a fish oil for omega 3 fatty acids along with those examples. But everyone has different nutritional needs as well. Exercise works tremendously. If you're very concerned about your working memory, I'd check with your health care provider to see if that's a natural part of getting older. If you've managed to get this far without medication, then kudos to you!

[STEM_Dad]

Welcome to the Adult ADHD forum cmeanonymous !

I got diagnosed at 45, and I'm now 49.

It sounds like you are doing a lot to try to reduce distractions in your work environment. That can certainly help a lot.

I've found that I'm also easily distracted by people and other noises. I work in technology support, which means I have to be available, so I get interrupted all the time. It really affects my productivity.

• I can relate to work environments that are very distracting. I am able to change to another work location that is less distracting from other people, but it's loud because of equipment in the room.

You mention that when you get stressed, your working memory gets worse. That's been my experience, as well. I've learned that the better I can manage my anxiety, the better my memory and focus work.

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SELF-CARE

Some basic things to do all the time:

• Get adequate sleep and rest

• Stay hydrated

• Eat a balanced diet

• Positive social interaction (especially spending time with or talking to family or friends you have a good relationship with, people you feel really know you and listen to you)

• Regular exercise

• Time in nature

...

Other things that can help:

• Journaling

• Mindfulness/meditation

• Self-development (from self-help books, to taking a class for a subject you're interested in)

• Doing things you enjoy doing

• Therapy/counseling (cognitive behavioral therapy/CBT is noted to be particularly good for people with ADHD, but also any type of therapy which you need...e.g. exposure therapy for fears, trauma therapy, etc.)

~~~

MEDICATION

You didn't mention medication at all. Is ADHD part of your treatment, or is it not an option for you (whether by choice, lack of availability, other health issues precluding stimulants, etc.)?

• Some people choose not to use ADHD medication, and that's fine. I've found that it has made a big difference for me. Research into ADHD has proven that medication is single biggest factor in ADHD treatment and accommodation.

• For me, medication was essential. There's this concept in psychology about working memory called "the magic number 7, plus or minus one". The average (neurotypical) person can keep about 5-9 separate items in their working memory. ~ Before my ADHD diagnosis, I could only hold 2 or 3 items in my mind, and only for a few minutes. ~ With meds, I can remember about 7-8 on a good day, and 4-6 on a bad day.

• Stimulants aren't the only medication options. I'm on a non-stimulant ADHD medication which works well for me (a generic of Strattera)*. There are also other non-stimulant medications developed for conditions other than ADHD which have been proven to also help with ADHD symptoms, such as Wellbutrin (bupropion, a non-SSRI antidepressant) and Guanfacine (a blood pressure medication which has been found to help with the emotional dysregulation that comes with ADHD).

*Medication has been the most effective treatment for my ADHD. It has been life-changing for me.

~~~

ANXIETY TREATMENT

I've also gotten over my old reservations about therapy. Now, when I notice my anxiety levels rising too much, I get into therapy. (Unfortunately, my work benefits that cover therapy have been reduced. I just finished the 3 sessions that were covered, and I can't afford to continue paying out of pocket... so I worked with the therapist in self-support strategies.)

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WORKPLACE ANXIETY

My current job has caused me lots of anxiety, so I'm on the hunt for something else. I'm looking for remote work, so I can have more control of my environment and the only way people can interrupt me is via communication tools on my computer. I'm a "people-person", and when people stop by my office or even just walk by my door, my attention snaps to them. I realize that this tendency of mine is detrimental to any tasks I'm working on that require focus.

(I also got to a point of overwhelm about a year ago, and stayed in that state until last month... which is not healthy. My current job is just too stressful. So, I recognize that I need to move on before I burn out.)

I had a previous job that caused me to have severe anxiety... And that was actually what led to my ADHD diagnosis in the first place.

So, consider if the main issue causing you stress and anxiety is your workplace environment, type of work, amount of work, or if maybe it's issues with certain people there.

[Quincie]

Perhaps diet & sleep need attention. Are you getting enough sleep? Is your diet good? I have been low carb for a few months and found my brain fog lifted. I think the culprit is grains - wheat - as that was something I ate daily. Experimenting with diet is something you can always try.

In the US there's an OTC supplement called Focus Factor. It's marketed at old people getting a bit forgetful. I've found it helps. There's probably similar supplements sold in your area. Essential oils from plants can have a stimulating affect. Think of peppermint, rosemary or eucalptus. Inhaling these scents might help with alertness in the moment.

[Mamamichl]

have you tried expressing this issue to your boss? Maybe you can put a sub up for minimal interruptions?

[Late-Cat48]

hello, I have noticed that for myself too. I am still not sure how much of the memory problems are ADHD or Burnout or Past trauma being dug up as I work to figure out the ADHD. I have seen some information about how hormonal changes affect ADHD too but haven't figured that out fully yet. Also, even though most of what I have seen about it was to do with menopause and ADHD I'm pretty sure men go through hormonal changes with aging too so either way maybe hormones.

[Bangtan]

Do you use Microsoft Teams at work? You have your own “chat”. I’ll add tasks, reminders, notes from conversations , etc. .It helps to get me back on track when I get scatterbrained. It has helped with my productivity. I still forget but the information is still there.

[Finneus_vonfinklefry]

Hi, cmeanonymous—I'm not sure if you're opposed to taking meds, but Vyvanse has been the only thing that's made a significant reduction in how distractible I am. I was against the need to medicate myself and have done CBT, which is healthy, but not sure it helped my working memory. I also take fish oil tabs daily and think the effect is minimal at best. Like other users have suggested, exercise does improve my focus—it helps me get started in the morning. Any of these may work for you, but like I started this with, the only major increase I've noticed has been from the 70mg of Vyvanse I take. If you find a solution that works for you, let us know—I'm always interested to hear.

[KK999]

Hi there,

My working memory is so appalling and Im in the writing up stage of a PhD . So empathy.

There is a paid system that helps with this - the gist of it is, that no one can retain all the information we need in the instant we needs it. So a simple workaround that helps me - is using Apple Notes. I took time out to divide my research into categories/headlines . For you, it would be work tasks and/or tech sequences. List them in order - confine your self to 10 to start with, give each a heading and add what you need to know to each Apple Note. If you use strong headlines, the stuff you need should be easily accessible when you need it. I hope this is useful.