Hey there,
I expected March to be busy. Here at Active Voice, we were getting our new course ready to launch. Plus, outside of work, my dance card was uncharacteristically full, with three weekend trips on the calendar. Still, it all seemed more than manageable… until I woke up with norovirus on the first day of the month. It took me out of commission for almost a week, upending all of my plans and intentions.
What did I do once my stomach settled? Well, my ADHD brain jumped into panic mode. For me, that looks like making a lot of lists, organizing those lists, then looking at the lists and freezing up.
One task in particular hung over my head: making a 48-page workbook PDF accessible ahead of our course launch. Now, I know from experience that I am not fast at that kind of work. The software I use is buggy, and because I don’t use it frequently, I need to refresh my knowledge as I go. Still, I avoided that task until we were down to the wire.
But I’ve trained my whole life to bang out work under intense deadline pressure. It’s how I got through school. So that’s what I did.
But this hyper-focus has a price. I spent hours hunched over my laptop, forgetting to drink water or eat or go to the bathroom. Because if I have a hole to dig myself out of, I’m going to claw my way to the surface with my bare, aching hands.
Turns out, I mean that literally. The day I finally put that workbook to bed, I noticed my wrist was a little sore. Fast forward four weeks and I am in the throes of the longest and worst bout of carpal tunnel syndrome I’ve ever experienced. It has the classic symptoms—a numb, tingly hand and a dull throb in my forearm—plus clusters of pain that migrate from my shoulder to my bicep to my tricep depending on the hour.
It really, really sucks—especially because I brought it on myself. I know better than to let myself disappear into a productivity abyss like that for so long. I’ve spent years learning how to build systems and structures that keep ADHD-fueled burnout at bay—for my own wellbeing, and to support the people I coach. But you wouldn't believe that if you saw me in March.
It wasn’t just the weekend trips or the sickness making me freeze up. It was worry: Are we entering a recession? Will companies still invest in their workers? That workbook wasn’t just a task on my to-do list—it was also a symbol of our success… or failure.
On top of that, it’s a scary time to be a human. No small percentage of my brain is now allocated to processing each and every new civic horror impacting the people I love—from the deportations with no due process to the gutting of the federal workforce. It’s a job all on its own.
It turns out that all the systems and structures I’d put in place to manage my ADHD were designed for a moment that doesn’t exist anymore. The context has changed—in the world, and inside my brain.
So I’m updating how I approach my days—first and foremost by restructuring the approaches I use to prevent this kind of destructive anxiety. I’m also moving faster to disrupt these stress reactions when they appear—and protecting extra time to recover from them after.
The need to reset is no personal failing. Inevitably, folks with ADHD reach “tipping points” when our adaptive strategies suddenly stop working, requiring us to develop new ones. In fact, these tipping points are often when adults get diagnosed in the first place, triggered by a realization that maladaptive strategies, like masking and people-pleasing and perfectionism, aren’t helpful—or sustainable—anymore.
If this resonates, maybe it’s time for you to update your systems and structures, too.
We have a new workshop coming in June to help you do just that. It’s called Protect Yourself from ADHD Burnout. I’m hosting it with our friend Melissa Rogel, who’s a therapist, coach, and fellow woman with ADHD. More details are below.
Until then, I’m off to rest my hand. Because I’ve committed to taking more breaks throughout my day—even if I hit a groove. And while I could refine this email for another few hours… I know the cost.
—Jen
Does your workplace feel like a chaos factory custom-designed to distract your ADHD brain? One second you’re trying to follow the latest executive directive, the next you’re trying to prove you’re more valuable than an AI tool. All while trying to, like, do your job.
This churn is a lot for everyone, but for those of us with ADHD it can be even harder. We’re already doing double-duty, trying to disprove the voice in our head that tells us we’re too lazy, too disorganized, too sensitive, too irresponsible. Layer on these additional stressors and watch all your timeworn systems and structures start to crumble… as you crumble, too.
What if there were a better way—a way to navigate through the noise and honor your unique needs, instead of falling into old, ineffective strategies like masking, people-pleasing, and overwork?
In this workshop, we’re bringing together two experts in supporting ADHD folks at work: Active Voice’s Jen Dionisio, a certified coach with additional training on neurodiversity support and advocacy from the Coach Approach Training Institute, and Melissa Rogel, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and coach. Both work closely with ADHD clients in their practices—and have ADHD themselves.
You’ll learn how to:
Get a deeper understanding of your strengths and vulnerabilities at work—especially in times of uncertainty
Identify when you’re approaching a burnout tipping point—and pull yourself back from the brink
Work with—not against—your brain to create flexible systems and rituals that ground you in even the most challenging times.
You’ll leave with a roadmap for how to approach your work life—whatever comes next.
Workshop price: $229
Registration closes on Friday, May 30.
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