Managing ADD/ADHD On the Job
What are some the coping mechanisms you have for managing your ADD on the job? What problems do you have, and how have you been able to successfully overcome them?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Terry Matlen on -
A topic we can discuss here is....whether to tell or not to tell...your boss about your ADD. Thoughts?
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Permalink Reply by Linda W on -
LOL...I am the boss (pharmacy manager of all things!) and my technicians were telling me I needed medication! They all agree that the difference is HUGE. While the Adderall XR may have helped my mood and task completion and focus I still need coping mechanisms to deal with the job. Being a pharmacist in a high volume pharmacy is a multi-taskers dream...phones are ringing, you're counting pills, customers are walking up to the counseling window to show you their rash, doctors are calling in prescriptions, you're typing prescriptions, checking for drug interactions, and trying to eat a sandwich with the other hand!
Post-its are my friend. I jot down the things I need to do as they pop in my head and stick it to the side of my computer. As I accomplish the task, I pitch the note or eventually transfer it to my PDA where I will not lose it and can schedule the task for another time.
~Linda
Terry Matlen said:A topic we can discuss here is....whether to tell or not to tell...your boss about your ADD. Thoughts?
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Permalink Reply by Terry Matlen on
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Wow, Linda. I'm in awe that you can multitask like that. I'm sure YOU never get bored at work!
Is there any way some of your staff can take on some of these things for you?
Thank goodness for Post-its!
Terry
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Permalink Reply by Linda W on
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I have to admit I am never bored...that's the beautiful thing. I've really gotten better lately about delegating. That's my latest project: being more assertive and delegating more. Medication has seemed to help me multitask without the stress/pressure I felt before. My doctor told me that it won't make everything better, but I have been able to use my coping mechanisms more effectively.
~Linda
p.s. I love your website! I had no idea that there were so many women who experience the same thing.
Terry Matlen said:Wow, Linda. I'm in awe that you can multitask like that. I'm sure YOU never get bored at work!
Is there any way some of your staff can take on some of these things for you?
Thank goodness for Post-its!
Terry
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Permalink Reply by paisley on
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oh my gosh, where do i begin? i am stuck in the typical loop of being underemployed because i feel incompetent, but then my job is boring and repetitive, so i get depressed and don't want to go to work. i need some good suggestions about what jobs work best for adhders! i have a masters degree in social work, but am employed as a secretary! yikes! the worst job for someone like us! ha ha ha! I am planning to quit soon and I am thinking of getting several part-time jobs to keep me engaged, because i am worried that i would screw up a desk job. any thoughts?
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Permalink Reply by Linda W on
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While it's a love/hate relationship for me sometimes I think that any job dealing with the public is a good thing for adhders...you never know what to expect and no day is ever the same because each person you deal with is different. I work as a pharmacist and retail is perfect for me. Some days are lovely, and some days they just "rip me a new one." :) Hospital pharmacy and mail order pharmacy are too boring and repetitive for me. I need the challenge of dealing with a couple hundred different people a day. I've also enjoyed sales (face to face, not telemarketing)...working as a waitress, etc.
My fear of boredom is HUGE...I highly recommend a retail job if you are at all a chatty person. I've been in retail pharmacy since 1989 and have only been bored at incredibly slow pharmacy where there were no customers. I've worked a range of pharmacies with varying prescription volumes and it's sad to say that I need around 200 prescriptions a day to keep me from being bored.
You can use the ADHD as a tool...it can make you very productive because I just hate standing around so I'm always looking for things to do if it's not busy...lol...bosses LOVE that! If you can't leave your current job and you are bored, I know this may sound counter-intuitive, but I would ask for more work to do. I'm telling you...you could soon be the MVP at work!
~Linda
paisley said:oh my gosh, where do i begin? i am stuck in the typical loop of being underemployed because i feel incompetent, but then my job is boring and repetitive, so i get depressed and don't want to go to work. i need some good suggestions about what jobs work best for adhders! i have a masters degree in social work, but am employed as a secretary! yikes! the worst job for someone like us! ha ha ha! I am planning to quit soon and I am thinking of getting several part-time jobs to keep me engaged, because i am worried that i would screw up a desk job. any thoughts?
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Permalink Reply by classicboo on
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I am a high school special education teacher. It may seem strange that a special education teacher would have ADHD, but, in my experience, it is not unusual for special educators to have ADHD or to have struggled with learning difficulties. I believe it gives us an empathy and understanding that we would otherwise not possess. I just finished my master's project on teachers' knowledge and perceptions of ADHD - the topic of ADHD is obviously close to my heart.
The amount of paperwork and documentation required is beyond imagination and if I do not keep up with it, there could possibly be legal consequences. Because of the volume of papers (tests/assignments for my students to complete in my resource class are sent to me and have to be returned, written updates on student progress every 4 weeks, IEPs, etc.), it is easy for towers of paper to grow on my desk rather quickly. Even my own students (most with ADHD) comment on my messy desk and give me a hard time about it!
I am in the midst of developing a new "system" for the coming school year. I have learned that I must make and keep hard copies of every single e-mail I send and receive and document all of my work-related conversations with other teachers, administrators, etc. If I had done this last year, it would have saved me a lot of grief. Last year was the most difficult of my teaching career, and largely due to poor organization and documentation.
I am going to try separate notebooks for each student to hold all of their special ed. paperwork and parent contact records with a seperate notebook for all of my other contact logs and copies of e-mail.
I have tried several systems over the years and it all comes down to discipline and consistency, which is where I am weak. I know things have to be done, but getting started and following through....
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Permalink Reply by Terry Matlen on
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Thanks for your kind words. I love my new site and all the people I'm meeting here. We have lots of wisdom to share.
You sure seem to be on the right track, knowing that the meds help but don't solve everything. We still need to learn systems, behaviors, etc.
Linda W said:I have to admit I am never bored...that's the beautiful thing. I've really gotten better lately about delegating. That's my latest project: being more assertive and delegating more. Medication has seemed to help me multitask without the stress/pressure I felt before. My doctor told me that it won't make everything better, but I have been able to use my coping mechanisms more effectively.
~Linda
p.s. I love your website! I had no idea that there were so many women who experience the same thing.
Terry Matlen said:Wow, Linda. I'm in awe that you can multitask like that. I'm sure YOU never get bored at work!
Is there any way some of your staff can take on some of these things for you?
Thank goodness for Post-its!
Terry
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Permalink Reply by Terry Matlen on
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Classicboo,
I couldn't do what you're doing! I commend you and am in awe. My daughter is in special ed and I KNOW how much paperwork is involved. I'm glad you're finding your way through all this; at least as best you can.
It's wonderful finding special ed teachers that really "get" ADHD!
Terry
classicboo said:I am a high school special education teacher. It may seem strange that a special education teacher would have ADHD, but, in my experience, it is not unusual for special educators to have ADHD or to have struggled with learning difficulties. I believe it gives us an empathy and understanding that we would otherwise not possess. I just finished my master's project on teachers' knowledge and perceptions of ADHD - the topic of ADHD is obviously close to my heart.
The amount of paperwork and documentation required is beyond imagination and if I do not keep up with it, there could possibly be legal consequences. Because of the volume of papers (tests/assignments for my students to complete in my resource class are sent to me and have to be returned, written updates on student progress every 4 weeks, IEPs, etc.), it is easy for towers of paper to grow on my desk rather quickly. Even my own students (most with ADHD) comment on my messy desk and give me a hard time about it!
I am in the midst of developing a new "system" for the coming school year. I have learned that I must make and keep hard copies of every single e-mail I send and receive and document all of my work-related conversations with other teachers, administrators, etc. If I had done this last year, it would have saved me a lot of grief. Last year was the most difficult of my teaching career, and largely due to poor organization and documentation.
I am going to try separate notebooks for each student to hold all of their special ed. paperwork and parent contact records with a seperate notebook for all of my other contact logs and copies of e-mail.
I have tried several systems over the years and it all comes down to discipline and consistency, which is where I am weak. I know things have to be done, but getting started and following through....
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Permalink Reply by Vanessa Delgado on -
Sucessfully overcome is not the grand point of view for me. I am an administrator at a company.. I take care of alot which my add side enjoys but unfortunately I have alot on my plate and seem to take on too much and then get overwhelmed that I can get it all done. Or i get side tracked and lose track of time. Lately I have this moto taped to the bottom of my screen and needless to say it actually has kind of worked. " Finish the task at hand and then move on to the next" So before i touch something else I must finish my task I started or else I am jumping from one thing to another... I must say I love challenges and to feel challenges is always a challenge since the economy when down hill our office has slowed down so I get sidetracked and distracted alot more then before. When things were good I could stay on track much easier cause there was constant motion..need to keep the motor going" and I really would not loose track of time..Now I can easly get side tracked and look at the time and be like oph my god its been an hour and i didnt finish that invoice and the trucking compnay will be here in 10 min.
I am passionate about my job.. I love my job... I love to be the problem solver in the company..but I do which I was more orrganizzed I have alwasys said I can organize the world but myself .
The good thing about my job that it is a small and they ar eunderstanding so I do have an assistant tahat I do relie on alot to help me finish tasks and keep me on track.
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Permalink Reply by Elisa James on
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I too am a speical ed teacher (along with science, PE,) and truly feel that I can help these students better because I get what they are feeling. I stuggle with keeping the paper work and documentation, returning calls etc and may in fact cost me my job. I am really working hard to keep things together and hopefully I can continue to improve. - I do want to keep my job!!
any suggestions for the paper trail? the whole IEP and parent meeting notes over whelm me (I forget to do them or lose them- yikes)
I have a good rapport with the students so I think it is good for them form me to keepworking with them.
I never have a dull day and love my job. sometimes the paper side of teaching just really bogs me down. I need a personal secretary!!
classicboo said:I am a high school special education teacher. It may seem strange that a special education teacher would have ADHD, but, in my experience, it is not unusual for special educators to have ADHD or to have struggled with learning difficulties. I believe it gives us an empathy and understanding that we would otherwise not possess. I just finished my master's project on teachers' knowledge and perceptions of ADHD - the topic of ADHD is obviously close to my heart.
The amount of paperwork and documentation required is beyond imagination and if I do not keep up with it, there could possibly be legal consequences. Because of the volume of papers (tests/assignments for my students to complete in my resource class are sent to me and have to be returned, written updates on student progress every 4 weeks, IEPs, etc.), it is easy for towers of paper to grow on my desk rather quickly. Even my own students (most with ADHD) comment on my messy desk and give me a hard time about it!
I am in the midst of developing a new "system" for the coming school year. I have learned that I must make and keep hard copies of every single e-mail I send and receive and document all of my work-related conversations with other teachers, administrators, etc. If I had done this last year, it would have saved me a lot of grief. Last year was the most difficult of my teaching career, and largely due to poor organization and documentation.
I am going to try separate notebooks for each student to hold all of their special ed. paperwork and parent contact records with a seperate notebook for all of my other contact logs and copies of e-mail.
I have tried several systems over the years and it all comes down to discipline and consistency, which is where I am weak. I know things have to be done, but getting started and following through....
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Rosen on -
Hi everyone, I'm new to this site and want to tell you all how excited I am to have finally found a web stie about adults with ADD. Ok, getting back to the question...I've mentioned to pretty much everyone in my office that I have ADD, and that's primarily due to the fact that I'm an open book. Was ths the appropriate thing to mention, or should I have kept this to myself?
Terry Matlen said:A topic we can discuss here is....whether to tell or not to tell...your boss about your ADD. Thoughts?
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