N​ow that the dishes are clean, the cat box is emptied and the whole apartment is spotless, I can sit down and enjoy my day, right? Nope.

ADHD does have its downsides like the excessive need to keep moving, the inability to concentrate on tasks, and the anxiety that can go with it. These are parts of the stigma that is associated with ADD and ADHD.

I learned different ways of managing my ADHD without the help of medications. I was diagnosed at seventeen. I had tried almost every prescription drug there was to help manage the racing thoughts. But each one left me feeling less like myself and zombie-like. Instead, I put to use the strategies my therapist and I tested. And by doing this, I’ve learned that my ADHD can actually work for me rather than against me. Here are nine ways in which ADHD can be a superpower:

1. Multitasking

ADHD/ADD patients are able to think about so much all at one time, which makes us want to do everything all at once. I would attribute this trait to the reason I personally can’t sit still. This comes in handy in my situation as I am able to complete aspects of my job simultaneously. My job requires me to be able to discuss customer concerns, process cash, and credit card transactions, answer the telephone or be able to retrieve an item from across the store on time. The other day I was carrying a large stock of products, talking on the phone with another store employee, writing down a number, and replying to my manager on the walkies all at once while walking to the other side of the store.

2. ​Creative Problem Solving

Some of these strategies have come naturally when it comes to managing a heavy workload and some have been thru trial-and-error. Sometimes when faced with obscure problems, people with ADHD are the ones that come up with an outside-the-box solution.

3. High Attention to Detail

A skill that comes in handy when trying to keep the cleanliness and organization of a store is having high attention to detail. People with ADHD tend to be on the cleaner side, as they see a messy environment as a reflection of a messy mind. I know my employers are happy to let my OCD take the lead in organizing products on the shelves.

4. High Initiative

Craving for stimulation will prompt most with ADHD to jump right into the game. People with ADHD tend to be impulsive when needing stimuli. When I clock in and on the floor. I am looking for a task to complete. I enjoy organizing and shelving product, cleaning, or tackling any task that will produce the most stimuli to please my ADHD. AKA the busier I am, the happier I am. I love feeling productive and useful. Employers appreciate not having to tell their employees what to do the minute they clock in.

5. Project and Time Management

T​o manage time and projects with a deadline, timers, and to-do lists can be a good strategy to start with. It helps organize and focus on tasks and complete them by a deadline. This is a skill that is valued in any industry, as efficiency is also an important part of running any successful business. If you’re tasked with a heavy workload, it helps to write down a to-do list. This may also help with remembering precise instructions from your employer on how a task should be performed and completed. I have word sequencing issues. If I am tasked with a long list of instructions, important details may be missed if not written down.

I carry a notebook with me to keep track of personal tasks to the smooth running of my life and writing business, or to even jot down ideas.

6. Resourcefulness

People with ADHD have the ability to see a solution to a challenge from more than one angle. These solutions are = clever and typically overlooked by others that do not have ADHD.

7. Calm in Stressful Situations

Fight-or-Flight works differently for those with ADHD than those without. For instance, one of my coworkers was involved in a hit-and-run and arrived at work in pretty rough shape. While others provided emotional support, I got to work patching him up and checking for any signs of serious head trauma without saying a word. On the flip side of that, I shake like a Chihuahua when someone asks me my name.

8​. Hyper Focusing

People with ADHD are typically known to be unfocused or hyper but there’s a flip side to that. Hyper-focus mode. On days that I am hyper-focused, I get EVERYTHING done. Dishes, laundry, part of a book read, my budget calculated, a couple of articles written, and somehow grocery shopping. I feel pretty great on those days. But there are definitely days I am completely unmotivated. I use to beat myself up for those days, but now I take them as signs that my body needs to rest and rejuvenate.

9​. Independent

W​hile it’s important to be able to work well as a team, people with ADHD work well independently. Naturally, people with ADHD seem to find themselves on the outside looking in. Not to say they don’t get along with others, but they tend to hang back. Their pace is going to be fluctuating throughout the day depending on the flow of constant stimuli. For instance, if my workday is slow, I am going to be working harder to find that stimulus, and if I don’t, my energy level is going to be stagnant. If I am working with someone, I worry that my pace will be either too much or too little. I prefer to work on my own unless I know we will be unusually busy.

Conclusion

A​DHD/ADD has had a lot of negative stigma over the years. Parental fears of overmedication if their child is diagnosed and the myth that one will ‘outgrow it’ has silenced many of those from talking about it. I have been told not to talk about it because of the stigma. And that’s exactly why we should talk about it. ADHD/ADD affects those well into their adulthood. If you think that you may be suffering from symptoms of ADHD or ADD, consult your psychiatrist. Proper testing will help guide you to finding ways of coping with a squirrelly mind. And just remember, ADHD/ADD can be an advantage. It can be a superpower.

S​ource(s)

Donovan, Dani. “Comics • Dani Donovan: ADHD Comics.” Dani Donovan: ADHD Comics, 2 Mar. 2021, https://www.adhddd.com/comics/.