Whether you’re someone with ADHD, or an employer with an ADHD team member, this is for you. I cover physical items, apps, reasonable adjustments, ways of working, lifestyle modifications, and mindset.
Getting a diagnosis of ADHD was such a relief and so validating, but suddenly I had to learn how to work with my new brain and not against it. But there were no real guidelines or rules.
This is a definitive list of everything I use to keep myself (and my brain) on track:
Physical Items
- A Second Screen
Enables me to have my task list and timer open and visible at all times. Whenever I forget what I’m supposed to be doing, all I have to do is glance over and I’m reminded.
(Second screen) - Designated Office Space
A room at home or a corner of a room with a working setup. When I’m in the office, I’m in work brain; when I’m in the living room, I’m in relax brain. - Treadmill desk
On days I don’t exercise or when the weather is terrible, this helps with my concentration, focus, and mood.
(Sit stand desk) (Walking pad) - Mouse Mat
Proof that not everything has to be expensive. I wouldn’t use my mouse because I couldn’t stand the sound it made on my desk, a felt mousemat means it glides silently!
(Felt mouse mat) - SAD Lamp
There’s increasing research that having ADHD increases your likelihood of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) especially in women. This is especially true for me, particularly when the 9am sunrises and 3pm sunsets hit. Having a SAD lamp on during those dark hours hugely helps with my energy and mood.
(SAD Lamp) - 1L Water Bottle
The more times I need to refill a water bottle, the more chances I have to get distracted.
(1L Water Bottle) - Elvanse
Medication has changed my life in ways I didn’t think were possible. My advice to every person with ADHD is to try medication before you write it off.
Apps / Software
- Flow
A pomodoro timer available for desktop to manage work in short sprints. This is perfect for tackling the things I really don’t want to do, I work on it for 25 minutes and then get the reward of 5 minutes on my phone. This method has never not worked for me! - Gratitude
A digital gratitude journal that provides prompts and positive affirmations. I complete an entry every day just before I start work to help offset innate negativity bias. - Clue
A period tracker that also allows you to track your focus, energy, and mood. Every month when I find my ADHD symptoms getting worse out of nowhere, I open up Clue and find out my period is due. - 1 Thing
An incredibly simple reminder that sits in your menu bar. I often put in the task that I’m currently working on in case I get distracted, and my 1 Thing reminder pulls me back. - Asana
Interchangeable for any project management or to-do software, but somewhere where there’s a central hub of all the projects you’re working on and all the tasks you need completing. - Google Calendar
My work calendar now contains literally all the parts of my life, the dentist, gym classes, evening activities, date nights; if it doesn’t go in the Google Calendar it doesn’t exist. - Grammarly Premium
Corrects spelling, grammar, and helps my sentences flow much better so I don’t need to work about getting it right first time. - Chat GPT
A fairly new addition but Chat GPT has stopped me worrying about whether what I’ve just written makes sense is concise, or even spelt correctly. I just get it down on paper and clean it up after as opposed to spending ages on precise writing.
Reasonable Adjustments
- Working from Home
I will never be full-time in an office again. It’s not just the noise, distractions, and colleagues that mean I get less work done. The mental energy of getting up earlier, commuting, and socializing all day will wipe me out for at least 24 hours after. I’m just a far less happy, productive, and focused employee overall when you make me go into the office. - Flexible Working
The ADHD brain does things when it wants to. Sometimes I have to go for a walk in the middle of the day before my brain will listen to me. Sometimes I have an amazing idea at 8 pm or 6 am and end up doing some work then. - Deadlines & Accountability
I need deadlines set for everything. The knowledge that someone is going to hold me to them helps me get my tasks done. I have a weekly catch-up where my boss reviews my progress against certain tasks.
Ways of Working
- Focus Time
Also known as “leave me alone time” is a new rule in my house that my partner (who also works from home) isn’t allowed to bother me between the hours of 9 am and 1 pm. I’ve always worked best in the mornings and so I smash out all my most difficult tasks, leaving the easier and more creative ones for the afternoon. - Working Around My Period
I have each phase of the menstrual cycle mapped out in my calendar and I’ve started planning my work accordingly. Around ovulation is when you’re most focused and energized, so I plan my most difficult work then.
Lifestyle Modifications
- Meal Prepping
Have you ever been hungry but opened the fridge and realized you don’t have the energy to make yourself something to eat. That’s me every breakfast and every lunch. Which then led me to skipping breakfast all together and eating low-effort and non-nutritional lunches like a slice of bread, 3 BabyBells, and a handful of chocolate raisins. I now meal-prep my breakfasts and lunches 3 days in advance twice a week and I don’t have to think about what to eat 3 times a day, and it’s literally there for me! - Eating a healthy lunch
I thought the post-lunch slump was an inevitability until I started eating better (thanks to the meal prepping), and it turns out it isn’t. Now my blood sugar is more stable I can get back to work instead of wanting to nap. - Exercising
Getting in a form of exercise every morning is tough but proving worthwhile and it always sets me up for the day much better than an extra half hour in bed. The key for me has been classes, because I need a group of other people there to keep me accountable.
Mindset
- Ditch Comparison
Every person on the planet has off-days or unproductive weeks. Make sure you’re not setting yourself up to fail by aiming for an unrealistic level of productivity or crazy workload. - Acceptance
Wishing I didn’t have ADHD has never made me more productive, or capable, or less stressed; all it did was exacerbate any issues I was having. Accepting this is how your brain works, and not everyone will understand, but there are ways to work with it as opposed to against it is a much better way for everyone.
