From hyperfocus to camera anxiety: here’s how I navigate ADHD at work
I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) just before I turned 40 last year, and it was a game-changing moment. I’d spent my whole life to that point being aware that I was a little bit different, but without knowing why.
Like many neurodivergent people, I grew up learning to mask my behaviours in order to fit in. But that disguise became harder to maintain as I got older. It was like the mask was peeling away.
Getting a diagnosis meant I could see all the habits and tendencies that had marked my life so far in a new light. I'm a perfectionist yet, growing up, all my school reports said some variation of “could try harder”. Now I know that – although every person has their own experience of the condition – a struggle to concentrate is common for someone with ADHD.
At any one point in time, I have a constant stream of thoughts racing through my mind. I can't switch them off as others do, so it can be difficult to stay in the zone. Like so many elements of ADHD, however, this same quality can sometimes be an advantage (although it depends very much on your experience of it).
When I have a task that I’m really interested in, and that chimes with my strengths, I go into these periods of intense hyperfocus. It’s a level of concentration that I think neurotypical people would find hard to replicate.
It’s this backdrop that led me to work with Flash Pack in my current role as Email Marketing Manager. From the moment the interview process with them began earlier this year, I was honest and open about having ADHD.
Not everyone is comfortable sharing in this way, and I understand why. But the way I see it, if a company doesn't want to employ me because I have ADHD – as illegal as that is – I don't want to work for them, either.
The recruitment process was four stages long, and involved interviews with different people; from my would-be peers and managers to Flash Pack’s founders. It was scary to have to prepare myself each time. But it also meant I could learn about the people I would be working with; and make an informed decision from that.
Company culture means different things for different people. For me, it's a question of, are we all going to get along? Is this a supportive environment where people thrive? Work can be stressful, so having a close-knit team to chat to and confide in is really important.
Another aspect of my personality related to ADHD is that I can’t do a job just for the sake of it. I need a sense of purpose to reel me in and keep me engaged. The more I learnt about Flash Pack and their mission to build genuine friendships via group travel, the more I recognised something that I could believe in. This is a company that genuinely cares about people; that enables lifelong connections via their global adventure community.
Flash Pack has a number of processes in play that have helped me since I started my role in May this year. The first of these is access to the mental wellbeing platform Oliva, which I use for weekly therapy sessions with an ADHD specialist. Ordinarily, this would be expensive (or you’d have to join a long NHS waiting list), so it’s an amazing benefit to have. So far, my therapist and I have focused on coping strategies for ADHD – figuring out how I can work with my brain, rather than against it – and soon we’ll move onto tackling difficult thoughts and feelings. The same Oliva platform has a range of wellbeing services, from deskside yoga to group sessions on confidence and more.
When I joined Flash Pack, I was given a personal user guide to fill out. This is part of their onboarding process for all new employees, and it details how you like to work – including details like how you prefer to give and take feedback. It’s really useful as it enables managers to know how to get the best out of each person on their team.
I also welcome Flash Pack’s flexible work structure, whereby employees can work where and when suits them best. If for whatever reason my brain doesn’t want to cooperate on a given task, it’s helpful to know that I can step away and make up the time later. The lack of rigidity takes away that pressure to work all my hours within a set time period.
Other details that support my journey with ADHD are smaller – but just as valuable to my overall experience of work. For example, we have a work-from-home budget that has allowed me to buy a decent pair of headphones. I suffer from misophonia, whereby certain noises trigger an instant reaction in me. Sometimes I can block them out by myself, but on other occasions, it’s great to have my headphones handy.
Another part of my ADHD is that I hate being on camera. I’m bombarded by negative thoughts of how people perceive me, to the point that I can't focus and I won't perform properly. Everyone in Flash Pack takes turns to present in a biweekly All Hands meeting, which takes place on video link in front of all 50+ employees.
Speakers normally have their cameras on throughout the session. But when my turn came around, I asked whether the camera could be turned off when I was presenting. Flash Pack is a very fun, outgoing company but not everyone can perform in that way. So we made a compromise. And it's little things like that can make or break your overall experience.
Flash Pack also has a mini community in place, by way of a Slack channel we call “Neurospicies”. We have just started monthly sessions where neurodivergent people from across the company chat and lend each other support. It’s a really helpful tool, especially for those who aren’t comfortable discussing their experiences more widely.
There are a number of advantages that come with having ADHD that offset any accommodations a company may make. For example, the fact that I take in so much noise around me means that I notice things other people don’t; I’m naturally quite intuitive.
Having ADHD sparks stronger emotional and behavioural reactions in me – whether it be anger or sadness – toward what I see as incidents of injustice. This is an issue at times (I struggle with the news) but it also gives me lots of empathy. I’m a good problem-solver, too, because I see things in a different way. I have a huge drive to fix things, and I won’t give up until I have answers.
That’s quite helpful in my current job in email marketing, where my brain can keep active across a multitude of tasks – from strategy to coding, reporting and creative work. It keeps me motivated to chop and change within my own role, according to how I feel.
Since being diagnosed with ADHD last year, I’ve been on a roller coaster journey. I found myself in mourning for how my life could have played out if I’d had coping mechanisms in place earlier – if I’d learnt to work with ADHD, rather than fight against it. There were so many moments when I worried about being perceived as lazy or rude, when all along, there was a reason for how I felt and behaved.
In terms of creating a better workplace for people with ADHD, it’s been a learning curve for both me and Flash Pack. But the main thing is that we carry on listening to one another, making adaptations and educating ourselves as we go.
I truly believe that when companies fix things for neurodivergent people (or any minority), everyone benefits as a result. There’s a massive benefit that comes from breaking free from a cookie-cutter mould and employing people with different mindsets, strengths and perspectives. In order to get that richness and empathy, employers need to open their minds and embrace individual uniqueness. The rewards of doing so are huge.