Information and advice for adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) who are struggling to get their work done.
Copyright (c) 2007 Jennifer Koretsky
Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's the fact that half your office is on vacation. Maybe it's just the end-of-summer blues. But one thing is certain; adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are having a lot of trouble getting down to work!
Work requires some serious effort lately, and it's causing a lot of stress. It's worth noting that "work" isn't limited to your job, either. Housework and yard work are work, too – and so is studying, if you're a student.
One of the core principles of managing your ADD is learning how to work WITH your ADD, instead of against it. And nowhere is this more important than at work, when the amount and the quality of work you put in affects those around you.
Adults with ADD often find that, whatever their work is, it can easily become boring. Procrastination and distractibility are common, and lead to stress and anxiety...which, of course, doesn't help you get your work done. This problem usually gets labeled one of "willpower." More likely, it's a problem of working against your ADD.
As adults with ADD, our working styles often differ from those of our peers and colleagues. Our energy levels fluctuate pretty drastically. We get bored easily. We can be a bit less organized, and the organizational systems we do have might not make sense to anyone else. Plus, we can hyperfocus. And we can procrastinate like champs.
These, and other personal traits, have to be taken into account when you're at work. Whenever possible, try following these guidelines:
1. Determine the times of day that your energy levels are highest and lowest. Plan to do more complicated work when your energy levels are highest, and save the easier work for when your energy levels dip.
2. Use systems and strategies that work for you. Don't compare yourself to everyone else, and don't try to conform to someone else's methods. The systems that you use, and the ways in which you approach your tasks, might not make sense to anyone else but you, but they don't need to.
3. Eliminate the distractions that you can control. Shut down email and the web when it's time to buckle down and focus. Don't give yourself the opportunity to be distracted. Email and the web will be there waiting for you when the job is done.
Remember, the most successful ADDers work with their ADD, not against it!
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