I have decided to collate my recent LinkedIn posts about freelancing with ADHD in a blog.
Like many people with ADHD one of my strengths is finding creative solutions to problems. I am also good at simplifying complex ideas and use this skill as an editor and translator. Now I want to apply these skills to productivity and well-being advice.
Over the years I have devoured self-help books in attempts to be happier and more productive. What I didn’t know was that this advice was not designed for my brain. Since my diagnosis I have begun to sort the wheat from the chaff, taking what works and discarding what doesn’t. I love a good clear-out.
Whilst I want to be positive, I’m acutely aware that social media can be extremely detrimental to mental health and I refuse to peddle perfection. I’m pathologically honest anyway so I am not sure I could if I wanted to.
I’m inspired by role models like Tracy Otsuka and Jessica McCabe who are showing neurodivergent women and girls that it’s OK to be different and that they can thrive with ADHD.
It’s OK to have imperfect hair, to hate high heels, to crave time-out at parties. It’s OK not to enjoy small talk or flirting. It’s OK to find fashion boring. It’s OK to be curious and interested in a particular topic, even if others don’t get it. Academia is full of people who are obsessed with niche subjects and their research can change the world. I want to tell them that another word for ‘impulsive’ is ‘risk-taking’ and that a Google search throws up tens of thousands of articles lauding entrepreneurs for having that quality.
I want to encourage them to learn about their brains and show that sometimes a simple atypical adjustment might be all they need to overcome their struggles in education, the workplace and relationships. When that’s not enough, there is no shame in asking for advice and seeking help but when it comes to the atypical brain it’s important to look in the right place.