I need to give a little context first, I was just diagnosed at 42 years old and I have been at my career for 23 years. So I have been subconsciously doing things to overcome my ADHD for years and years. Here are the things that I’ve discovered that I do to help me with my job.
If at all possible try to be friendly and optimistic with your employers, coworkers, and employers. Being well liked by my first supervisor is what helped me keep my job when I started and continues to be a huge help!When I make a mistake, I own up to it. I don’t offer excuses or let my boss know where my head was. “I’m sorry that I messed up, I will make sure I don’t do that again” or “I made a mistake, and I apologize, I learned what I did wrong so it won’t be a problem later”I make a crazy number of systems for doing my job. I’m a delivery driver so my job entails delivering all of the packages on the truck, keeping my customers happy, keeping my truck organized, filling up the truck with pickups, and navigating to 200 stops a day.
A. I go into work early and organize my first 20 stops in the order I will run them. I know that my morning routine is paramount to my success for the day and I do everything I can to make is smooth (I also heavily caffeinate for focus...why didn’t I know I had ADHD?!)
B. I keep everything I can’t deliver because the customer isn’t home in the same place every day. The same with packages I can’t deliver because of a bad address. I have to stay organized or I would forget something major.
C. If something out of my routine comes up, I write it on a sticky note and put it on my sun visor so I see it all day.
D. I have music or podcasts going all day long, for some reason having that background noise helps to keep my monkey mind’s attention a little bit better than silence.
E. I ask for help. If I become overloaded I will call my boss and ask for help with something to take the stress off. They can’t always help but I have a good relationship with them, help out my fellow workers, and rarely need help. When I ask for help I give them a specific task that will help me succeed, that way they know how they can help and it doesn’t look like I am just overwhelmed and having a meltdown.
F. When I find that I am sucking at something, I evaluate why and try to find a system to correct it.
G. I hide my distractions, such as my phone, from myself. If I get on reddit or Facebook, I will lose 30 minutes easily, so so eliminate the temptation as much as possible.