?? 10 sneaky ways ADHD affects you at work (you may be unaware is ADHD)

ADHD is a fickle beast, and actually it may surprise you has a much bigger affect on the way we work than just on productivity or focus.

When we understand how ADHD really affects us at work, we know what we're working with SO its much easier to confidently tackle daily ADHD challenges and make working with ADHD MUCH easier.?

?? If you're interested in learning more about ADHD at work please join my NEW FREE Workshop HOW ADHD REALLY AFFECTS YOU AT WORK on Monday 24th Feb.

More info and sign up here.

Anyway, let's get into it: 10 sneaky ways ADHD can affect you at work and why.

1. Spiralling over feedback or criticism

People with ADHD can be more physically and emotionally sensitive, and also have up to a 30% delay in self-awareness, and emotional regulation so its easier for us to spiral over feedback. We also can experience mental hyperactivity so this combination means we're more likely to overthink things.

2. Not finishing tasks because of fear of failure

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is an extreme acute reaction to any kind of perceived rejection or failure, so if you experience an extreme reaction to criticism, one way to avoid it is by not finishing tasks.

3. Overcompensating by being hyper-vigilant about making mistakes

As children its estimated kids with ADHD recieve over 10,000 pieces of negative feedback before the age of 12, which means we are sensitive to criticism or being told off. This can lead to being terrified of making mistakes and overcompensating by working extra hard or long hours at work.

4. Working long hours and having no energy for your personal life

One of the strengths of ADHD is our ability to hyperfocus and get in the zone, unfortunately once we're in hyperfocus mode it can be very difficult to get out. This means we may end up working long hours. This can be especially true if we struggle to concentrate during the day so can end up working late to overcompensate.

5. Becoming a workaholic

It's a huge myth that people with ADHD can't focus. Because we have interest-based attention systems then it can actually be very easy for us to get really into something we enjoy and if we are interested in our work it can be hard to switch off. Working in high pressure jobs suits busy brains so we're often drawn to careers which don't really give much work-life balance like advertising or law.

6. Colleagues not sharing feedback in case you take it the wrong way

People with ADHD can be very sensitive and experience Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria which means we can react quite emotionally to feedback. If your co-workers are scared you're going to take things the wrong way they may be reluctant to share valuable feedback. This can impact the authenticity of relationships and our careers.

7. Avoiding difficult conversations

if you never talk about anything where people potentially disagree with you, you can avoid feeling criticised and potentially over reacting to a situation. People with ADHD often experience Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria which means difficult conversations are even harder for them - so this is a coping mechanism.

8. Spending too much time stressing over small things, affecting career progress

Executive function challenges impact: focus, memory, motivation, our ability to plan and organise, self-awareness and more. This means that just working through our to-do list each day can be harder with ADHD. Over time because we're constantly trying to work out new systems for our daily taks, it can hinder progression as often this saps our energy away from bigger things that can lead to promotions.

9. Being the go-to person in high pressure situations

People with ADHD have interest-based attention systems which means we LOVE a stressful high paced situation because our brains are capable of dealing with lots of things at once and making quick decisions.

10. Not remembering your successes, so not selling yourself at work

With ADHD there's up to a 30% delay in executive function and one of these is memory. So we can forget the things we do well, which can impact confidence and make us rubbish at at selling ourselves. This is why its extra important to celebrate small wins and write down our acheivements so when it comes to our annual review we can sell ourselves.

Please note this list doesn't cover all the ways ADHD affects us at work, including many positive ways! However, I've found in my experience understanding its my ADHD, not personal failings has really helped me.

If you're interested in REALLY understanding ADHD at work I'm hosting a FREE work shop on Monday 24th February ?? sign up ??

More info and sign up here.

Join our FREE live workshop on Monday 24th Feb at 7 PM GMT to:

? Understand how ADHD really affects your work – procrastination, imposter syndrome, executive function & more

? Finally answer: What’s me, and what’s my ADHD?

? Learn simple, expert-backed practical strategies to work with your ADHD brain

? Get your questions answered in a live Q&A with accredited ADHD coach Charlotte Forbes

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LIVE online – Monday 24th Feb, 7-8 PM GMT

Sign up to grab your spot!

P.S This is a taster of my group program which will be launching in March.