Transitions in the Workplace: ADHD in the workplace

Transitions in the Workplace: ADHD in the workplace


Transitions happen constantly in life and in a multitude of ways. There are transitions between jobs, months, weeks, days, tasks, meetings and conversations--just to name a few. With ADHD, these transitions can be a time when we lose focus, become stressed or otherwise become less than our best. On the other hand, working with our support team, whom understand the nature of transitions for those with ADHD, transitions can become a chance to re-center, re-focus and come back to our best center before going to the next element in our day. For this entry, let's look at the smaller transitions between tasks, meetings and conversations.

When thinking about your work day; are there times when you are transitioning from desk work to meetings? Are there times when you are transitioning between the tasks that make up a project? Are there times when you are transitioning from a computer work to phone work? These are common transitions in the workplace that many do without thinking however for those with ADHD it might be fret with the debris of possible distractions and stress.


Let's look at a type of transition: What are some of the things that need to happen while transitioning from writing a document to going to a meeting?

1. We must notice internally (with or without external prompts) that it is time to prepare to stop what we are doing.

2. We must gather and organize things that we were working on so that they will be ready for us.
3. We must notice it is time to go to the meeting.
4. We must gather the items we need for the meeting.
5. We must get to the meeting on time and sitting down.

The less we notice and attend to these elements of transition the more that overwhelm, stress and poor focus have opportunity to come into play. When we set up systems to help us recognize these elements, we bring calm, clarity and great focus to our transitional moments which aid in our grounding and effectiveness. There are many different systems to utilize to make transitions easier. However, each person has individual needs that will help them to be successful. Some people have administrative assistants to keep them on task while others employ watches with beepers. Your coach or success team can help you to identify your challenges and implement your transition system. The practice and mastery of these fundamental elements are the makings for very satisfying, effective and productive days.