Jennifer has always known she struggles with distraction, being on time, and procrastination. However, she mostly considered these qualities to be “personality quirks.” Sure maybe her bosses mentioned these things in reviews, but she excelled so much in other ways-––creatively and in leadership––that attention issues never really had too many consequences in her life. Plus, the fact that she had done well in school and in her job made issues with distractibility even less obvious.
Despite having undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), issues around working from home with ADHD wouldn’t have ever come up in Jennifer’s search history prior to the pandemic. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, life in lockdown changed everything, particularly for those working from home with ADHD.
At first, working from home seemed like a relief.
Imagine: not having to drive downtown stuck in traffic on 315 or 270. Actually making it home for dinner on time! Maybe this would allow for more self-care. Maybe this would allow for more self-care, more time to stroll down the streets of Grandview or German Village without all the extra time spent commuting. But for many adults with undiagnosed ADHD, the reality of working from home with ADHD didn’t line up with any of the wishful thinking about virtual work.
For many whose ADHD had been overlooked for years, life suddenly became enormously stressful. They felt scattered, lost, and like nothing was getting done. However, living through the pandemic caused many to have not only a breakdown, but a breakthrough.
Working from home increased anxiety and depression for many adults with undiagnosed ADHD, making focusing even more of a challenge. It also caused a lot of wondering: “Is it possible to have ADHD and not know?” Yes, and there are good reasons why ADHD and working from home led to late-night TikTok rabbit holes about ADHD (with a lot of lightbulb moments relating to everything found there).
How Working From Home With ADHD Amplified ADHD Challenges
Loss of predictability.
Even in the most chaotic work settings, there is some degree of predictability. Even if it’s just knowing your boss will be disorganized or that the holiday season is busier. However, Zoom meetings and expectations to complete work tasks after 6 pm (because you don’t have to commute) threw a big wrench in the wheel of work.
Virtual meetings.
For a lot of adults with ADHD, it was hard enough listening to yet another dull PowerPoint presentation when meetings were in person. However, now with the addition of Zoom and virtual meetings, it can be even easier to lose focus. This can lead to a sense of guilt when major parts of meetings are missed, as well as having to play catch up if what was missed was important. Keep in mind, the ADHD brain is based on an “interest-based nervous system,” which means the mind wanders if the task at hand is not interesting, or if the adult with ADHD does not see the point of what is being said. In addition, many adults with ADHD are of high intelligence, so redundant meetings can be additionally frustrating.
Loss of structure; new distractions.
Doom scrolls. TikTok. Googling what that actor in all those Wes Anderson movies is up to… Whatever it is, work provides a certain amount of environmental structure. The mind thrives off habit: knowing what to expect in a given situation. However, out of the office, the ability to do laundry or take breaks watching YouTube videos can be very tempting. Unfortunately, along with ADHD often comes time blindness, which means many folks with ADHD might not only lose their train of focus, but find themselves house later having not even started the initial task.
“Wait, if I had ADHD, wouldn’t I have been diagnosed as a kid?”
Not necessarily. ADHD is under-diagnosed in adults. ADHD affects about 5% of adults in the general population, but only 20% of adults with ADHD are actually diagnosed. There are many possible reasons for undiagnosed ADHD, here are a few:
- High intelligence allowed for adequate performance, so ADHD was never “flagged.”
- Choosing a career that “fits” with ADHD (e.g. creative arts, advertising, leadership, marketing, entrepreneurship).
- Another co-occurring condition (potentially a result of having undiagnosed ADHD) that seemed to take priority in past mental health.
- Lack of informed care by previous mental health providers. For example, being thrown off your quest for answers after hearing something like, “if you did well in school, you couldn’t have ADHD.”
- Stigma about ADHD, creating invisible barriers to getting help.
On the other hand, many adults seen for ADHD testing express that on some level they’ve always known they have a unique mind. Working from home with ADHD only triggered the realization. And once they read about ADHD in adults, many events from childhood began to
For Jennifer, life started to make more sense once she found the right words to better understand her unique racecar brain.
Common Symptoms of ADHD
ADHD symptoms must occur relatively often and in more than one situation, with some symptoms around prior to one’s teen years. In addition, symptoms were present for at least six months and disrupt a person’s progress or joy in life.
- Daily forgetfulness
- Careless errors
- Avoiding work one finds repetitive or boring
- Not listening when being spoken to directly
- Difficulty relaxing or sitting still
- Losing personal effects (e.g. phones and wallets)
- Overly talkative
- Impulsive decisions
- Struggles getting started
- Struggles getting organized (or staying organized)
- Losing steam on projects (struggles to complete the final 20%)
- Often changing interests, hobbies, projects, etc.
- Easily distracted; the mind wanders often
Think you might have ADHD? A good first step can be a free ADHD quiz to learn more about your possible ADHD symptoms.
Begin Adult ADHD Testing in Columbus, OH
You don’t have to live your life feeling overwhelmed and in the dark about how your own mind works. ADHD testing can help you find real understanding and real solutions. Our Columbus OH-based counseling practice has caring adult ADHD specialists. To start your journey with our adult ADHD specialist, follow these simple steps:
- Fill out the contact form to schedule a free consultation
- Meet with one of our adult ADHD specialists
- Stop feeling scattered. Focus your busy mind.
Other ADHD Services Offered at Focused Mind ADHD Counseling
We offer a variety of mental health services that go beyond adult ADHD treatment at our Columbus, OH counseling practice. As an adult with ADHD, Focused Mind ADHD Counseling understands you may also benefit from anxiety treatment for ADHD, counseling for men with ADHD, or depression counseling for ADHD. You can also view our blog for more resources and helpful info. We look forward to connecting with you!
