Some weeks, zero tasks completed. Others, 14-hour days on repeat.
I had “made it” as a software engineer at companies like Meta, Google, and Instagram, where focus, speed, and output are everything.
However, for years, my undiagnosed (mostly inattentive) ADHD caused me to cycle endlessly between zero and 200%.
The 200% was fueled by deadlines and straight fear.
Out of pure desperation, I tried everything. Eventually, I figured out the right systems and tools to manage my distractibility.
Hopefully, I can spare you those years of struggle.
Here are three tactics for ADHD management that ultimately saved my tech career.
#1: Ignore Everyone, Including Your Manager
At one point at Instagram, I was tasked with coordinating multiple legal, engineering, product, and marketing teams to unblock a global product launch.
“Urgent” pings every 10 minutes. So many group chats I lost track of who people were. Weekly and daily updates for each subgroup.
My job title said I was supposed to code. But I didn’t have time to code.
To save me from a bad performance review, my manager told me to stop responding so fast to messages.
Including messages from him.
At first, I thought he was crazy. But after turning all my notifications off in 2 hours blocks, I realized several things:
There is only ever one “most important task” at any given moment.
It’s much harder to say yes to yourself if you have to say no to 10 people first.
If everything is important, nothing is important.
In work and non-work settings, if you only give yourself one option, there’s less for your ADHD brain to cycle on.
After following his advice, I actually produced code, everything launched on time, and I even got promoted.
#2: Eliminate Context Switching
Task switching is costly for anyone, but it’s especially a problem for those with ADHD. Studies show switching tasks can take 15-20% longer in those with inattentive ADHD versus those without.
Schedule all your highly distracting obligations in one block. If you’re overwhelmed, it’s probably not because there isn’t enough time. It’s probably because you’re not structuring your time effectively.
Four 30-minute chunks means you have to start and stop your task 4 times.
One 2-hour block means you only have to initiate focus time once.
Some proven techniques:
Meta and Google both designate org-wide “no meeting Wednesdays.” Block entire days with no task-switching obligations, so you don’t have to worry about re-focusing.
Schedule meetings back-to-back when your brain is most naturally distracted. For me, this meant I aggressively squeezed most meetings between 1-4 pm.
Carve out chunks for your own focus time, and cut out all options except for your most important task.
If billion dollar tech companies can do this and still get everything done, you can too.
#3: Keep Your Side Quests in Check
My brain doesn’t have a main quest. The whole thing is a series of side quests. I love this aspect of my life, but sometimes we do have more linear goals.
Rather than beat yourself up for when you inevitably get sidetracked, make guardrails.
Every tech team I worked on ended up implementing some version of weekly “sprint planning” and a “standup” to check in. This looks something like:
Weekly planning on Mondays - Identify your most important task of the week
Standup/check-in on Thursdays - Share if you’re on or off track (red/yellow/green), and identify what might be blocking you or taking up unnecessary time.
The best part was that we did this all without judgment. The goal was never to shame anyone, just to help everyone keep moving forward.
You can do this outside of work too.
Check in with yourself, or a friend/coworker avoiding getting sidetracked. It’s okay if your priorities shift, as long as they shift intentionally.
This Week: For You
If you found one of these ideas helpful, try it out and let me know how it goes!
To focus, eliminate options except for the most important task.
Group similar tasks or commitments together to reduce context switching.
Check in next week to make sure your inevitable side quests are intentional.
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— Kat