The idea of “designing a distraction-free workspace for ADHD Success” strikes me as absurd.
Yeah, that’s all people with ADHD need, one more thing that isn’t good enough in their life yet so that it becomes one more excuse for not getting things done.
Maybe what people with ADHD need is whatever workspace they’re already in to be good enough, not more “ADHD productivity hacks”. Have you ever seen a picture of Einstein’s desk? Piles upon piles of paper.
What I think an ADHD-Friendly Work Environment looks like is whatever works. A cafe, the bed, a cluttered desk, a co-working space, the bathtub. Åll are perfectly acceptable if that’s your ‘focused work space.’
I really don’t know what to tell you about the ‘distraction-free environment’ canard except that it bores me. It’s besides the point.
Why? Because the biggest distractions and obstacles to productivity are not external. They’re internal. What are you trying to do and why? Without the answers to those two queries you could go all Swedish Death Cleaning until you’re left with the most minimalist office space on the planet and still sit paralyzed.
I’m writing this blog right now because it’s on my agenda for the day. And I’m aware of the consequence of not adhering to that agenda. If I don’t write this now, then it’ll get piled on top of what I have planned for tomorrow.
See, for me the perfect “environment” is an analog planner for the week that is filled out on Sunday night, (in bed) in conjunction with the calendar (on my iPad. In bed). Agreed-upon deliverables like this blog by a certain day in order to make it into this week’s newsletter is all I need to ensure that I write it.
If you just read that and feel disenfranchised because deadlines aren’t sufficient to ignite action, do not despair. Your ideal work environment is clearly different than mine. You may need a co-working date with someone. Or a walk around the block.
Ultimately, the environment you need is internal: arriving at a mental space that has allowed the task at hand to become your primary focus. If the ritual of cleaning your desk leads to that, great.
If you need to take a nap first like I just did, don’t fight it.
Living in alignment with agreed-upon deliverables is a struggle.
Don’t struggle against the struggle. Be true to yourself in the moment, give yourself what you need, and then keep your word.
That is all.
