May 2022

Skyrocketing your Production as an ADHD-Entrepreneur If you’re like me, you probably love the flexibility and freedom that comes with working remotely. But if you’re also like me, you sometimes struggle to stay productive when there are so many distractions around. Here are five ways to optimize your remote workspace for peak productivity! 1) Invest in a comfortable chair and desk for your home office An ADHD-entrepreneur is a unique breed. We’re creative, passionate, and always looking for the next big thing. But there’s one downside to our ADHD brains: we have trouble sitting still. That’s why a comfortable chair and desk are essential for any ADHD-entrepreneur who wants to be productive at home. We need a chair that lets us move around, and a desk that gives us plenty of space to spread out. Otherwise, we’ll just get up and pace around the room or fidget with whatever is within reach. So if you’re ADHD and you work from home, make sure your office is set up for success by investing in a comfortable chair and desk. Your productivity will thank you for it. 2) Make sure you have a good internet connection and enough bandwidth to support your needs An ADHD-entrepreneur is often the life of the party – but only because they’re always the ones starting the party. They’re also the ones who stay up all night long working on their latest project and then wake up at 4 am to do it all over again. So it’s no surprise that an ADHD-entrepreneur needs a strong internet connection to keep up with their fast-paced lifestyle. And not just any old internet connection – they need one with enough bandwidth to support their needs. Otherwise, they’ll quickly become frustrated and their productivity will suffer. So if you’re an ADHD-entrepreneur, make sure you have a good internet connection and enough bandwidth to support your needs. Otherwise, you’ll be quickly left in the dust. 3) Create a designated workspace that is free from distractions An ADHD-entrepreneur tends to be creative, easily distracted, and always on the go. This can make it difficult to find a workspace that suits our unique needs. One solution is to create a designated workspace that is free from distractions. This might mean working at a coffee shop, at the library, or even in your car. The important thing is to find a place where you can focus on your work and tune out the rest of the world. Once you’ve found your perfect ADHD-friendly workspace, you’ll be able to work more efficiently and get more done. 4) Establish routine work hours and stick to them as closely as possible The ADHD-entrepreneur is known for his or her ADHD tendencies, such as having a hard time focusing, being easily distracted, and being impulsive. But there’s one ADHD trait that can actually be helpful in business: the tendency to be a “workaholic.” An ADHD-entrepreneur is often passionate and driven, and they may have trouble shuttering their business thoughts at the end of the day. While this can lead to burnout, it can also be an asset if channeled correctly. One way to do this is by establish routine work hours and sticking to them as closely as possible. This will help the ADHD-entrepreneur stay focused and prevent them from working around the clock. Additionally, schedule breaks throughout the day to give yourself time to move around and re-energize. And lastly, make sure to set aside time for family and friends; don’t let your business consume your entire life. By following these tips, you can learn to harness your ADHD tendencies and use them to your advantage. 5) Take breaks throughout the day to stay energized and focused As any entrepreneur with ADHD knows, it can be tough to stay focused and energized throughout the day. The key is to take breaks frequently and give yourself time to move around and clear your head. For me, that means taking a few minutes every hour or so to get up and walk around, do some stretches, or just take a few deep breaths. Sometimes I even set a timer to remind myself to take a break. It may sound silly, but it really does make a difference. Not only does it help me stay fresh and alert, but it also gives me the chance to clear my head and come back to my work with fresh eyes. So if you’re struggling to maintain your focus, don’t be afraid to take a break. It could be just what you need to stay productive and successful. ______________________________ So there you have it – five ways to optimize your remote workspace for productivity. I hope these tips help you as much as they’ve helped me. But if you want even more helpful hints and hacks, be sure to check out my Get in Focus and Skyrocket Productivity Workshop. https://getinfocusworkshop.plusultrava.com/!  I’ll show you tips and hacks you can use for yourself and your workspace to skyrocket your productivity.

ADHD IN THE  REMOTE WORKPLACE You’ve just pivoted to a Work from Home paradigm. It is working out great, but you find that some of your team members have difficulties focusing and are highly distracted. They also hyperfocus on some seemingly unimportant task… or they may even get stuck for hours in their own thoughts and get nothing done. This happened in the office too, but the effects are amplified in working from home alone. Your team member might be facing Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Rather than being a barrier, though, ADHD can actually be an accelerator to skyrocket production. How do you leverage ADHD in the Remote Workplace Remote work is here to stay. What can you do with these people who are easily distracted? Fire them? I don’t know if you would really want to do that. Aside from the distractions, people with ADHD can be very innovative and creative and bring a lot to the table. You could be violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by doing so. It is best to accommodate them so that they thrive and skyrocket your company’s productivity, and attain your mission that much faster. So what can you do? 1) Make supervisors aware.  Awareness of ADHD in adults and its symptoms is necessary to understand the situations when they arise. Managers and supervisors should be aware of ADHD in the remote workplace symptoms. Hence, they know it isn’t because the team member is lazy or a space cadet. If they can recognize that a person may be having focus issues, they can direct that person to resources. 2) Use Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).  Unless you are a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, you are not qualified to diagnose ADHD in the remote workplace, so you don’t want to tell your teammate that they have ADHD. Fortunately, most of the tools and practices that allow those with ADHD to focus and skyrocket productivity, such as the Pomodoro System, can be used by anyone to eliminate distractions, better focus, and skyrocket productivity. There are workshops such as my Get in Focus and Skyrocket Productivity Workshop, https://getinfocusworkshop.plusultrava.com/, which can train someone in the tools of focus. There are also coaches who can help with this. 3) Provide physical accommodations.  ADHD in the remote workplace may require some physical accommodations to decrease the number of distractions. The employer has much less control of these distractions in remote work than in a physical workplace. As someone with ADHD, I have to keep my home office door shut, and my curtains closed so I am not distracted by my cats fighting or some squirrel sitting on a car.    A regular break schedule of 2.5 hours of work / 15-minute break simply does not work for people with ADHD. Having someone remain on task for 2.5 hours with no breaks is sheer torture. A schedule with 25-minute “Sprints” followed by 5-minute ‘dance breaks” works best for me, and I have found a variation of this works well for most people I have worked with. Providing tools such as checklists, calendars, and the automation of the routine tasks is also a great idea, along with holding the teammate responsible for using these tools to reinforce workable behaviors.  There is also a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo, so you may want to check with your lawyer to see what other accommodations need to be implemented for people with ADHD. ADHD is both a blessing and a curse. It can be a real blessing. People with ADHD can be highly successful in the right setting, have a strong awareness of the condition, and learn tools and strategies for coping with it. My Get in Focus and Skyrocket Productivity Workshop teaches these tools and processes, https://getinfocusworkshop.plusultrava.com/. By helping people better focus, and eliminate distractions, what may have been a barrier to a work from home paradigm can be an accelerator to skyrocket production.