Your Complete Guide to ADHD Brains and Productivity at Work
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By: Vanessa Blanchard
Intro
Outside of the ADHD community, the role of executive function in ADHD and productivity is under-explored. Instead, clinical settings focus on attention and energy when discussing or diagnosing ADHD (see the three types of ADHD). And while attention and energy are definitely factors, theyâre like the swelling on a sprained ankle. The relationship between ADHD and productivity is a rich tapestry of interwoven issues, and executive function plays a significant role. In fact, productivity at work, or in daily life, is impacted in nearly every way by executive dysfunction in the ADHD brain.
Understanding the full picture leads to compassion and empowerment when developing coping skills and encountering symptoms. Not understanding leads to a lot of conflict, shame, and frustration -- as well as lost jobs and relationships.
It doesnât have to be that way. Thatâs why Spectroomz has put together this guide, which has three goals:
To inform you about the ADHD brain and how it impacts productivity
To demonstrate how ADHD impacts work practices and preferences, and
To provide a range of ADHD hacks that can help inspire your journey towards productivity at work.
Letâs start with the fun stuff, the brain!
Executive Functionâs Role in ADHD
Executive functions are cognitive processes that allow you to perform the behaviors necessary to do daily things. This includes your ability to organize, plan, manage time, and more. When you experience executive dysfunction, you lose the ability to organize your behavior in these areas. This leads to behaviors typically associated with ADHD, such as impulsiveness or âlaziness.â
Only this isnât laziness, itâs neurology.
Your executive functioning is managed by four parts of your brain. Each area organizes different aspects of functioning:
Working memory, getting started, and planning
Time management and sustaining behaviors
Emotional regulation and decision making
Self-awareness and environmental awareness
Many factors impact your executive functioning, from brain development to environmental influences. You can find executive dysfunction in a number of conditions. Autism, ADHD, depression, and addiction are a few examples of diagnoses that display executive dysfunction.
Organizing these aspects of executive functioning lets you build several important skills:
Self-awareness
Working memory
Emotional regulation
Impulse control
Motivation
Planning and problem solving
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Executive dysfunction compromises all of these skills. And itâs not just the development of the skills, but our ability to maintain access to them. People with ADHD will tell you in droves that their coping skills only partially work. Or theyâll work for a while and then stop working. Symptoms can shift, change, and rotate in and out of our lives.
Every aspect of executive functioning rests at the heart of productivity. The dysregulation found in ADHD disrupts productivity by making it difficult to control certain behaviors and states of being (i.e. focused).
âI feel like Iâm at war with myselfâ
Keep in mind that when we say âcontrol behaviorsâ we donât mean that ADHD is about misbehaving. That stigma shifts focus away from our experiences and frames us as inconvenient to others. If you talk to people with ADHD, they express shame and frustration over not being able to do things they definitely want to do. People whoâve never met share very similar stories about the great lengths they go to in order to âcontrolâ their behaviors.
More brain stuff that impacts ADHD:
While executive dysregulation plays an important role in ADHD and productivity, there are a few other issues at play. First, there are a couple of neurotransmitters that research indicates might also be dysregulated in ADHD brains. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that allow signals to travel through the brain. There are many kinds of neurotransmitters, but the two relevant to ADHD theory are:
Norepinephrine, which regulates attention, mood, and sleep
Dopamine, which regulates attention, learning, mood, and sleep. It also helps with coordinating movement in our bodies.
Deficiencies or dysregulation in the neurotransmitters can help explain certain ADHD experiences, such as wanting to do something but not being able to turn that motivation into action. The signal just never seems to translate. We also seem to feel it in symptoms such as the brain fog and fatigue we experience after âpushing throughâ other symptoms. You can see this in the way that some ADHDers need rewards to be productive. We need to âreplenishâ our stores.
In short, we might feel depleted because we literally are.
This is why some medications (such as stimulants and certain non-stimulants) work to treat many ADHD symptoms. Itâs also why youâll see many ADHDers (especially undiagnosed ones) with long-standing âself-medicationâ habits, such as consuming sugar, carbs, nicotine, and caffeine.
Finally, the last area of the brain weâll mention is the striatum. Striatum abnormalities might play a role in hyperactivity. The striatum regulates movement, motivation, and impulse control and is thought to play a role in hyperactivity in ADHD. Also seems to play a role in social learning.
The core theory here is that ADHD brains might lack some of the neurotransmitters needed to organize, perform, and maintain executive functioning.
Key Takeaways:
Here are a few key points weâd like to impart about the brainâs role in the relationship between ADHD and productivity:
Because ADHD impacts so many parts of the brain, symptoms can vary greatly from person to person but also from day to day within the same person.
Coping will include a rotating cast of skills and methods. Something that works now might stop working for a bit. We might desensitize to something and crave a new way to cope.
Common understanding of ADHD doesnât consider the brain stuff, which leads to stigmatizing reactions to our symptoms (classifying us as lazy, unmotivated, poorly behaved, and disinterested).
Fighting with executive dysfunction makes even everyday tasks more difficult.
ADHDers often feel shame and harsh judgment towards ourselves because we canât measure up to non-disabled expectations.
Most of us are either trying really hard or utterly depleted. Or a combination of both.
Other Stuff That Influences Productivity with ADHD
Neurology plays a significant role in ADHD, but there are many other things that will influence symptoms and impact our ability to be productive at work.
Sensory needs - Many ADHD folks will need to control their sensory environments in order to be focused and productive. People with ADHD report needing time to hyperfocus, which usually means they need to shut out all distractions. Our needs are often a combination of sensory seeking and avoiding (such as needing to work alone AND listen to lofi beats in order to focus).
Social Needs - ADHDers tend to skew towards introversion, but most report at least some extroversion. For example, most of the people who took our quiz, 18 Best Jobs for People with ADHD, reported preferring a combination of self-employment and traditional employment. Results from the quiz indicate that thereâs a need for both autonomy and exterior collaboration and/or direction (weâll discuss this more in the next section).
Co-occurring conditions - Certain conditions, such as autism and PTSD, frequently co-occur with ADHD. This, along with any other health conditions, can influence productivity, focus, memory, emotional regulation, and more.
Environmental needs - Because ADHD is a disability, the environment we work in will significantly impact our wellbeing. Everything from sensory needs to protection from common workplace discrimination issues will need to be considered when accommodating ADHD at work. External support is often key to our success, because it takes some of the burden off of our executive functioning demands. However, external support that is stigmatizing can be very harmful to people with ADHD.
Thereâs honestly more that probably could be added, but the point is that a lot of stuff impacts how people with ADHD are able to function, both in their personal lives and at work. So now, letâs talk about the ways that these factors influence how ADHD affects our work styles/needs/preferences.
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How ADHD Impacts Productivity at Work
There are many more obvious impacts that ADHD can have on productivity:
Struggling to start, finish, or transition between tasks
Trouble planning and organizing
Periods of distractibility and periods of intense focus
Impulsivity, fidgeting, anxiety, etc
Other emotional regulation struggles (irritability, depression, etc)
Difficulties managing time, time blindness
Social struggles, including biases, stigmas, discrimination, and poorly informed (about ADHD) support networks or peers
However, there are LOTS of other ways that ADHD impacts our working styles that arenât just about our struggles and âdeficits.â Here are a few common themes in how ADHDers like to work.
Creative Work
People with ADHD often gravitate towards creative work. In fact, 52% of the people we asked said that creative work was very important to them (only 12% said creative work wasnât important to them at all). We often prefer project-based work because it offers a high degree of novelty while including some predictable, routine work. Surprisingly, people with ADHD do prefer that there is some routine work in their days. Many of us rely on external support to sustain our routines, and repetitive tasks can help with that.
That being said, we often prefer that things like deadlines are flexible. External support help maintain routines, but our needs can change daily. So, deadlines can either be a source of motivation and focus, or they can contribute to overwhelm and avoidance. Plus, we often deal with days where no matter how hard we try, we simply wonât get anything done (see brain fog). Flexible supports allow us to complete projects without learning to rely on emergencies and stress states to be productive.
Working Socially
Our quiz results showed that people with ADHD tended to skew towards introversion, but many identified as at least a little extroverted as well. This is another reason project-based work can be so appealing to us, because projects lend themselves to group or collaborative work. ADHD folks often find it beneficial and energizing to work with others, even if only on a part-time basis.
Most ADHDers will want at least some time to work alone. Usually, this is to help eliminate distractions and to give us room for self-regulation (i.e. fidgeting to regulate symptoms of hyperactivity). However, having a group, mentor, or supervisor to check in with can work wonders to ease executive dysfunction symptoms. Likewise, youâll often find people with ADHD who simply cannot focus unless theyâre in a room with other people. Having another person beside you to help you focus is called body doubling and itâs surprisingly effective.
Our survey also found that most ADHDers wanted a combination of independent and external supervision. This could reflect the rotating, complex nature of our symptoms. There are likely times where only we are able to understand or meet our needs. However, it seems that informed, compassionate external support is a significant need in the ADHD community.
External Supports
One of the main ways that we have for maintaining productivity with ADHD and executive dysfunction, is to externalize many of the ways we organize or motivate ourselves. External support can come in many forms. Here are just a few:
Having time lines or deadlines to follow
Making lists, or using planners or apps to map out tasks and/or projects
Setting reminders for time-sensitive events
Working with therapists, mentors, supervisors, assistants, or team members
Even coworking in a rented space can help
Using focus aids, such as ASMR, study beats, the pomodoro method, and more
Anything that makes it so that the ADHD brain isnât solely responsible for keeping it all straight. And like we said before, what works will vary from person to person.
Supporting productivity in ADHD is a kindness that allows us more control over our lives without labeling us as a âburdenâ or âbother.â People with ADHD can lean into their strengths and thrive when properly supported at work.
When External Support Harms Instead of Helps
It can be very helpful to have the support of the people around you. However, if the support is rigid and inflexible, then thereâs a lot of room for shame and judgment to take hold. When there is no peer education about ADHD, or when supervisors lead with ableism, then the ADHD brain is set up to fail. As mentioned early, social discrimination is a very real threat to people with ADHD, and we carry a ton of emotional fallout from improper support throughout our lives.
ADHD Strengths at Work
ADHD is usually discussed in terms of symptoms, deficits, and dysfunction. However, there are many strengths that come from ADHD traits as well. These strengths will also impact productivity at work.
For example, there are a number of very talented carpenters, painters, and drywallers in my family who have ADHD. Theyâre good at what they do, in part, because their jobs allow them outlets for both their hyperactivity and hyper focus needs. They are good at dealing with setbacks and roadblocks because their impulsivity also makes them creative and adaptable. People with ADHD can be really good at brainstorming and pivoting.
Some people with ADHD say that their ADHD makes them especially good in emergencies because they can stay calm and focused during chaos. Others find that their coping skills make them especially good at things like project management, content creation, or event planning (even more so if thereâs a team of some kind to support them).
Because ADHD brains tend to cycle through interests and hobbies -- picking up an interest, hyperfocusing, and then pivoting to another -- weâre also very good at learning new skills, adapting to shifting technologies, and generalizing our skills (i.e. becoming a âjack of all tradesâ). It should be noted that many of us seem to have a kinetic learning style, meaning traditional education can be challenging. Weâll thrive if weâre doing it in real time, though.
There are so many more strengths I could list, but you get the idea. Leave a comment below if you can think of something I left out. Itâs time now to talk about some of the most common hacks that help with ADHD and productivity.
Helpful ADHD Productivity Hacks
If you have ADHD, then what works for you will depend on your personality, the environment youâre in, and your mental and physical state on any given day. What works for you might not work for someone else with the same condition. Heck, what works for you today might not work for you tomorrow. Thatâs why itâs important to have a number of skills and/or tools that you use to aid in your coping.
Here are 8 hacks that could help with your ADHD symptoms and improve your productivity:
Gamifying your work: Many aspects of gaming work wonders for ADHD symptoms. Not only is it rewarding, it can help reinforce a lot of important skills. For example, playing the Sims in my late teens/early 20s taught me a lot about planning, goal setting, and realistically breaking down big tasks (all while balancing daily needs). Adding game-like elements to âboringâ tasks in real life can make all stages of the task easier to manage.
ASMR: White, pink, and brown noise seem to be very good at quieting ADHD brains so that itâs easier to achieve and maintain focus. Thereâs more anecdotal evidence than clinical research on this topic. However, people with ADHD pretty consistently report itâs helpful. Just read the comments on this article for an example (even the one that says ASMR doesnât help goes on to describe several ways it does).
Body Doubling: Work partners can help reduce distractibility and increase focus. There are many ADHDers who find that having another person to work with makes a stark difference. This can work in person, or remotely. Thereâs even a whole genre of YouTube videos dedicated to working and studying with another person.
Lists: Controversial suggestion, because this is another tactic that many can find useless or become desensitized to. But, it can often help to have listed instructions, tasks, schedules, etc. This allows the ADHD brain to focus on one detail at a time while supporting our planning and transitions between tasks. Some people like to go all out and do bullet journals, but even a simple list scrawled on a whiteboard can be enough. It lets our minds declutter.
Fidgets: We often have a need to move while completing certain types of tasks. Movement helps a lot of us with processing and organizing information. Learning through doing keeps our minds stimulated enough to prevent boredom and maintain focus.
Medication: Not a hack, but still a genuine thing that people often really need. Because ADHD is more about brain functions than behavioral problems. Many of the symptoms of ADHD are greatly improved by steady access to appropriate medications.
Productivity Apps: There are many apps available to help with managing ADHD and productivity. Habitica, for example, gamifies tasks, which creates a reward system support for executive dysfunction. Also incorporates list making to help with organization, planning, and task transitions. Other apps can help with list making (i.e. Todoist) or with organizing daily, weekly, and monthly calendars (i.e. Tiimo). Weâre not paid to endorse these products, theyâre just examples of apps you can use. Spectroomz is developing a productivity app of our own! Sign up for early access here.
Pomodoro Method: The Pomodoro Technique is a method where you set timers to work for a certain amount of time (usually 25-50 minutes) and then set a second timer for a short break (usually, 5-10 minutes). Many people will pair this with a body double. However, some find this is not helpful because the scheduled break is more of an interruption. As always, the perfect hack for ADHD and productivity will depend on the individual person and the kind of day theyâre having.
The Bottom Line on ADHD and Productivity at Work
Dysregulation is at the heart of what causes disruptions to productivity in people with ADHD. Symptoms can be a significant, unpredictable hurdle towards sustained productivity at work and in daily life. In fact, there will be days where no matter how hard they try, the ADHDer just wonât be able to get things done.
Thatâs why itâs important to know why these hurdles pop up. Because knowing enables folks with ADHD to work smarter, to rest when needed, and to find the coping skills that work for their specific brain. Supporting an ADHD brain at work will mean offering flexibility and compassion. The key to understanding the relationship between ADHD and productivity is to ask the specific ADHDer who is trying to be productive.
Tell us in the comments what helps or prevents you from being productive
About me
Iâm a writer, artist, and advocate who loves living in Maine among the trees and oceanside villages. Iâm also autistic, ADHD, and PTSD. My education, both academic and personal, has centered around mental health and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as discrimination and the socioeconomic consequences of living disabled in America.