In October, I got diagnosed with ADHD. Learning about my ADHD has helped me understand how I function as a human and as a business owner. This learning process all started thanks to TikTok. I saw a video about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, a condition commonly comorbid with ADHD. "I don't have ADHD, but I definitely have Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria!" I told my therapist excitedly.

"Oh Emily...you definitely DO have ADHD. I've been trying to tell you that, but I guess you weren't paying attention," she said.

Consider me roasted! I had to laugh. Once I started doing my research, it was shocking how many things suddenly made sense. ADHD has a huge impact on how I show up as a business owner–for better and for worse. If you have ADHD and are considering starting a business, but worry that your ADHD may be a barrier: this blog post is for you! For as much of a hassle as ADHD can be in some ways, it can also be a superpower.

For Better: The Unexpected Upsides

Hyperfixation

Hyperfixation, also known as hyperfocus, is very common in people with ADHD. It’s a state of being completely engaged in something, to the exclusion of everything else. I’ve operated like this for a long time–especially with my reading habit. I read 132 books last year thanks to hyperfixation.

It functions similarly with work. When I’m in the zone on a client project, I tend to hyperfixate so hard that I forget everything around me. I will work on a social media strategy for three hours without remembering to go to the bathroom. When I finally snap out of it, I’ll desperately need to pee, refill my water, and get a snack. It feels good to dive deep and get things done!

Creativity

My ADHD means I think differently from neurotypical people, which often results in taking a creative approach that others might not think of. ADHD folks aren’t as constrained by prior knowledge or examples, and are eager to forge off the beaten path with eccentric ideas. I love brainstorming super creative ideas for clients and writing engaging digital content.

Empathy

While ADHD people are typically sensitive and feel ‘big feelings’ (it me), the flip side of that is they also usually have a great deal of empathy for others. I’m a great listener and can read people well, whether it’s via Zoom or in an online comments section. This is extremely valuable as a business owner. In meetings with prospective clients, I can get a sense of what they’re looking for, what their pain points are, and how I can help them with my skills and experience.

As a social media professional and writer, it’s also useful because I can empathize with our target audience as we create content for them. Nonprofits often want to throw jargon into their websites or posts, or pitch ideas that may miss the mark with their target demographic. I can help them see things from the perspectives of their clients or potential donors, serving as boots on the ground through social media community management, gathering feedback and helping them develop content that will resonate with their audience.

Resilience

ADHD is often correlated with increased resilience, as ADHD folks have to deal with daily struggles and strive to function within our society in the same ways as our neurotypical peers. Going through those challenges and overcoming them builds resilience.

Resilience is essential as a business owner. I’ve had amazing clients and less than stellar ones, booming periods of my business and painfully slow ones (I don’t recommend quitting your day job just a few months before a global pandemic). I need to be able to bounce back from experiences with frustrating clients, learning from difficult experiences along the way. I’ve grown my business and found my niche over the past two and a half years. Without the experiences I’ve had thanks to my ADHD brain, I may have given up on entrepreneurship and gone back to a day job a long time ago.

images from Bless the Messy, from left to right: stereotypes about ADHD, silver linings of ADHD, and ways ADHDers struggle with accomplishing tasks.

For Worse: The Challenges

Racing Thoughts and Anxiety

This has been a struggle for me my whole life and I never knew it was a symptom of ADHD! As my therapist and I explored my diagnosis and monitored symptoms, she mused “How much of your anxiety do you think comes from your ADHD?” I told her I had no idea. Once I started taking medication for my ADHD, an enormous portion of my anxiety dissipated. My mind slowed down. I could think about one thing at a time instead of 27. I’m not sure I’d ever experienced that before!

Racing thoughts can make it hard to focus on work and anxiety can be a major struggle in working with clients. A terse email can send me into a spiral, thinking I’ve done something terribly wrong, they hate me now, and they’re going to fire me. Which leads me into the next challenge.

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

This condition is common in people with ADHD. It means that any perceived criticism or rejection is felt extremely deeply, to the point where it’s physically uncomfortable to bear it. This comes up often for me and it’s super unpleasant! It can result in me having emotional outbursts of defensiveness when I feel criticized, general low self esteem and impostor syndrome, and anxiety about people not liking me or being mad at me. This comes up both in my personal life and in my business.

Emails are often a trigger for the RSD piece of my ADHD. Tone can be hard to read in emails!

Even a small piece of feedback sent via email can cause a spiral of shame and defensiveness. I’ve let one email throw me off for hours, internalizing the feedback and ruminating on it excessively. Thanks to my medication, I’ve been learning to pause and assess situations more before reacting. I’m realizing that sometimes it’s genuinely not me, it’s the other person’s own problem. I’m also working with my therapist on coping strategies for dealing with these feelings in the moment without letting them take over my whole day.

Task Initiation and the Need for Urgency

A classic symptom of ADHD is struggling with task initiation. You know exactly what needs to be done, but you just can’t start. I often feel that way with big client projects. I need urgency to light a fire under me and get myself moving. I’ll set a deadline for myself, have plenty of time for a project, and still not start it until the home stretch. Then my hyperfixation will launch me into overdrive and I’ll power through. There’s nothing wrong with working this way–society has just trained us to think it’s morally inferior or lazy to do so. The work will get done however it gets done!

Thankfully, my medication has helped to make task initiation a bit easier for tasks that previously seemed daunting–like paying my estimated quarterly taxes. Meds feel like greasing the wheels; things that could hardly get going before run more smoothly now.

Irritation at Interruptions

Extreme frustration with interruptions is another tricky part of ADHD. A few years ago, I used to work at a nonprofit with an open office floor plan and it was the bane of my existence! I couldn’t focus, ever. My coworkers were constantly swinging by my desk for small talk or glancing over my shoulder and commenting on whatever was on my screen. An interruption isn’t a big deal for a neurotypical person–you can just get back to work. But with ADHD, I’ve invested a lot of time trying to get myself to focus. Once I’m finally in the zone, I’m ready to go! And one quick interruption completely veers me off track and it feels impossible to get back to the task at hand.

Now, I work from home, and since the pandemic started nearly two years ago, my husband does too. That was a big learning curve for us at first! He would pop into my office after each of his conference calls with a “Hi! Whatcha working on?” and I would LOSE IT. I’d just have gotten into a groove and snap angrily at him for throwing me off my flow. Now with medication and self-awareness, I’m a bit less cranky when I get interrupted, though it’s still tough at times.

I’m no mental health expert, so if you think you may be struggling with ADHD or have other mental health concerns you’d like to explore with a professional, check out this therapist referral list recently compiled by my friend Alaina.

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How ADHD Impacts Me as a Business Owner–For Better & For Worse