Tune in to hear Steve talk about his life and work, how Dyslexia and Tourettes affect his ADHD, and how woodworking not only earned him awards and appearances on HGTV but also provide him focus. 

Refocused, Together is a collection of 31 stories told throughout the 31 days of October, a part of our commitment to ADHD Awareness Month. Make sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss a single story this month! 

READ: Simply Revland: How To Succeed in Life Despite Yourself

Learn more about Steve Revland, his life and his work here. 

More on the Connection between ADHD & Addiction

The ADHD & Addiction Link: Addictive Behaviors in Adults Explained

ADHD, Substance Abuse, and Addiction: When the Solution Becomes a Problem by Ari Tuckman

By Michelle Seitzer

Managing a diagnosis of ADHD in the workplace looks different for everyone. For educators with ADHD — who must also manage a classroom of students and all that comes with it — finding what works is a unique process of self-discovery and growth.

Expect some fine-tuning and even major adjusting along the way, though. Like life circumstances, a job in education is always changing. Classroom environments change. The student population changes. Administration, management and personnel changes may also have a direct influence on how an educator manages the classroom.

Nevertheless, ADHD and career success is possible — and these three experienced professionals tell us how:

Don Orkoskey — educator, photographer, consultant, artist and owner of WDO Photography

Orkoskey teaches photography to children and adults who are neurotypical and neurodivergent, as well as children who have cognitive disabilities.

When he was first diagnosed with ADHD just a few years ago, all the coping mechanisms and workarounds he had created over his years in photojournalism work suddenly made sense.

“Since then, I’ve worked with my therapist and essentially had to challenge processes I inherently created,” he says.

In his work with Dr. Alice Wilder, a renowned children’s TV expert and educator who created “Blue’s Clues” and “Super Why!”, Orkoskey learned to translate the skill sets he acquired in previous positions, teaching his students to tap into their ingrained creativity and “re-find” their creative selves.

“No one path will fit everyone,” Orkoskey says. “It can be frustrating, but you have to go through it to find what works best for you.”

Teaching students across the age and ability spectrum, Orkoskey delivers arts education in a variety of settings — from private lessons to private institutes like botanical gardens, museums and community colleges. He also works with his state vocational office to guide special education students who are interested in a career in photography and geography.

Good sleep and nutrition habits are critical — and really affect function, adds Orkoskey.

But sometimes, he still has an “off” day. Or he may feel completely overwhelmed by the workload of managing his students, his clients for his photography business, writing blogs, updating his website — and dealing with the demands of his personal life.

Having an off day can be difficult for Orkoskey because he doesn’t teach daily in a traditional classroom. “Sometimes I have to answer a student or client question with ‘I’ll get back to you,’ or I’ll respin a blog post from the archives,” he says. “But when I have focus, I try to do a lot of lesson plans.”

Building community is one of the things that’s been most meaningful to Orkoskey as he navigates his work with ADHD. “On my website, I don’t hide my diagnosis,” he says. “It’s important for me that people know I’m here in this space. And it helps me build that network.”

In addition to building community, Orkoskey recommends that people give themselves leeway and hearty doses of self-compassion. Feelings of self-doubt and rejection sensitive dysphoria present huge challenges for so many with ADHD. “I have learned it’s OK to be who I am,” he says. “But the struggle is real!”

Andrew Smith, former high school English teacher

Though he is currently working as a human resources consultant after getting a master’s degree in human relations, Smith credits his teaching success to discovering how to manage distractions.

“I had to learn what things in my environment could distract me,” says Smith. “I kept the useful posters for my students at the front of the room, behind where I stood, so they were almost never in my line of sight as I taught.”

Sometimes the distraction was more abstract.

“When time management during class ever became an issue, I could use alarms and timers to keep myself on pace,” he says.

As the work of teaching extends well beyond what happens in the classroom, Smith also found ways to reduce and manage those extracurricular distractions.

“It was worth the time and organization to make sure quiz keys could be used for my students to grade each other’s tests, as it heavily cut down on the effort to force myself to grade later in the evening,” he says.

“As an English teacher, it was also worth making rubrics for the essays that were as specific and objective as possible, which reduced the time I might get distracted trying to make subjective judgment calls.”

Sol Smith, neurodivergence coach

“I’ve been teaching for 20 years, and only recently learned that I have ADHD,” says Smith. “I’ve developed workarounds in that time that I now teach to others as an ADHD coach.”

His first tip? “Wear one hat at a time,” says Smith, who goes by “Professor Sol” in his coaching work.

“Every teaching job I’ve ever had has required serving in multiple roles at the school,” Smith says. “Get a planner (tool) that you enjoy working with and decide what hat you’re wearing at which time of day for the whole week, if possible. Yes, we have to change on the fly, but having something to fall back on will come in handy.”

Smith adds that he uses a paper planner, because he better remembers the action of physically writing things down.

Another strategy Smith recommends: Create your own curriculum — as much as you can.

“ADHD folks don’t get a dose of dopamine when they complete a task that was assigned to them. But we do get that fix if it’s something we’ve decided on with our own interests,” he says.

There’s an added bonus to this hack, and it comes in handy outside the classroom, he says.

“You’re more likely to work diligently and without annoyance if you have the chance to learn something new that interests you, while also teaching it to others,” says Smith. “Plus, if you can grade papers, for example, about a niche topic of your interest, your attention will be better gathered.”

Smith’s final tip? Give yourself a day off.

“Teachers are never not working. But if you can pick one of the two weekend days and just do no work at all — even if it means falling behind that week, you’ll be able to avoid burnout that much more.”

Find out how to manage ADHD in your job and beyond, with insights from life coach Tyler Dorsey, in Managing ADHD: More than Medication and Accommodation.

CEO Zach Booker told the crowd at the “Scaling in the Midwest” panel. “That allowed the company to grow to serve patients in all 50 states in just one year,” Booker said.  

“Central to that success was the company’s philosophy and structure, which allowed it to ‘plug and play’ a system that delivers and maintains a high standard of care for treating mental health patients in the same way regardless of where they live,” Booker said.  

At the “Mental Health and Entrepreneurs” panel, Keith Brophy, ADHD Online’s chief operating officer, outlined the increasing prevalence of mental health issues in the United States and among entrepreneurs in particular. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in five Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year, while one in 25 lives with a serious mental illness.  

“Among the factors that can contribute to mental illness are adverse life experiences, substance abuse, trauma, loneliness and isolation – with the latter two being common problems among entrepreneurs as they create and launch their ventures,” Brophy said, citing a number of studies. 

Entrepreneur Online reports found that one in four entrepreneurs will experience mental illness of some kind, with anxiety and depression the most common issues. A recent studyfound that 72% of entrepreneurs had mental health problems. And statistics from the National Institute for Mental Health show that entrepreneurs have depression at twice the rate of the general population, six times the rate of ADHD, three times the rate of bipolar disorder, and twice the rate of addiction. 

“Our panel really set the stage for entrepreneurs to be open in discussing their mental health and not hiding behind the mystique of entrepreneurs and leaders, where they can’t be authentic about their mental health,” Brophy said.  

“The mental health of entrepreneurs is overlooked, or even swept under the rug,” Booker agreed. “There’s an assumption that people have that entrepreneurs must be good at everything since they’re in business for themselves. And the ‘fake it until you make it’ phenomenon means many entrepreneurs can’t be honest about their struggles.” 

To learn more about ADHD Online and Mentavi Health, visit https://adhdonline.com/. 

About ADHD Online

ADHD Online was founded in 2018 with the mission that everyone should have access to quality ADHD assessments regardless of who and where they are. The ADHD Online team is filled with industry experts across the United States who all share the same passion for ADHD and making sure patients have access to critical mental health services. ADHD Online is leading the way with being a critical voice for those who might be struggling with ADHD and is the only organization to offer HIPAA-secured ADHD assessments online with results from licensed psychologists. ADHD Online is active in all 50 states.

Zach Booker, CEO and co-founder of Mentavi Health and ADHD Online

Keith Brophy, Chief Operating Officer of Mentavi Health and ADHD Online

Andrea (dre) Wallace, Founder of Opnr

Keith Chaney, CEO and co-founder of Peadbo

Listen to these accomplished business leaders, two that also have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disoder, as they talk about:

• Managing the unknowns in this life of building something that sometimes has no stability
• Letting go of control and trusting the team you build
• Working “on” your business as opposed to working “in” your business
• Incorporating family into your business; is that a good thing?
• Building strong and diverse teams and getting out of your own way

A huge thanks to Ted Velie and the entire team at Midwest House for giving us the platform to have this important conversation. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts we encourage you to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call “988”

To tell or not to tell.

Many people with ADHD continually ask themselves that question about ADHD and the workplace. Should they tell their boss and coworkers about their ADHD diagnosis — because it might improve understanding and allow them to do their job better? Or should they keep it to themselves — because revealing it will open them up to real job discrimination?

It’s a vexing question. With no easy answers.

A 2022 survey conducted of more than 1,000 employers and employees in Australia found that 40 percent of the respondents with ADHD hadn’t told their employers about their ADHD. Almost nine in 10 employers responding to the survey — 88% — said they would accommodate employess with ADHD. But only 62% of the employers had policies in place to support people with ADHD.

Meanwhile, 72% of employees with ADHD said they felt the ADHD had hurt their careers.

So, should you tell? Experts seem to come down firmly on “it depends.” But many of them lean toward “don’t tell.” That’s because, these experts say, you might be able to get the work accommodations you need without specifically revealing your ADHD diagnosis. And it’s because job discrimination against people with ADHD can be real.

ADHD Online has explored this important question — and all of the knotty issues — in more detail with experts.

Many people with ADHD simply don’t feel time in the same way as people without ADHD do.

“The switch is broken,” clinical psychologist Sharon Saline told PsychCentral.com.

PsychCentral.com noted that research has shown that this affects people with ADHD in numerous ways. They have more difficulty in:

• estimating how time is passing
• believing time is passing more quickly than it actually is
• guessing how long a task might take
• planning to work on future tasks

There are scientifically based reasons for why people with ADHD react differently to time, experts say. One of the most important reasons: Brain processes that help people without ADHD predict time operate very differently in people with ADHD.

But there are ways that people with ADHD can adjust to these differences. It takes some extra work. But they can learn to manage time and deal with tasks in effective ways.

ADHD Online has explored all of this and offered some expert tips in how adults with ADHD can better manage time.

By Cathy Cassata

There are boundless distractions every day that tempt us from sticking to the task at hand. And when you’ve got things to get done, those distractions can be detrimental.

For instance, in the workplace, people experience 77 distractions a week on average, or one distraction every 31 minutes, according to a survey by Mopria Alliance.

Respondents to the survey noted that the biggest culprits for distractions, whether they worked from home or in the office, included:

• Engaging in personal communications like online chats, texts and phone calls
• Checking email

• Surfing the internet

• Talking with coworkers

While it can be hard to avoid these interruptions, if distractibility is a symptom of your ADHD, finding the best environment to block out all the noise may be the best way to improve your concentration. However, that environment might be different and unique for each person. Perhaps, you work and concentrate best in a peaceful place like a quiet room or library. Or maybe the best environment to quiet your racing brain is one bustling with more activity — like a coffee shop, park bench or hotel lobby.

“Your physical workspace can make a big difference in how productive you are and how easily distracted you can become,” says Ellen Delap, a Texas-based professional organizer.

Delap shares the following tips for discovering your best productivity zone at work and home.

1. Create a conducive, structured space

Elements for a productivity zone might include:

• A specific space dedicated to work. “All too often this is haphazard, such as the kitchen table,” says Delap.

• A thought-out layout. “Move your furniture around to block distractions and keep your office space interesting enough for your work,” Delap says.

• A work surface large enough to accommodate your devices, with as little paper or other clutter as possible.

• Multiple screens for viewing a digital calendar and your work.

• Clearing the clutter regularly by designating organized storage and spots for pencils, scissors, paper, planner, and resources. But keep them within easy reach.

• Ergonomic furniture, such as chairs, keyboards, mice and monitor arms that provide comfort, ease and reduce stress on the body.

• Ample lighting to save time and energy trying to see your tasks.

• Noise levels that you can tolerate. “Some people like to work with headphones with music; some prefer silence,” say Delap. Noise-canceling headphones are an option, too.

• Turning off alerts and turning on an internet blocker.

• Closing doors during specific time blocks and posting a sign on your door like, “In a meeting” to keep people from interrupting you.

2. Rely on tools for productivity

Having certain tools in place can help promote staying on task and organized. Helpful tools include:

• Timer. To be used with the Pomodoro technique, which involves setting the timer to break work into intervals of about 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

• Notebook. “Visual people often work best with paper for task lists,” says Delap.

• Paper or digital planner. “People use time blocks to know what tasks to do when, capture information, and establish time dates and deadlines,” says Delap.

• Analog clock. Having a clock nearby in your view and making it a habit to check it throughout the day can ensure you assess how much time is passing and that you keep track of time accurately, says Delap.

3. Put thought and effort into your “home office”

Creating a space at home to get things done requires a bit of effort. Consider the following to get started:

• Move away from a “makeshift” workspace and fully commit to having a desk, robust Wi-Fi, ample lighting and ergonomic seating.

• Choose a space that offers the fewest distractions, such as a closet that is not used for storage or a guest room that doubles as an office. If you have space, dedicate one room or a quiet area of the house to be used for your workspace.

• Use a rolling file cart to store materials, resources, files and papers so you can move it around to quiet or unused areas when others are in the house or as needed.

• Set up a large desk top or a standing desk, depending on your space and needs.

4. Establish routines that encourage productivity

Regardless of the space you’re working in, Delap says stick to the same routines, such as:

• A defined and consistent start of the day and end of the day with set times for breaks.

• Follow a detailed list that spells out your tasks. “Then prioritize them for the day and week with weekly planning time,” she says.

• Rely on trusted online tools for productivity and collaboration that aid how your brain processes information. These might include Teams, Trello, Asana, or Click up. Try out different ones and then “choose one and work it well,” says Delap.

5. Get help for internal distractibility

You may have addressed all of the external distractions that keep you from being productive, but still struggle with “internal distractibility.” That occurs when many unrelated thoughts in your mind force you to jump from one topic or idea to another.

If that’s the case, consider talking with a therapist who specializes in ADHD. The therapist may be able to give you strategies for coping. He or she might help you better understand the nature of your distractions, as well as recommend practical tools to ease the distractions. Those tools might include writing down intrusive thoughts to return to after you’re done with a task, or taking appropriate medication that may help.

Here’s something that might surprise some: Many people actually excel at work because of their ADHD.

But people who have ADHD — and who don’t have it — often need to be reminded of that. Because excelling at work with ADHD seldom happens easily. In fact, succeeding at work with ADHD can be a challenge.

We see it in a whole bunch of workplace stats. Adults with ADHD are:

• 18 times more likely to have their employer discipline them than employees without ADHD.

• About five times more likely to be fired than someone without ADHD

• More than three times as likely to suffer workplace or career “burnout” than employees without ADHD.

But there are conditions and situations where people with ADHD thrive in the workplace. That happens when employees understand their strengths and weaknesses. It happens when employers understand that helping employees to do their best work ultimately helps the employer. And it happens when people choose careers that fit them well.

ADHD Online has taken a deeper look at what it takes to excel professionally with ADHD. We talked with three professionals who’ve become very successful in their careers. They offered insights on how they found that success, and tips on how others with ADHD can find it as well.

To kick it all off, we are so excited to welcome Julia Mullins to the Refocused community. Julia Mullins is an ICF-certified coach based in the Washington, D.C. area who has spent her career building up others and helping them get beyond their own roadblocks through leadership development. 

Julia and Lindsay met at the International Conference on ADHD in Dallas in November where Julia presented on Inclusive Career Advancement, offering up tips for both leaders with ADHD looking to become better advocates for themselves and employers hoping to build more inclusive and supportive workplaces. To learn more about the work Julia is doing, you can connect with her directly through her website and make sure to follow her on social media — we especially love the energy she brings on Instagram!

You can help employees with ADHD reacclimate to the office by creating a supportive workplace culture, helping individuals get personalized accommodations and recognizing that some employees’ work habits won’t mirror their pre-pandemic habits. In fact, they may have become more efficient workers.

“Companies are all having to face change,” says Doug Landman, vice president of business development at ADHD Online. “Employers — if they want to get the most out of their employees with ADHD — should be accommodating and should be open to hybrid work models whenever possible to be able to take advantage of those preferences of the individual employee.”

Over the past two years, the direct connections between managers and employees may have lessened, and that may have hampered companies’ effectiveness. But in some cases, managers may also have have become better acquainted with their employees, including their skill sets and preferred work habits. As managers, you may have learned the value of using creative solutions to meet workplace goals when the entire world had to pivot. As your employees resume a more traditional schedule, incorporating some lessons learned during the pandemic may help your company thrive.

Seth Turner, co-founder and chief strategy officer for AbsenceSoft, a Golden, Colo.-based company that helps human resources professionals manage employees’ accommodations and leaves of absence, says the pandemic forced employers to look more closely at essential functions of a job and what might be an “undue hardship” for an employer. “Work-from-home can no longer be considered an undue hardship (for employers) for many jobs,” he says.

Why workplace flexibility matters

In the midst of the Great Resignation — a term coined to reflect the high number of employees who have quit their jobs since early 2021 — the best employers are helping their employees, including those with ADHD, channel some of their most effective work-from-home strategies back to the traditional office. The employers hope it will help employees remain productive.

“Employee retention is one of the most important priorities in HR right now,” Turner says. “Given the labor shortage, focus on retention and the overall mindset change about what’s an essential job function, employers are more likely to try an accommodation or make an accommodation work.”

Traditionally, employees with ADHD have not always fared well in the workplace, because their tendency to experience difficulties during business hours may not have aligned with managers’ expectations.

“They, on average, lose about 22 days of productivity a year,” Landman says. “An employee who has ADHD is three times more likely to quit their job impulsively than an employee who does not have it, and they’re also 60 percent more likely to be fired from their jobs than somebody who does not have it.”

But employers who encourage employees with ADHD to reach their potential are usually pleased with the results.

“People with ADHD can hyper-focus on tasks that they find enjoyable or engaging,” says Ruth Viehoff, PsyD, a licensed psychologist based in Indianapolis who treats patients with ADHD. “They are creative problem-solvers who can contribute a unique perspective to the workplace. (They) can respond well to deadlines or working under a time crunch (and) can thrive when asked to generate novel solutions or think about new ways of doing things.”

How to engage employees with ADHD

After working from home for so long, employees with ADHD may have trouble reacclimating to a workspace filled with ambient conversation, colleagues walking by and other distractions.

“The office environment may feel overstimulating, and it may be hard for people with ADHD to focus on the task at hand when there are other things competing for their attention,” Viehoff says.

To help employees with ADHD succeed in the office, employers should try to provide reasonable accommodations that may help them create a workspace that mimics what they used at home.

“(The pandemic) gave employees with ADHD an opportunity to show what they could achieve when they could control their work environment,” Turner says. “Take into consideration anything an employee did to modify their at-home work environment to be successful, and see if they can replicate that in the office in a way that isn’t a disruption.”

Accommodations might include:

Reduce distractions. Noise-canceling headphones, white-noise machines, and do-not-disturb features on email and similar software may work for some indiiduals. So might access to a quiet workspace. Bigger-picture fixes may make the office less disruptive for

everyone, including those with ADHD.

“This may mean reconsidering an open office plan, reducing foot traffic through work areas … or changing from fluorescent lighting to soft overhead lighting,” Viehoff says.

Allow movement. People with ADHD often have difficulty sitting at a desk all day. Encouraging employees to shift positions, use standing desks, move to common work spaces or take short walks between tasks may lead to greater productivity.

“As long as they’re able to get their work done, that could be a positive mechanism for helping introduce them back into the workforce,” ADHD Online’s Landman says.

Everyone may benefit from more movement during the day, not just employees with ADHD.

“Normalizing breaks as a helpful option for all employees will help to reduce potential stigma for employees with ADHD,” Viehoff says.

Tailor meeting length, timing, manner of attendance. Hour-long meetings may not be ideal for employees with ADHD, who may lose focus after a short period.

“The ability to break that up into smaller meetings [may help],” Landman says.

If employees with ADHD become engrossed in work during certain hours, try not to schedule meetings during that time frame.

“Many people with ADHD have a sense of when they are most productive during the day,” Viehoff says. “Employers should provide flexibility with scheduling so employees can devote this productive time to pressing or important tasks.”

You might also allow on-site employees the option to attend meetings virtually from their desks. This may allow them to feel less stigma related to their fidgeting behaviors.

Break up larger tasks. When an employee with ADHD takes on a lengthy project, building in interim deadlines and checking on the employee’s progress at predetermined intervals may help to keep them on track.

“It’s a way of helping make sure that somebody’s able to make more measurable progress … without them feeling like they’re getting lost in the process,” Landman says.

Embrace creative ideas. Some people with ADHD work more efficiently if they share a space with other people who are also working quietly. This concept, called “body doubling,” may be used in person or online.

“If enacting this in the workplace, explain that people are not to socialize but are gathered to work independently on tasks,” Viehoff says. “Having access to a body-doubling Zoom room where employees can join throughout the workday and work on tasks may be a helpful resource to offer.”

Permit work-from-home days. You already know that your employees can be prolific while working from home. Letting them schedule certain days from home may help to improve their output, whether or not they have ADHD.

“Allowing people to work from home more frequently allows them to be more productive, as long as they’re still hitting their work objectives,” Landman says.

Helping employees pinpoint effective accommodations

When you commit to helping employees with ADHD transition smoothly to an in-office environment, you should be pleased with the results.

“When accommodations are implemented well, it’s a win-win for employers and employees,” Turner says. Turner refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, passed in 1990. “The whole purpose of the ADA is to make society more accessible to people with disabilities. And by providing accommodations, it allows them to work and gives an employer access to their talents.”

By supporting non-traditional work habits, you’ll help your neurodiverse employees — those whose brains work differently, including those with ADHD — succeed.

“Differences in work styles don’t necessarily mean that it’s better or worse,” Landman says. “It’s very likely that somebody with ADHD will generate work as good, if not better, than one of their non-ADHD counterparts — just as long as those differences are acknowledged and accommodated.”