ADHD In the Office

The pandemic changed everything in March 2020, including the way we work. Now, as we transition back to the office, we must find new ways to stay productive and focused. For the last three years I have manicured and tailored my workspace at home to accommodate my ADHD. Now as pandemic winds down, my work has started opening it’s doors and recommending to come back into the office. I have taken this torch and have started coming back to our beautiful and accommodating office about 2-3 times a week. This transition has been hard in large part due to my ADHD. Being productive at the office has been a challenge, but not an obstacle that can’t be overcome.

Surviving the transition of a changing workspace is hard, especially when you are a little more neuro diverse than most. I have been able to keep or change a few rituals to keep me close to as productive as if I was home while in the office. These changes have really helped me and how I deal with my brain’s different approaches to environments and problems. Working the office is great. Helping and interacting with my team is even better, and in large part the reason why going back into the office is fulfilling. However, you can’t succeed in your own roles if distractions keep you from completing your own task. These are the lessons I have learned that have kept me close to as productive at home as in the office.

Staying Medicated and Mindful of your Differences

Understanding your brain and how you are different is critical in keeping successful and productive. One cannot ignore a problem away, especially if the problem is how easily your attention can be diverted away. Being mindful of my disorder has been critical so when I reflect at the end of the day about the wins and fails of the day, I can chalk up problems to my disorder (when appropriate), and how to solve them for the next day. Remembering you are different, and that you need different things to stay successful is ok and a key part of keeping productive regardless of our environment.

Another key to success is staying medicated. In my state, it has been hard to keep up a prescription due to Adderall shortages. However, it’s critical to keep up your medication as prescribed by your doctor. For me, medication is a great tool to keep my grounded, calm, and collected. If you are thinking about making any changes to your medication or regime, please work with your doctor to make sure that is the right choice. In my case about a half hour before I start my commute, I make sure I take my medication so it’s working by the time I sit down and start my day in the office.

Bringing Home to the Office

Part of the success that I have working from home is that I am able to use the tools that I want. I love my Logitech G915 TKL keyboard and my Logitech Pro Wireless Mouse. I find not having these when working distracting to a fault as I compare other keyboards provided at work to these great products. Instead of comparing what I have at the office versus at home, I just bring them to work. I wish I could bring my whole office at home to work, but alas, it makes more sense to have everyone use standard issue equipment instead of accommodating to a handful of employees.

Why is bringing home to the office so important to stay productive? I have solve this workflow at home with some equipment and rituals. Keeping these rituals and equipment as similar as possible between environments is important to ensure my success. Having differences between workflows and traditions at home and in the office is distracting, and can remove my particular train of thought of the task at hand instead and into why I like or dislike the differences. Keeping things as close as possible to home as it is at the office has been a huge factor of my success in transitioning back into the office.

Finding Ways to Minimize Distractions; Long Live Noise Cancelling Headphones

Over hearing coworkers talk about the recent buzz around town, problems about their current project, or just talking in general is enough to rip my out of my focus and into their problems or issues. Long live the Air Pods Pro and their great noise cancellation. Here I can be apart of the team, with just enough sensory deprivation to keep me focused in my tasks. Its amazing what little background noise and deprivation can do to keep one with ADHD productive. At home I do not have the pleasure of having my team next to me, but I also don’t have anyone at home to take me away from my task.

The other way to keep distractions at bay for me is to move to a dedicated meeting space when meetings are required. Having other people take meetings next to you can be vexing, however, seeing someone constantly distracted by their surroundings during a meeting can be even worse as you aren’t sure they are even focused on what you are saying. It is ok to move your whole workspace, if it can be done for a short amount of time, to focus on a meeting or a hard task for a short time to minimize the distractions your current environment may have.

These are the three biggest factors that have helped my stay productive while transitioning back into the office. It has been hard, and I don’t feel as if I am as productive as if I was at home, but these factors have helped me get pretty close. Transitioning back to the office after working from home can be challenging for anyone, but it can be especially difficult for individuals with ADHD. However, by staying mindful of your differences, staying medicated as prescribed, and bringing the tools and rituals that work for you from home to the office, you can increase your chances of success. Minimizing distractions through the use of noise-cancelling headphones or other methods can also help you stay focused on your tasks. With the right approach and mindset, you can thrive in the office and continue to be a valuable member of your team.