I have always struggled with my productivity. I cannot focus on a task, and it shows. Getting my ADHD diagnosis the first time was enlightening. The second was bureaucratic and unnecessary. The first diagnosis explained many of the struggles I experienced in life. I am lazy, but it is not as bad as one might think, because half of it is my ADHD sending me to a different topic.
I can hyperfocus and produce work for sixteen hours straight one day, and be distracted by every Slack message the next. It is not a lack of motivation or a problem with self-discipline. It is ADHD.
This post covers what ADHD does to me as a software engineer. It contains no stereotypes and no filler. It is one person's honest account.
Hyperfixation can seem like a blessing, and in many ways it is. I found my success because I hyperfixated on learning to code during a time when I had nothing else to do. However, I did not choose to hyperfixate. My brain chose for me.
It is also a curse. I can hyperfocus on a task for six hours, finish it, and then spend the next four hours working up the motivation to start another. Starting a task is very difficult. Context switching is very difficult.
Many of the productivity techniques that a neurotypical engineer might use are useless for me. The Pomodoro technique does not work, because it causes interruptions. Doing the hardest task first does not work either, because starting a task is the hardest task. I do not know how I am supposed to do that. Constant Slack, Discord and email notifications are more distractions, although important ones.
These are the things that help. I need my music playlist, a quiet and comfortable corner, a mug of coffee, tea or cider, and 16 hours of uninterrupted time. With those, I can be extremely productive. I need to finish one thing before moving on to the next. If I have walked away for too long, I will never pick it back up. This is why I do not finish video games. Good task and note software also helps. I rely heavily on Asana and Notion lately.
Hikari also helps.
Software engineering is in some ways very good for the ADHD brain, and in other ways very difficult. If I can settle into an idea, test and refine loop, I can produce very good work. If I am given vague, directionless assignments, you may receive unfocused work in return. Code reviews are difficult. If a change is more than about 10 lines of code, I will not read it. I cannot bring myself to do it.
Medication helps a lot, provided your psychiatrist is not withholding it. Mine is, for safety reasons. Apparently it makes mood swings worse. I am now barely functioning. It is vital to work in an environment that allows for fluctuations in productivity when the net positive is high. I can deliver anything you need. You will get silence for a week, then 50 updates in a day, then another week of silence, and then a finished app.
Remote work helps a lot. I have a quiet office and a very expensive, comfortable chair. No one bothers me, and I can listen to my music and work effectively. However, with no one there to keep me on track, a rabbit hole can consume the whole workday.
None of this is medical advice. I am not legally allowed to give medical advice. This post should not be treated as medical advice, and I am not a credible source of medical information. It is a description of how I experience ADHD.
This is real. This is my real experience. This is my everyday life. This is ADHD. This is Naomi.