Common ADHD Problems at Work & How to Fix

ADHD problems at work impact directly on the overall performance of an employee. Whether it is his relationship with his fellow employees or his own productivity at work, everything gets negatively affected by it.

However, the good news is that these problems can be fixed, but only if you follow the solutions properly. In this article, you will explore ADHD problems at work and how ADHD affects work with some of the most effective solutions you can practice to overcome it.

Common ADHD Problems at Work

Procrastination

The most common problem for people struggling with ADHD at work is procrastination. An ADHD mind finds far more reasons to delay a task. They either find the task too difficult or get a distraction that takes them off the primary goal, which is the major reason why most people with ADHD can’t meet the deadlines.

Bad Time Management

Whether you are working in an organization or have a work-from-home office, time management is an essential element that drives success. One of the ADHD struggles at work is the ability to keep track of time. People don't realize how much time they have spent on a task and when to stop.

Boredom

Boredom in ADHD means that the person is unable to keep working on a single task and gets bored with it quite easily. This reduces the overall efficiency at work and takes more time for the task to complete. The lack of interest in work and delays in its completion can make the person enter mental block depression.

Poor Communication

Due to lack of attention, people with ADHD can't keep themselves attentive while their managers are explaining the task to them. This results in poor communication that directly affects the quality of work.

Concentration Issue

Concentration issues go side by side with poor communication. Low concentration during working hours, business meetings, and assignment explanations cause an ADHD brain to start a mental vs. emotional fight.

Difficulty in Managing Emotions

ADHD and work problems don't end with effects on the overall productivity at work. It also affects the emotional side of a person, as people struggling with ADHD at work are much more sensitive. The emotional sensitivity is much higher than anyone else, which goes for both positive and negative emotions.

Impulsiveness

At work, it is much more difficult for people with ADHD to wait for their turn or keep themselves patient for something to happen. The impulsive decision-making causes many decisions to go south as there is no preparation and thinking involved.

Forgetfulness

Lack of concentration and focus are not the only factors that cause late submission of assignments and completion of tasks. Forgetfulness is an issue with almost every person with ADHD, which is in some way related to lack of concentration.

Hyperactivity

Hyperactivity means that you cannot stay or sit in one position for a long time, which makes strenuous tasks even more difficult. Although this problem is mostly seen in kids with ADHD, adults are affected by the issue to some extent as well. The only difference is that kids can jump or move around, while an adult get a feeling of restlessness.

Burnout

With all the ADHD and work problems listed above, the employee suffers intense burnout only after a short period of time working at their desk. However, all these problems can be fixed if you keep yourself dedicated to the solution mentioned below.

How to Fix?

Time Management

Time management is the key to success, and it gets extremely difficult to thrive in a workplace when you can’t keep track of time. However, the problem can be solved by placing a timer on your desk. The timer would alert you when your time is over for a specific task and when you need to move to the next one.

Keep Your Phone and Other Distractions Aside

Cellphone phones are a distraction that affects not only a person with ADHD but a non-ADHD brain as well. Keeping all the distractions aside while you work would minimize the risk of losing interest in your work.

Make Sticky Notes and Write Everything Down

An easy solution to lack of concentration and forgetfulness is to write everything down. People with ADHD often get distracted by unnecessary tasks that they never did, so instead of leaving your primary assignment and multi-tasking, you should just write everything down in the notebook to do after your working hours are over.

Give Yourself a Break

If you are struggling with ADHD at work, giving yourself a 5-minute break every 25 minutes would be an ideal practice. It will keep your mind active and focused for a long time. On the other hand, you can also perform some meditation exercises to re-energize your mind.

Talk Less, Listen More

To fix your lack of communication and teamwork, you should make a habit of listening more and talking less. This would help you concentrate more on what others have to say and understand the assignment better. However, if you lose your concentration, ask your co-worker or manager to repeat while respecting workplace etiquette.

Break Down the Main Assignment into Sub-Assignments

Considering the fact that a person with ADHD cannot focus on one task for long, it is important that you break big tasks into smaller sub-tasks. This would help maintain the focus and minimize the risk of boredom.

Find a Good Friend

In the corporate world, it is important to find a friend that understands your situation and helps you throughout the day. Finding that one colleague would fix most of your issues automatically.

Create Your Focus Room

If you are working from home, you can create your own focus room, which has no connection with the outside world. It helps reduce noise and distractions entering your workroom and keeps you more focused and concentrated at work.

Conclusion

Now that you know all the common problems and their solutions, you can minimize the effects of ADHD problems at work. Although the condition is quite stressful to deal with, if you dedicate yourself to work and follow all the measures recommended to implement in this article, you can turn your condition to your benefit and perform better than the rest.