ADHD Adventures in the Remote Work Wonderland

Unpacking the Perks, Pitfalls, and Pursuits

Hello fellow cultivator,

Last month,

Jordan Moloney

and I collaborated on a post discussing how our neurodiversity affects our ability to work from home, both positively and negatively. However, during the process, we realized that a single post would not be enough to cover all the topics we wanted to explore. So, we decided to write another post on the same subject.

Before we begin, I recommend that you visit

ADHD & me

to read the first edition of ADHD and remote work.

Let’s get into it!

Photo by Mikey Harris on Unsplash

What are the potential downsides or challenges of working from home? How can they be mitigated?

Asmita Puri (AP): 

• Visual Clutter

  Since I find it difficult to control the chaos in my brain, I try to keep my living space clean and organized the best I can (or at least in a state of organized chaos). I would love to live in a home that looks like it’s been prepared for an open house, but my partner prefers a more lived-in feel. HOW DARE HE!? LOL. However, the dishes in the sink from breakfast/lunch (and dinner from the previous night, sometimes), dog toys, mail, laundry, etc, make it challenging for me to focus. I usually take a few minutes around noon to tidy up while I make lunch and make sure to put things away before bed. My partner is also helpful and tries to help out before he leaves for work.

• Tendency to self-isolate

  While I am still figuring out the difference between a low dopamine state versus a depressive episode versus burnout exhaustion, I know that all of these lead me to give into the hermit mode, which in turn feeds into the depressive episode. To mitigate this vicious cycle, I have found that going into the office once a week can be helpful. Meeting with some of my friends and coworkers in person boosts my energy. Additionally, the drive to and from work allows me to catch up on my never-ending list of podcasts.

Jordan Moloney (JM): 

• It’s easy to get distracted by other things, especially if you need to do a deep bit of work! Unimportant emails, random shopping trips, going off on tangents (and much more) - all these can challenge your ability to focus with ADHD. I mitigate these with a variety of methods - to-do lists, time blocking my calendar for 30-60 mins, and starting with my 1-3 top priorities each day all help.

• As Asmita has said, being at home for 5 days can be quite isolating. Whilst I don’t miss the commute every day, going in once a week strikes a more healthy balance of mid-week socializing and change from my living room.

  

  Photo by R ARCHITECTURE on Unsplash (what Asmita expects the house to look like ALL THE TIME!)

Has working from home changed your perception of anything, i.e., what you value/prioritize in life?

JM:

• My values have changed from constantly feeling like I need to be ‘achieving’ something. I’m usually always ‘on’ and feel guilty for relaxing or saying no to plans, work opportunities, or going to the gym 5x a week. I’m in the middle of changing that mindset to a less guilty one (guilt doesn’t help anyone). Whilst I’m still ambitious, I now value working on my passions for a mixture of reasons - fun, wanting to help others (like with ADHD!), and, in some cases, monetization. Valuing my time and autonomy outside of the corporate environment means slowly transitioning to become self-employed over the next 3-5 years. I have a plan, but things are fluid, so I know this may change.

AP:

• Like many of us, I began therapy a few months into the pandemic and working from home. Thankfully, my company provided me the opportunity to work with several coaches over the past few years. Through a combination of therapy, coaching, and my ADHD diagnosis, I've come to understand the significance of creative pursuits in maintaining my mental health. This newfound perspective has inspired me to undertake various projects, such as this little substack, that nourish my creative side.

  

  Photo by Surface on Unsplash

Routine or Rut: How do you keep your daily remote routine from becoming monotonous or overly rigid, given the ADHD love for novelty?

AP:

• Trying to figure out if I have an answer other than "just give in" to those moments of hyperactivity or the sudden urge to take my dogs out and play fetch with them. Honestly, I simply give in. This could be because I am still figuring out my silly ADHD brain, but I am grateful to have flexibility at work!

JM:

• I really liked what Asmita mentioned in the first article we did:

  “In classic ADHD fashion, my work-from-home routine has changed every few months, and that is OKAY! Our ADHD brains need and crave routine, but too much of it can become boring. Lately, I have been trying to wake up earlier than usual to take my dog for a walk before starting my workday around 8–8:30 a.m. Since most of my teammates are in the Central European time zone, early mornings are the only times for team meetings.

  For the past year, I have been working out around noon to break up my day. However, I recently noticed that the workout disrupted my flow. Therefore, I started working out in the evening instead. Now I end my workday at around 4 pm, which gives me about two hours to work on my creative projects.

  I am not sure how long this routine will last, but I am happy with it for the moment!”

  Changing up a routine keeps it fresh and less of err-this-is-so-boring to a ooo-I-wonder-what-my-ADHD-brain-decided-this-week kind of dynamic. Right now I work on my 1-3 priorities every morning and associate that with a coffee for a nice reward - but no doubt I'll change this up. It can be as simple as doing these things at lunch instead and spending my morning planning or going for a long walk. Who knows!

  

  Jordan, on his long walk

Daily Dance: How do you structure your remote workday to align with your most attentive ADHD periods?

AP:

• It took me some time to discover the most effective way to stay productive while working from home. Initially, I used to try and start my day with the most challenging task, but it didn't work for me. I realized that my brain needs some time to get going, so I start my day with smaller tasks like checking my email or reviewing code. After I get those out of the way, I focus on my more significant tasks for the day. I've also noticed that my productivity drops significantly towards the end of the day, so I try to avoid starting anything new during that time. Thankfully, my manager understands and supports my need to block out specific times of the day to work on important tasks without interruptions. This way, I can avoid getting pulled into unnecessary meetings or responding to urgent messages and stay focused on what matters most.

JM:

• This relates nicely to the previous question. Seeing Asmita’s answer also illustrates how people with ADHD like different things! I like to do my important stuff in the morning when I feel ‘mentally clean’. But my body/mind changes with the season. As we head into the peak of winter, my brain takes a while to warm up - meaning I’ll be attentive later in the day after the cold snap of the morning has subsided (a little). 

  

  Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash

Some key takeaways

1. Everyone's routine is different and should be tailored to your remote working style. Early riser? Choose the morning as your focus period. Late bloomer? Maybe try the afternoon or evening if you take the morning off and are able to. 

2. Keeping it fresh can appeal to the ADHD mind more, which keeps the novelty up and keeps you on track. 

3. Unless you like clutter, having a clear visual space is critical to a productive day! If there’s too much mess, try micro cleaning - take 5 minutes to clean and see if you end up finishing. I bet you do. I also play a game with myself to do 1 item of washing up or put away 1 item of clutter every 15 minutes (or when I walk past the kitchen).

Community

We'd love to hear your feedback on this topic. Is there anything you'd like to see more of in future posts? Share in the comments below!