Women with ADHD in the workplace: from challenges to strategies for success
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in women is a topic that is gaining more and more attention – and for good reason. For decades, women have been systematically overlooked in the diagnosis process, leading to years of unrecognized difficulties and untapped potential. During a recent webinar hosted by Basia Man from the Mamo Pracuj Foundation, three experts – Marta Żmudka (psychologist and HR manager), Justyna Abramowska (Head of Marketing) and Ola Biszczad (community manager) – shared their experiences as women with ADHD working in the professional environment.
Invisible symptoms: why are women overlooked in diagnosis?
Traditional diagnostic criteria for ADHD were based mainly on observations of boys, which led to the creation of a stereotypical image of a hyperactive child – loud, disruptive, unable to sit still. Meanwhile, the symptoms in girls are often completely different.
Women with ADHD are more likely to experience internal hyperactivity – a storm of thoughts, emotions, and sensations that are not visible to those around them. Instead of running around the classroom, they may stare out of the window for hours, get lost in their own thoughts or feel overwhelmed by the amount of stimuli. This form of ADHD, often referred to as “quiet” or “internal,” has remained undiagnosed for years.
Ola Biszczad describes her childhood: “I was really a very quiet, calm, even subdued girl, and no one would have said at the time that I could have ADHD, but what was going on inside me was definitely hyperactivity.”
In addition, social expectations of girls often lead to the early development of masking mechanisms. From an early age, they are taught to be polite and not cause trouble, which results in their difficulties remaining hidden even from themselves, otherwise they are not accepted. It is a survival strategy for women with ADHD.
Diagnosis in adulthood: a turning point
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood is often a turning point that allows for a completely new perspective on one’s own experiences. Many women describe it as a relief, but also as sadness due to the lack of adequate support for many years.
The diagnosis process is long and demanding – it involves several hours of conversations with specialists, a detailed interview about symptoms that have been present since childhood, and a differential diagnosis to rule out other disorders. It is crucial to find a specialist who understands the specifics of ADHD in women, as many professionals still use outdated criteria.
Justyna Abramowska emphasizes the transformative nature of the diagnosis: “So after 25 years of work, I finally began to understand what my strengths and weaknesses are, or rather, to understand where they come from.”
The diagnosis not only explains past experiences, but also opens the door to new coping strategies. It allows for the conscious use of other aspects of ADHD, such as hyperfocus and the ability to work under time pressure.
Masking: the hidden price of adaptation
One of the biggest challenges for women with ADHD is masking—the unconscious hiding of symptoms by imitating neurotypical behavior. It is a gigantic compensatory system that allows them to function in society but requires a tremendous amount of energy.
Masking can include a variety of behaviors: anticipating and preparing for all possible scenarios, constantly monitoring one’s own reactions, feigning interest in boring tasks, or creating complex organizational systems. Women with ADHD often become perfectionists, trying to make up for their difficulties with even better results.
The problem is that masking is extremely exhausting. After eight hours of “pretending to be neurotypical” at work, many women come home completely exhausted, with no energy for their private lives or pursuing their passions. This chronic stress can lead to burnout, depression, or anxiety disorders.
Marta Żmudka explains this mechanism: “The diagnosis definitely gives you a new opportunity to get to know yourself without a mask, because you need to know this, especially women, who have a strategy for coping in a neurotypical world without knowing themselves. And this strategy is masking, which is simply a whole system of giant cobwebs, mazes of coping in a neurotypical world, because we are socialized to deliver, to not be late. You know, our upbringing in Poland is very much like that, so we women with undiagnosed ADHD have mostly learned how to compensate, for example, so that I’m not late, I leave an hour early because I stand there at the door because I’m always late.“
Challenges in the professional environment
The workplace can be both a source of fulfillment and constant stress for women with ADHD. Traditional organizational structures often do not take into account cognitive diversity, which creates additional barriers.
Typical challenges include difficulty managing time, procrastination on boring tasks, problems organizing the workspace, and excessive sensitivity to noise and interruptions. Many women with ADHD have difficulty with long, monotonous meetings, especially when they are unable to participate actively.
At the same time, women with ADHD bring unique values to teams: a creative approach to problems, the ability to see unusual solutions, high motivation for tasks they are passionate about, and honesty and authenticity in communication. The key is to create an environment that allows these strengths to be leveraged.
Paradoxically, the COVID-19 pandemic has helped many women with ADHD discover their preferences. Remote work has proven to be the ideal solution for some, allowing them to better manage their environment and time. For others, however, the lack of structure and human contact has become an additional challenge.
Strategies for success at work
Functioning effectively with ADHD in a professional environment requires the development of personalized strategies. The basis is taking care of physiological needs—regular sleep, adequate hydration, and a balanced diet have a key impact on cognitive functioning.
Technology is becoming an increasingly important support. Task management apps, calendars with reminders, artificial intelligence tools for structuring work – all of these can make everyday functioning much easier. However, it is important not to overdo it with the number of tools and to find the ones that really work.
Ola Biszczad emphasizes the importance of technology: “Artificial intelligence has changed a lot. I have found my favorite tools, which are my assistants at work (…) With artificial intelligence, the problem of getting started and large overwhelming projects basically ceases to exist.”
The ability to break large projects down into smaller, more manageable tasks is also key. Techniques known from IT methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, can be very helpful in day-to-day work management.
The role of employers: creating an inclusive environment
Organizations that want to support employees with ADHD need to move beyond the traditional “one size fits all” approach. This does not mean revolutionary changes, but rather increasing flexibility and awareness of diversity in functioning.
Basic adjustments may include: the option to work at different times of the day, access to quiet spaces for work requiring concentration, flexibility in the organization of meetings (with the option to take notes or fidget), clear communication of expectations and deadlines, and regular feedback instead of waiting for annual evaluations.
The cultural aspect is also important – creating an environment where diversity is seen as a value rather than a problem to be solved. When employees feel safe sharing their needs, they can better utilize their potential.
Justyna Abramowska, author of the report “Neurodiversity in the Workplace,” emphasizes the importance of dialogue: “It seems to me that there are two main themes here (…) the first is really the dialogue that we have somewhere in the workplace, that we have with each other. Of course, the employer can do nothing about it, but the assumption is that employers want to maximize the effect they get from each employee, as brutal as that may sound. So we tried to convince them to think about diversity, about different personal situations and about chronic illnesses, which many people suffer from, in terms of their potential.”
Building community and support
One of the most important elements of coping with ADHD is building community and mutual support. Women with ADHD often experience feelings of isolation and difference, so connecting with others who have similar experiences can be transformative.
Online communities, support groups, discussion forums – all these spaces allow people to share experiences, strategies, and simply feel that they are not alone. However, it is important that these communities are based on reliable knowledge and mutual support, rather than perpetuating myths or negative beliefs.
Ola Biszczad describes the power of such a community: “I had a speech not long ago where I was talking about ADHD and I said something like (…) that when a woman with ADHD meets a woman with ADHD, they bond in about 30 seconds.”
The future: towards greater awareness
The growing awareness of ADHD in women is not a “trend,” as some suggest, but a long-awaited equalization in access to diagnosis and treatment. As knowledge about differences in symptoms grows, more and more women are receiving the support they need.
It is crucial to continue educating the public, employers, and professionals about the specifics of ADHD in women. Organizations that understand and harness the potential of neurodiversity will gain a competitive advantage, and women with ADHD will be able to fully develop their talents.
At the same time, it is important not to idealize ADHD or treat it as a “superpower.” It is still a disorder that requires support and appropriate strategies. The goal is not to ‘cure’ or “fix” it, but to create conditions in which each person can function in accordance with their neurology.
This article presents only a fragment of the inspiring conversations from the webinar. The full recording contains many more practical strategies, personal experiences, and valuable advice for women with ADHD. We encourage you to watch the entire webinar to learn about all aspects of functioning with ADHD in the workplace, including detailed work organization techniques, ways to communicate with employers, and specific technological tools to support daily functioning.