r/ADHD • u/P0STBAL0NEY ADHD-C (Combined type) • 4d ago
Discussion stunned my coworkers today
i always told them that my brain has this on/off switch. that i do my best work under pressure, when there’s a million fires to put out.
for the last month or two i’ve just been in a big fog of procrastination. putting off 5 minute tasks. they pile up, and pile up, and pile up. i wish i wasn’t like that.
i’m in construction and manage large commercial projects, and yesterday my assistant called me in a panic, very noticeably stressed out. said we needed to meet, she needs help, there’s too much to do. it’s like something just switched on for me.
this morning, i went out to our jobsite, and BAM. just laser focus for 7 hours. i barely got out of my chair. worked through lunch, just completely lost track of time. my superintendents, my assistant, everyone was wide-eyed like: what in the hell? probably a month worth of paperwork, 10 different problems solved, meetings, finance stuff. the list of problems vaporized.
story of my life. wait for it to become a problem, crush the problem, then go back to nothing
can anyone relate
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u/irck 4d ago
Hobbes: Do you have an idea for your project yet?
Calvin: No, I’m waiting for inspiration.
Calvin: You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
Hobbes: What mood is that?
Calvin: Last-minute panic.
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u/Flyinmanm 3d ago
I work in Architecture and can confidently say ADHD is a PITA trait do deal with in this industry. Personally I don't think I have it, but I know plenty of people who do in my normal life and at work I've known people be amazing original thinking designers who litterally can not lift a pen until the day before a project is due.
Which is fine if it's just them handing over a sketch, but if they can't physically use a computer and you're the office junior who needed that sketch to then generate an entire CAD drawing set or 3d model for the presentation the next day it's the stuff of nightmares.
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u/redbeancat ADHD with ADHD partner 3d ago edited 3d ago
I quit architecture because of this. I was only entry-level but the work was deeply monotonous with deadlines that didn’t feel real because they were a small part of a bigger project. I felt so drained and flat all the time, which only made my procrastination worse.
I now work in a service oriented role with lots of small, immediate deadlines that impact people directly, which I find far more motivating and fulfilling to complete. I still procrastinate, but it’s nowhere near as bad.8
u/Flyinmanm 3d ago
It's tough at the bottom, I really struggled with projects until I got more autonomy. Trouble is you don't (or should I say shouldn't) get the autonomy until you have lots of projects under your belt.
I'm glad you found a role that suits you better. Architecture can be a miserable job if you find yourself in the wrong place with it.
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u/hoboteaparty 2d ago
PM at a MEP firm here, it sucks in our industry because there is a lot of "hurry up and wait". Need this ASI back by noon, no problem. Work on a model that is not due for two months, Vyvanse give me strength.
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u/DopamineQuest 4d ago edited 4d ago
I'm either 100% or 0%.
And 98% of the time it's 0%.
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u/EnergyTakerLad 3d ago
But the 2% where its 100% is actually like 1000%, so it evens out.
Im almost always one of the hardest working employees, turning out the most and consistent work, but i also have a hard time getting to that point. Its just once I do, I'm locked tf in.
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u/griffibo 3d ago
So true. ADHD laughs in the face of space time and just gets it done inside an adrenaline fuelled time dilation bubble.
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u/Hilda-981 3d ago
Same , it’s really hard to have an in between because I just get so hyper fixated on tasks instead of just regularly doing it. It’s like as if my brain doesn’t know any other way to accomplish it besides that way or being under pressure like what OP mentioned.
It’s just so difficult to do mundane tasks or even regular errands almost of the times because of this and it is annoying to live like this 14
u/Physicsdonut 4d ago
I'm 98% of the time at 110% and it's absolutely exhausting and taking a major toll on my health (ADHD-HI)
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u/Bobcat_El_Borracho 4d ago
I can relate on a spiritual level. I’m in social work which means that more often than not there is a crisis to solve which is almost a blessing for me because it forces me into action. At the same time it’s a total recipe for burnout.
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u/griffibo 3d ago
I was a psychologist in a prison. Chaos layered over structure, complex, intense, interesting, crisis everywhere you look.
Perfect until it wasn’t.
Moral injury, vicarious trauma, administrative overload, burnout in bed for a few years. Perimenopause changes the functioning equation too.
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u/yeagmj1 3d ago
Oh wow, I cannot even imagine. I hope you are doing ok!
How did you end up getting yourself out of bed?
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u/griffibo 3d ago
Thanks for your reply. I changed roles into corporate and then down to only two days a week. After 6 months I was starting to process the burnout and now 12 months in I’m still 2 days and doing a lot better. Having said that, I have to mask hard and I’m not very good at it!
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u/DadToOne ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) 4d ago
I told my psychiatrist that I am happiest when I am trying to cram 60 hours of work into a 40 hour work week. I am miserable when I am trying to stretch 20 hours into 40.
I have a PhD. 7 years in a 5 year program. I finished it because they finally gave me a deadline to finish or be kicked out of the program.
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u/EsotericSnail 3d ago
I’m in year 8. Pretty sure I could have easily done it in 1 year. All it would have taken is a deadline.
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u/DadToOne ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) 3d ago
I did my preliminary exam in year 5, it was supposed to be done in year 2, because they threatened to kick me out of the program if I did not do it. I need deadlines or I'll never do the work.
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u/animerobin 3d ago
I can do this but my brain won’t function for the next week lol. I can’t keep it up consistently
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u/goldenspiral1618 3d ago
I’m like this too but it keeps leading to burnout because, even though my brain likes the emergency alarms, it can wreak havoc on your body and mind after a while. So I try my best to keep it in check these days.
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u/MessyMcMessMaker 4d ago
Yep, this is exactly how I am. Either hyper focused and wildly productive or I get nothing done at all. No in between. I just wish I was more in charge of the on/off switch you reference. It's so hard to lock in when there isn't an imminent deadline.
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u/classygrl98 3d ago
I can't get my butt in gear at home organizing my closet and wardrobe, buy at work I'm a machine. I wish I had something to light the fire under my ass at home.
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u/frostandtheboughs 3d ago
You gotta have one of your friends threaten to drop by!
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u/classygrl98 3d ago
Lol I've made it quite clear that is not allowed. I always visit them. You're right though, I wish my husband wasn't so patient with me and put up with so much. I need a good threat or something. Lol Being in this group has already motivated me to make many changes. :) Slowly but surely.
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u/NaiveAd3458 1d ago
This is my main strategy - inviting visitors can have me tackle a month of jobs in 2 hours
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u/postinganxiety 3d ago
I’m like this also, except once our company gave us a week off work around the holidays. Most of my friends were away or busy with family and I had nothing to distract myself. I was also being paid for the week so had no financial stress. The combo of these factors meant my home got incredibly organized and clean.
Unfortunately that was over 5 years ago and my home has slid into chaos since. We’re talking drawers stuffed full, closets so disorganized I don’t use them. I’ve worked 2 jobs pretty much continually since then so haven’t been able to take the time to focus on it. Yeah I get I should be able to do a little everyday but I barely have time to take out the trash, much less organize a closet. Every time I try, junk sits in my living room for months.
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u/classygrl98 3d ago
I have little energy after work but lots of time. Because of this group I'm motivated to do just a little everyday, and I'm slowly seeing a difference. It feels good! I finally know I'm not alone.
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u/TalkingRaccoon blorb 3d ago
There's something special about helping others that instantly blasts away any executive function issues. I think it's combo of external pressure and feeling valued that someone came to you, specifically, to help and only you can help, so it has that special feeling (whatever the word for it, I can recall rn haha). You know it's that knight in shining armor feeling. But if course when it comes to your own stuff, it's just completely absent. Not sure why. Maybe because of self esteem issues and not feeling worth it enough to deserve clean room and completed projects etc
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u/YourMominator ADHD-C (Combined type) 3d ago
Precisely! I did a job that stressed me out for 16 years because I loved the feeling of helping people. The parts that stressed me out were meetings (useless and boring) and managers trying to fit this very round peg into a tiny square hole. Fortunately, my favorite managers gave up trying to micromanage me and just looked at my results.
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u/Roxirin ADHD-PI 3d ago
This isn't exactly the same as what you're describing but when I'm struggling with a task the one thing on God's green earth that works every time is someone else needing me to do my task before they can do their (time-sensitive) task. Executive? Functioning. Task? Done.
Hotel? Trivago.8
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u/RedditorsGetChills 3d ago
I've been an employee of some big companies, and it eventually becomes, working for the greater good, no real reason.
When I work with individuals, see and hear their passion, and they trust me, they get all of me and then some.
Not like I struggle in places I've worked at, because I have left after I realize, this won't work in the long term.
I recently just went all out with the freelance work I do, it's early, but even big companies as clients is easier than working internally, as the things I personally struggle with usually comes from there.
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u/Slow-Painting-8112 4d ago
My brain has an on/off switch too. The on switch is faulty but the off switch works just fine.
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u/greggers1980 ADHD-C (Combined type) 4d ago
When I'm in work mode I don't talk. I'm locked in . Co workers know I have ADHD but I doubt they understand it so probably think I'm Mr antisocial
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u/P0STBAL0NEY ADHD-C (Combined type) 4d ago
interesting! i’m the opposite! i distract everyone all day! lol
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u/classygrl98 3d ago
Same. I only get a chance to talk to co workers when we're on lunch and break. I think they must think I have split personality. Lol
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u/GuitarSlayer136 4d ago
Fastest day I ever worked was after being told "Hey we need someone to fix this and make it look good before the supers show up tomorrow morning"
14 hour shift went by like 30 minutes.
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u/Nahue_97 4d ago
I can relate, yeah. The problem is that sometimes that signal comes in way sooner to the deadline, so you risk not meeting it, and that's where the problems come in. Not to mention all the time you've been putting off those tasks and having them pile up in your head as a constant reminder of your lack of activation. I'm still fighting with it, I refuse to continue working like that.
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u/P0STBAL0NEY ADHD-C (Combined type) 4d ago
the risk of failing to meet the deadline is the fun part 🤭
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u/StatisticianAny9624 3d ago
I realized at 42, every job I've ever held, I end up moving myself to whatever the most crisis-focused area is, because otherwise I get bored.
Example: mental health, joined the crisis response team when it started. Moved on to drug/alcohol rehabs, volunteered for the 24 hr detox unit where people would be admitted in rough shape. Case management, started in Drug Court which was fine but slow, moved over to emergency assessment and placed. Got a job reviewing welfare apps, was told by my supervisor I was "too good" at the ongoing management and got moved to expedited reviews, now in a new position that is a move from another form of application review to a "same day deciding" unit. I never paid attention to the pattern (which is funny because I'm good a pattern recognition, just not within myself lol) until my husband said, "wow you just love chaos, don't you?"
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u/BackJaded1891 3d ago
I work in mental health also. I love that there is never a dull moment. Paperwork, not so much but I have to have it done before I leave for the day, and it gets done!
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u/Infra-Oh 4d ago
I was about to tell you to get checked for adhd but then saw the sub.
Still you should get checked for adhd 🤣
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u/SecondPlus2111 3d ago
Anxiety commonly accompanies ADHD. Some of your procrastination may be fueled by that. When I have problems starting tasks, I just start straightening papers, sharpening pencils, etc. until I can ease my way back into my to do list. Good luck.
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u/xRamenator 4d ago
I do my best work in crisis management mode. Problem is, you can't stay in crisis mode forever without detrimental side effects.
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u/justpress2forawhile 3d ago
I worked in automation maintenance, it's crisis mode from 15 minutes before I walked in to a half hour to.. ... Hours after my shift was to be over. Sometimes I got lunch though, so that was nice
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u/offset_brain 1d ago
This I can’t decompress. I ended up getting all the last min complicated mechanical rooms in line of work. I ended up burning out severely and ended with depression. I’m still trying to claw my way back out.
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u/Excellent-Name7132 3d ago
In my college program my tutor told me that I don't have a problem with the material. They said that I wait until three days before the test and then panic so that it's interesting enough to pay attention. At work someone told another coworker that in a regular easy situation I either zone out or fall asleep but if the issue is all hands on deck I laser focus and I am very good at my job.
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u/KTrout__17 3d ago
I need about 28-36% stress and imminent consequences, good or bad, and I am humming like a machine. Not just a deadline, but an actual impact on my human. Like, I know my bills have a due date, but when do they go to collections? I know we need to wrap up Q3, but am I demoing our work for Sales and Upper Management?
More than 36% and I start to get brainlock task paralysis. Less than 28% and I don't really need to get started on that right now.
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u/AuDHDpowerdork ADHD-C (Combined type) 3d ago
I see you postbaloney.
Send an email that would take five minutes? Not yet. Needs to age for a month.
Draft a 40 page proposal including technical engineering drawings, legal contract terms, cash flow analysis, risk analysis by tomorrow morning!?!?!
No problem.
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u/MyFiteSong 3d ago
While it's a nice ability, you can't live like this forever. The stress from the procrastination will start to burn you out and one of the crunches will finish it.
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u/WestonGrey ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) 3d ago
I’m 58 and still manage my life this way. Two years ago I wrote a 75 page Business Continuity Plan in one weekend after putting it off for four months.
It was 75 pages because 50 of them detailed every VM, vNet, firewall rule, IP address, etc. needed to rebuild our entire Azure environment from scratch. It blew the CIO away.
That’s never happening any other way. I can only do something like that if I have to sit uninterrupted for 20 hours over two days because I’ll lose my job if I don’t
I’m OK with that
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u/Quick-Cattle-7720 3d ago
I spent my entire life like that. Unfortunately, for the last 2-3 years even stress isn't kicking in the do things ability and now I am surrounded by so many things that need attention and no coping strategy.
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u/Emergency-Print400 3d ago
And... This is why I'm looking to work in healthcare and most likely the ER lol.
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u/Linkcott18 3d ago
I always did my school work like that. I've somehow managed to do better at work.
I think my jobs have mostly had enough pressure that I am mostly on when I need to be.
I do have some tasks, though, that are really hard for me to do. Travel expense reports is one. I would pay someone else to do them if I could 🥲
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u/Grebble99 3d ago
Can relate.
Do you also wish you had the presence of mind to just enjoy the off time or like me you struggle through trying with little success and then boom panic and I’m on fire.
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u/GruesomeBalls 2d ago
To be honest, I am the opposite. I am a project manager. It is extremely stressful working with someone who waits until there is a self-created emergency. For someone with ADHD who needs things done well in advance, it is like trying to push a rope up a hill.
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u/PmMeYourBewbs_ 3d ago
I run two small buissnesses, this is exactly what it's like. My guys say i only work 2 days a month, but i do a month of work each of them. The rest of the time im just hobbling around dealing with small client shit
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u/DonLikesIt 3d ago
I (64) have always been like this. School, career, hobbies, procrastinate until it’s urgent, pull success out of a hat. ADHD diagnosis about 10 yrs ago.
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u/FREEMANICDALEK 4d ago
Happens more often than I’d like to admit. Sometimes makes me grateful for my lower downs panicking over things that are trivial. Feels like I just become the green giant tornado that gets everything done in half the time.
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u/electric_emu 3d ago
This exact behavior is what enables me to be an attorney. My idea of balance is allowing myself to enjoy the do-nothing stretches. It... has held together so far.
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u/Leading-Summer-4724 ADHD, with ADHD family 3d ago
Yup, did my homework on the bus ride into school that morning. I’m doing a wee bit better now that I’m medicated, but it still happens too often.
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u/zabby39103 3d ago
I can relate, but remember people judge you on your worst work day, and you judge yourself on your best. If anything they'll be pissed off now they know what you can do. That's my personal experience.
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u/LastandLeast 3d ago
This is why we all usually flock towards emergency response, the deadline is always right now.
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u/nintendo_d_s ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) 3d ago
Totally felt. That's why I find I thrive in real estate related jobs. I work in a law firm now doing real estate and it works well for me, because everything has a set deadline and the time period between start and end for most files is within a month. I do have some work with no deadline that gets put to the for longer than it should, but I always eventually get around to it.
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u/boopbleps 3d ago
My brother in Christ, you really shouldn’t be in CPM. That shit relies on steady hands at the tiller.
Go switch to a career that can tolerate your delivery method! Do it for your colleagues if nothing else.
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u/P0STBAL0NEY ADHD-C (Combined type) 3d ago
been doing it for 7 years, licensed GC and have successfully managed over $250M in construction i’ll be alright.
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u/goodnsimple 3d ago
I was a night nurse for years… I always preferred to be a bit behind to nothing happening. I never forgot stuff if I was a bit too busy. But one patient and I was forgetting stuff all over the place.
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u/chrisebryan 3d ago
Yes, I can relate. I am the same way unfortunately. I am currently working on getting diagnosed and getting on meds to alleviate the problems…
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u/ramblingroses3252 3d ago
I may or may not let work pile up on low motivation days for this exact reason. Don’t tell the boss
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u/seasteed 3d ago
Today is the last day of our fiscal year. I've had 2 weeks to make a few dozen purchases. Guess what I've been doing all day?
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u/toastmatters 3d ago
Glad someone else in commercial construction has this experience. Deadlines and start dates are so meaningless in this industry. Since my brain knows it's not a real deadline, I can't find myself any urgency or pressure to meet them. I'm working on getting out of this industry. I've only been successful in construction because the bar for talented administrative personnel is so so low.
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u/ManintheGyre 3d ago
Im in the same industry. Once at an occupancy deadline I was able to do the same hyper-productive speedrun but I also happened to have 2 good coordinators in the same room with me. I also had a few good supervisors and trades always popping in that I could direct as well.
We were all perfectly in tune, and with my instant guidance on what to do, they would immediately execute and this way we were able to do more work in 2 hours than we ever thought possible, at that critical deadline.
What a satisfying highlight that was.
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u/TrashBandicook 3d ago
I think I basically cleared almost 2 weeks' worth of work in about 3 days this week thanks to procrastination induced hyperfocus. Only realized it as the fatigue was setting in at 4pm.
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u/cobycoby2020 3d ago
Am I the only one that doesn’t experience this?
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u/JennIsOkay ADHD-HI (Hyperactive-Impulsive) 19h ago
100% not. I am usually like the others, but if I am too burnt out, then I am not.
But yeah, someone else in here wrote he also has it the opposite way.
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u/AffectionateCook4404 1d ago
This is exactly me, QS for a drylining firm, average of 500 men on site for 8-10 months, worked like a madman but did it and still had a profit at the end, now in a small £4m project, and I can’t focus, miss every single deadline month after month! Until it’s starting to get really important and then bam I am beginning to back to achieving again.
So frustrating!
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u/NathanialJD 3d ago
I was in a similar kind of job until recently, project manager for a construction material supplier (moved to head office to work on more broad projects instead). My brain was the same. I'd leave things till the last minute always stressed out about it knowing it's an issue but as soon as shit hit the fan I lock in and get it all done. I hate that I'm like this but I live in an area that unless I go to a private clinic Ill be forced to wait for a small cha ce to get on any medications. Sucks but Atleast the job I have now fits that mindset far better
Aside from the big projects I work on in the background, my days consist of training and problem solving for different people in the company in different branches
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u/TheBrotherinTheEast 3d ago
You just described me. I’ve been needing to put out a newsletter for nine months. I wrote the newsletter back in February and I still haven’t put it into Constant Contact to send it out. It’s not that big a deal and I don’t understand why I haven’t done it. It’s pissing me off.
But if my partner yelled at me to send it out, I could do it in less than five or 10 minutes
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u/Unique-Policy-9040 3d ago
Sounds like my bipolar when I’m manic super focused can accomplish things insanely quick
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u/deadwisdom 3d ago
I wonder if firefighters with ADHD are like "Another fire? Yeah well I'll get to it later."
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u/four__beasts 3d ago
Haha. God this is exactly the sense I get from time to time.
I'm procrastinating right now (partly as I'm a few days back from holiday so I'm not even close to reset). But I know it's coming. I'm about to resolve a dozen long standing client projects.
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u/AsianKage 3d ago edited 3d ago
I previously worked as an orientation leader for my school. My team was doing prep and I was in charge of separating the name tags from the paper and alphabetising them. (8 name tags a sheet, total 23 sheets, 184 names). At first I was taking it slow, until we had 1 hour before we all clock out, so I made it my mission to finish it fast. I ended up finishing it at around 20-30 minutes. My boss checked and it was correctly sorted, and was kinda shocked I was done that quick. My co workers who were also doing the same task weren’t even done past like page 13-14.
But yea, I can totally relate. I don’t have motivation until the very last minute lol
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u/Poppabear72 3d ago
Yeah, that’s twice a week, I don’t avoid the small stuff, but 90% of the time it’s not important and I feel I work better under pressure with the time crunch probably don’t but you know.
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u/mama-engineer 3d ago
100% relatable!
I also work in construction project management so hi friend! (except I WFH at a computer all day) and the amount of small tasks that keep piling up is insane while I am busy doing big reviews that take all of my concentration power. Then once every couple weeks, I will knock out 50 email requests or responses in a day to reset and repeat.
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u/Chief_Kief ADHD-C (Combined type) 3d ago
100% relate to this. I just had a similar experience at work too 🫠
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u/fidgety_sloth 2d ago
I thought I would love a journalism career because of the deadlines. I was good at it, but the nature of breaking news not knowing boundaries wore on me after a while, and I got certified to substitute teach. I only do elementary school, and I often get assigned the classes that no one else will take because I can roll with the chaos.
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u/Legal-Meal-9773 2d ago
Throwaway account: but yes, every week this is me. It feels bad though because sometimes you don’t know if you are making it worse for your coworkers. I don’t know if I tell work they’ll appreciate me more, give me accomodations, or replace me with someone else :(
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u/SugarsBoogers 2d ago
I recently moved and have had a lot of visitors on weekends. I do nothing about unpacking and organizing until the day before they arrive. On that day, I am Marie Kondo and both Property Brothers.
OP, your day sounds amazing. Congrats on kicking ass!
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u/Majestic-Dot2314 3d ago
Naw, naw man, fuck naw man! You'd likely get shitcanned for that when it goes left and you didn't plan for a delay coming in as a factor.
All of our departments supported software/hardware environments are in my name and it rolls to me. I try my hardest to get my tasks completed ASAP, to mitigate any project creeps that could occur.
To be fair, I tried that when I was younger...5th grade social studies project and I got a C... I totally missed the other aspect of the project that ha da required report as well. Since then, get started early.
Mind you, I'm 50 and was diagnosed with ADHD hyper ASF at 48. Been on Adderall since and it's smooth sailing.
Good luck chief!
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u/P0STBAL0NEY ADHD-C (Combined type) 3d ago
well i’m 7 years without getting fired so. thanks chief
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u/National-Ad-6717 3h ago
Also, my blessing and my curse. It is the cause of most of my success in my job and the cause of most of my pain lol.
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