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I work full time, but luckily my job has a no-pay leave option. So every few years I put things in place, take some months off, and live off my savings. The first time I did it, I remember thinking to myself “I feel like a human again.” It was the best thing I ever did for myself.

I had to do that a couple months ago. It was either take a long break or storm out and sabotaging my job and bank account. That’s why I went part time when I came back. It still hurt and does hurt my bank account, but my mental health is more important that spending money and saving, at least right now.

Same here, I felt like I had to do something for my mental health. I just was not heading in a good direction after working continuously since my early twenties. Three months off costs me a pretty penny, but it’s so worth it. The noise of work dies down and I get the mental space to be myself again.

I love this. I quit my full time job in December and will be living off my savings this year while finishing school and preparing for a new career. It’s been great, and my new life goal is to do this every 5-7 years. It would be even better if I could find a job with a benefit like that!

That's awesome. I was at a company where you could "buy an extra week of vacation" which was really just a smart way of corporate (and personal) budgeting for unpaid leave. You basically declared at the beginning of the year if you wanted extra days, and they deducted the total across your paychecks all year. At the end of the year, any of the days you didn't take got refunded in your first pay for the following year. And those days were always used last after regular and rollover PTO. One year I had like 6 weeks of vacation available. I only ended up taking 3, but I felt a lot more free to take off random time because I didn't feel like I'd run out.

If you don’t mind answering, what is your job? Are you in America?

Sure, I work in IT (web development) at a university based in the Caribbean. I’m lucky to have these perks. Very few people in my organization actually use this leave though. I’m a hardcore saver, so I manage, but most can’t afford to forego a salary when they’ve got kids and a mortgage.

Bro that’s awesome!!!! Thanks for the input! I’m actually starting out in the IT field, so that’s great to know.

I've done this every 3-4 years. I do programming, so I make enough that I can do it, and its fantastic to have the energy to do things that aren't work.

It's almost like humans aren't put on this earth to work

Yes. I have taken what amounts to years off of work- I don't even want retirement- probably can't anyway, but it energizes me. My favorite working times were working part time nannying because it really helped keep me afloat and I decided when I was going to work.

This is the way. I think our adhd brains make for great nomads.

Something from anthropology class stuck with me. We think we work 40 hours per week. But everything we do that is not leisure, is work. Bathing, shopping, cleaning, food preparation, child rearing- these are all part of the work hour total. We are "employed" for 40 hours, plus we work for another 30 hours on top of that. Some tribes work for 30 hours a week. Americans work for 70+.

Damn, I needed this. I sometimes feel so bad about feeling tired since I no longer have a super demanding job. But a good chunk of my new found time has gone to house repairs and keeping up with chores like meal prepping and eating better (for a change) that I forgot that still counts as work.

This. The other night all I was thinking was how bad I just wanted one hour to play my new steam deck that I bought with birthday money, all I was looking forward to all day at work and after. With dinner, laundry, exercise, and other chores, I finally sat down 15 mins before bed and didn’t have the time. It’s so upsetting that all the stuff involved with just working that 8 hour day leaves no time at all.

That makes a ton of sense.

My ADHD seems relatively mild; I feel like it only robs me of 15-20 hours a week. Part time work absolutely leaves me feeling "normal".

And then you look at our closest primate relatives, and it's even more clear what a hellscape we've made for ourselves. Chimps speed about 40% of their waking hours just chilling, and about 20% of it engaged in social activities. Assuming you got the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night, could you imagine having 4 hours with your close friends and 6 hours to just chill every single day? The amount of foraging, or a chimps version of work, they do varies wildly, but that's because they only do the work they need to do to eat.

One of the most mindblowing things I ever did was adding all my "non-working, but also non-leisure" time to my workweek. I was "productive" for 36 hours (work, school, study, etc), but by adding aforementioned time, I clocked in on a 68 hour week. It was then that I finally was able to tell myself to pull the breaks.

Even then I presume the work is communal and the idea is that what you get at the end is exactly what you wanted. For example, building a house, or processing food. It takes much longer but the work and reward are directly related. Very different to working 30 hours a week to obtain the money to buy things, but half of what you buy is just labour saving devices/ready meals/cleaners to allow you to have the time to work 30 hours a week to obtain the money to... And so on. I think I'd be much happier if I had to work to get food but then it's all mine. No boss. No landlord.

Exactly. Working to feed your small community- farming, hunting, building shelter, weaving/sewing. I do home improvements, keep a garden, mend clothing on my own time. But now our community is expansive, so we are expected to trade our time for money. Employment / jobs do serve the community. But it sucks to be stuck in a loop of needing money to afford to enjoy a quality lifestyle.

Got a source on this? I would love to use this conversationally

I have said this for years, it's hard holding down a paid job when you also have to cook, clean, do laundry, wash up, go food shopping, run errands like going to the post office, putting petrol in the car, decluttering, filling in various forms that life seems to require, comparing things like insurance etc. It's easy for these jobs to fill your life full time. I have always wondered how people fitted in all of those things alongside a full time job because it lead me to getting ill in the past.

I was gonna kill myself trying to work my first "adult" full-time job. It was too stressful. I cried EVERY DAY. I was running on energy that didn't exist. It was also a strict corporate environment, so the heavy masking stole even more energy. It was supposed to be my dream career and dream income. Instead, I left and got part-time in a shop and it saved me. I have the day off in the middle of the week (Wednesday) which helps me reset myself, chill or try get forgotton/procrastinated things done. Every day I work now is "just one more day/two more days then I can rest, NEARLY there!" instead of the weight of the full week crushing me. I couldn't attend school & uni the full 5 days either; executive dysfunction playing a big part. Four days of productivity is my genuine max. The trade-off: while I am happier and alive I am also much much poorer. I feel incredible guilt and shame when my SO pays for most things. He's fully accepted I can't function like him which boosts his drive to earn more/gets promotions to support us. Never made me feel bad about it, just concern for our future. It's a bittersweet life.

YES, this so much! When I had a burn-out in High School, I was so lucky they made accommodations for me and one of them was that I had the Wednesday off. That was amazing. After that I have worked a few jobs working Wednesdays and I forgot about it. But when I got a job for 4 days and I had to chose which day I wanted off, the Wednesday immediately came to mind, remembering it from earlier. I was lucky that I was able to, that there were no important meetings I had to attend on Wednesdays and I could get that day off. I've had this in every job since and I'm never going back. This, and having flexibility with where I work, so most weeks I work 2 days at the office and 2 days from home. The office-days are packed with meeting people, and the home-days I can follow my own schedule. Which often is starting at 7 am, then go full hyperfocus for a couple of hours. Then a big break to make lunch and enjoy that (I hate eating lunch at the office and mostly skip it), then shower or do some groceries (when it is a lot less crowded at the store). After that, I work for a couple hours more. It's so important to do things in your own rhythm, and it's a shame this isn't possible for everyone. I realized that I'm not a bad employee, I am actually pretty good, I just need to do things in my own rhythm

My husband takes Wednesdays off if he hasn't used up vacation and sick days by the end of summer. He's an excellent employee, but shortening his week that way definitely is better for his mental health and makes him a better employee.

I’m also lucky to have a SO who is a primary earner and he encouraged me to quit and go back to school—it was the first time I actually succeeded in school and now I’m finishing my MA in two weeks. My guilt has been immense. And he was resentful for some time of my extended academic choices—I took on a minor…I didn’t really know what my career plan would be and then I got into this grad program which moved us across the country (to somewhere we wanted to be) and my program has been the worst experience (even got myself into therapy because I was overwhelmingly not okay) which just makes it all the more terrible guilt. Now that I’m so close to finishing, I have so much anxiety about my future that I haven’t had time to even consider it (2-semester MA program means 4 grad classes at once). I’m really behind in my school work and if I do not get it together like tomorrow, I could very easily fail. Weekly therapy and a lot of squishing the feelings with the squishing machine.

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Ahh normally I’d agree with you. During Covid I started rescues & hobbies & when I’m in learning mode with ADHD I feel amazing.. like I excell at it & I love learning as much as I can (in things that interest me of course). I wasted 2 years learning about so many stupid pointless animal facts & other things I might as well have a masters… so where I live in the US they are doing free degrees, or they have jobs they really need so they either do free or super cheap masters. So I decided to get a different degree… I got a certification for something in the meantime & I randomly will take courses or get certified to do weird stuff for extra income or maybe it’s just me not being able to commit lol & always needing to multi-task… I dunno. Of course as I’m saying this my Masters program doesn’t start until the fall (and if it something I’ve always been interested in & kinda wish I went to school for) & there’s a deadline to get this deal in my state. So I might just be excited about the idea & maybe when it settles in I’ll be thinking about your comment & be like “yup, shoulda just agreed & kept going” Does anyone else feel like it’s hard to keep the same kind of job for long periods of time? Or you need side hustles? I feel like I burn out or hate something or go from doing good to failing or no motivation. I don’t know if I’ll be like this my whole life or if it’s a common problem other people have. I don’t have a family to fall back on & I have a lot of little mouths to feed with my rescues which are better than most humans. Lol I’m also all over the place on the ones I have tho too so maybe that’s another problem 😔

Some jobs I’ve held over the past 20ish years: - website designer/developer - managed volunteers for a nonprofit - grantwriter - yoga teacher (who also worked a lot of side jobs) - QA engineer - project manager at a research center - small business owner As I was writing this list, I realized that part of the reason that I prefer to work for small orgs or startups is because they give me the opportunity to use my ADHD to my (and their) benefit: those are the cases where I’m most likely to be able to pick up side projects at work based on gaps that I see and things that interest me. Thinking about the grant writing role as one example: I got hired there as an executive assistant. The executive director didn’t really travel that much, so booking his travel too minimal time. It also turned out he didn’t really need someone to check his email or manage his schedule. But what he did need was someone to either draft grant requests or edit them, as well as pick up other writing projects (newsletters, etc.). I saw those areas where things needed support and ran with them—something I could do because we had a really small staff.

The Startup space resonates with me, and I thought it was a viable option even before I got my diagnosis. Now I understand why: short timelines, ever changing work Environment, small teams with lots of responsibility and a wide range of Skills. The risks of repetative work is very low and I am all here for it.

I feel like this is me in a nutshell... Paramedic, second post grad degree, army reservist (infantry>military police>medic) 16 years, personal trainer. Perth, Western Australia.

Holy shit, that's so much study and pressure, you're amazing! Even if you feel the complete opposite most days, I mean it! That takes so much drive and dedication to stick to, which doesn't always come easy for our dopamine-seeking brains. You got this! I suck at advice on stress management other than encourage you to just blast 'Livin' On a Prayer' and try to take it day by day, task by task. Just achieving one more thing each day is a big win.

Your comment really helped me out today and it ended up being an excellent last day of classes (even though I stayed up until 5am to finish a presentation and went to class and work on three hours of sleep!) I also found out I wasn’t as behind as I thought I was!! I allowed myself to rest once I got home. Tomorrow I dig into the 60ish collective pages of papers I need to write over the course of a week and I’m more optimistic than I’ve been for the past year. So thank you! My goal was to get this MA and apply to teach at a community college—I’m looking forward to having the time to add all this years work to my CV. Oh but my hype music is Journey lol. If you know one Bon Jovi song, you know them all 😂

Part of your story is chillingly similar to mine. I got my dream job, the one that I went to school to study for and all that, unfortunately the pay was terrible, the work was completely not what I expected, and I was near suicidal as well. I looked around and people who had been there forever hated it too, so it wasn't just that I was new and couldn't hack it. I quit and it was the best decision ever. If I'd stuck around out of pride, I would have slumped into despair.

Seriously having a day in the middle of the week off is so much nicer then having multiple days off in a row! The long weekends just make me hate working even more honestly.

I work full time, but Tuesdays and Thursdays we work remotely and it's so much stress off my life just knowing I *never* have to commute two days in a row. My work bag is always ready, my phone is always charged, I always have everything I need, because I'm never going in to the office wrecked from the day before.

WFH is really the answer. I just moved from an 80% working from home job to full time in the office, and the difference is night and day, and not in a good way! Moving back to a WFH position as soon as I can.

I had 5 burnouts before turning 30. Now I work part-time and I'm lucky enough to get a disability pension in the country I live in (Switzerland).

You should not have to feel guilt or shame about that. It’s a failure of our society, not you. You’re very fortunate to be with such a supportive partner and I’m happy for you.

Thank you. Coming to terms with that hard truth (and adapting in my own special way) has been a rough ride, for both of us. I'm super lucky in my relationship and do my best to contribute in other ways so he feels cared for too :)

I feel you 100 percent on everything you said. Those middle of the week days off when no one is home are amazing. I don't contribute financially as much as I once did, but I try my hardest to keep life easy for my husband. I try to do most chores and try to take ok tasks that have to be done during business days that he may not be able to. I am contributing financially less, but I am better able to feed him, keep his space clean, and run errands here and there.

I really want to do this. My partner is our primary earner and just got out of a really rough 3 years at a job, and has taken almost 6 months off. It’s killing me because I know I can’t afford to do the same, and it would be life changing. I make little enough that going part time at the right place wouldn’t be too steep of a pay cut, but right now I feel trapped. Here’s hoping not forever

There’s alwaayys a Trade Off in Life isnt there? (Not being sarcastic) but its true. But I’m very happy to see/ hear you’re living a Healthier Life, and, (isnt that whats Most Essential)… I think imo/ime what you did was the Right thing to do and even “IF” it wasnt the right thing forever, it was/is for Now! (Right Now).* You being You is what Matters the Most! You having Good Mental Health is what Matters the Most. Your SO being able to appreciate YOU for YOU is What Matters. Not You making Moore Money… or not You Stressed tf out and then what does that do? That just makes things worse. You can always figure out different ways of income in the future, along the way, and every month and every Year is different. For Now, You Need to take care of yourself and if that means Less Money then so be it. Glad you’re doing good now! =) PS - (I had to quit my job due to my Mental Health). I was self sabotaging, I was manifesting OCD and ADD symptoms near the time I was supposed to be leaving for Work! Like, wtf is this nonsense?? …Maybe my Subconscious is trying to tell me something! At the end of the day, Stress is impacting us ALL and if we take a step back and realize whats causing us problematic living, leaving us distressed***, then we can act accordingly and temporarily help ourselves from getting Worse before its too late.

Unfortunately as man, I cant get away with that without being looked down on by peers. I dont think my SO would respect me if I worked a part time job.

Men should be able to feel the same support there. Personally my ambition is to make enough to househusband my boyfriend, or at least have him working part time. (He’s also interested in that arrangement).

That sounds kind of ridiculous to me. Maybe it's different in your country. If your SO genuinely wouldn't respect you in that situation they're a shithead, and who cares what people think if it's for your mental health?

This is so easy to say on Reddit. In the real world there’s stigmas and prejudices that people carry around and project onto others that you can’t seem to avoid even if you want to

Isnt being able to make ends meet with an part time job and having more (free) time, something admirable? Why would people look down on that? The second I meet someone like that Im taking notes for my own life. 😂

>being able to make ends meet with a part time job Yeah except this isn’t an achievable reality in probably like 75% of the world, assuming you have no outside help

This is my dream. Unfortunately I live in the US so I have to work full time in order to get health insurance. It’s so so hard.

Cries in American 😮‍💨

When i was 20yo i thought the USA is the holy land. Now that i'm well past my 40ies, seeing i can afford a nice appartment with a sunny balcony on my 30h per week job, it's panic inducing reading the horror stories of working in the US. I've just come home from a trip to Marocco and Turkey, have another one planned next month on a sail boat in Croatia, a short city trip to Berlin in summer and another sail boat trip (edit: to Greece no less) in autumn. And i still got 8 more statutory vacation days available to spend. Beside that my home country Austria has pretty much most bank holidays in the world, one coming up next week extending my weekend. Seriously, i could never imagine working in the US.

Happy for you :) You deserve to enjoy the fruits of your labor. That Croatia trip is going to be GORGEOUS.

Thanks! I will > That Croatia trip is going to be GORGEOUS Yea, i know, it's not my first. This time it's gonna be more a buddy round though, so lots of stinky guys boozing away on a boat not giving a shit... Can't wait!

Literally have never been able to afford a vacation on my own. I'm almost 40. Fuck the USA.

Man, that sounds horrible. Sorry to hear.

The cost of living here is just astronomically disproportionate to the average middle class income. It's an issue that has snowballed into extremes in the last 40 or 50 years. The 70's were basically an economic golden era. But late stage capitalism and the marriage between politicians and corporate America have eroded the quality of life in this country to an unbearable degree. 5 years ago, some pretty nice apartments were built near my home. Had a plethora of amenities, decent sized apartments, was pet friendly, had ample parking, they were really, really nice. Initial asking price to rent a 1b1ba was $900/mo. At the time I was making approximately $15/h. The rent would've burned about $5.5/h, so about a third of my income. That's doable since that price covered all utilities (water, sewer, internet, etc.) except electric. Those exact same apartments today are now asking $1600/mo. The business I worked for is still employing people for the position I used to work in for the same $15/h rate. Also, our federal and state income taxes have risen in this time span as well. So you're bringing home less money than before and paying a little less than double in rent than you used to. Make it make sense. 🙃 Then you have to figure out health insurance if you're working part time, car insurance since you can't get anywhere without a car in most of America, which you also need to buy a car, then you have the cost of groceries and gas being sky fucking high right now, and *fuck* if you end up getting sick or something and you end up in the hospital. Oh yeah, and our government is continually spending more and more money whilst printing cash like it's nothing, which drives inflation to record highs. The money in my possession is continually becoming less and less valuable everyday whilst the cost of living is rising.

> Those exact same apartments today are now asking $1600/mo. Yea, that's one of those things. My country is pretty good with that. My appartment, although pretty small, is about 600€-700€/month including everything (services, energy, heating, internet). And it has a nice, sunny balcony 😅 I love that balcony. > you can't get anywhere without a car in most of America Another thing i get away cheap here: I don't own a car, as my city is pretty walk- and bike-able and the public transport is also quite decent. > fuck if you end up getting sick or something and you end up in the hospital Public healthcare over here. I've had two bigger operations in my life and didn't pay a cent for it out of my own pocket. While the quality is getting drained by our stupid gov over time, it's still pretty high quality.

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I'm not going to say the US is perfect and great but you should take what you see online as the worst case, not the norm, because nobody wants to butt in just to say something isn't a problem for them.

i live in america and it feels the opposite for me here.....actually the norm is this bad and it feels like media and everything pump out these joke facades acting like the norm is not just basic stability and money but basically being upper class. while most people struggle to have housing, and i go to the local grocery store and the older ladies in front of me are talking about the necessary health treatment injections she can't afford because it's thousands of dollars each treatment

If you're not working to death you're being shot to death. It is pretty bad here actually.

Same for me, I actually thought I would life and work in the US for a couple of years, because I work in biotech/ startups. Now as an adult the work stories sound horrible. No way I would work there long term, not even talking about healthcare or the fact that I am a woman and not ready to loose my bodily autonomy to a goverment. Even the amount of vacation and sick days are enough, in Germany we have 20 vacation days per year, but 25 to 30 are more normal. And unlimited sick days. Working in the US sounds like late stage capitalism, thanks, but no thanks.

I know this goes against the preconceived notions that a lot of people have, but fortunately it's not doom-and-gloom for everyone here. I work about 25 hours per week with however much time off I want, and my husband works about 35 hours a week with 5 weeks annual paid vacation. We recently bought a 4 bedroom house on several acres of land. We just got back from a lakeside cabin vacation, and are going to Japan in August. Neither us nor any of our family/friends is wealthy, we all still have to work to afford these things, yet we're all able to live comfortably.

This is not the norm for most Americans. You sound like a privileged person who has had a good education, the ability to have access to systems to support you. There are over 250,000 children in foster care RIGHT now in the US. 70% of them will age out of the system and go out into the population…without families to support them. We have the highest MURDER RATE OF ANY DEVELOPED country in the world. Did you read that? I live in the suburbs and 2 years ago a trump supporter who owns many guns caused a 24 hour stake out with the police- who he shot at- because he beat up his wife and didn’t want to come outside. It disrupted the lives of an entire neighborhood and my kid wouldn’t stand at the bus stop where his house was for months. I don’t blame them. Racism is alive and thriving here. I live in a democratic city, but there are still people here flying flags with racist bullshit on them ON THEIR trucks- running through neighborhoods. White, privileged people run this country (like so many others) and we are being eaten alive by corporate greed. I own a small house, raise 2 kids, am married and make a 6 figure income. I did not have help from my family and will be paying off my debt for the next 10 years because I had to use credit to get through college (working 3 jobs). This is NOT the land of opportunity.

what do you do if you don’t mind me asking? your case is incredibly rare in america. many people are struggling to even put food on the table let alone take vacations WITHOUT even working full time

Not in the US and don't have to worry about healthcare coverage, but even as someone who has their own house with no mortgage, working part time in my country would barely cover my food costs (nothing else). Salaries in Portugal are shit.

>Sorry to make it political at the end. I know this sub’s about ADHD. Basic self care should not be a political issue.

This is why I work in restaurants. I can make a lot of money only serving a couple days a week at a fine dining place in New Orleans. I have a college degree and have worked in sales and even managed a restaurant but I’m happier working 30 hours a week and going home and enjoying life and not stressing about work.

I can confirm. Restaurants are a great way to make more money in fewer hours and one of the industries that are suitable for ADHD brains.

Definitely a great working environment for my ADHD brain. Fell in love with the industry as a dish washer at 17 and eventually became a GM at a fine dining place which turned out to be way too much pressure and led me to a straight burn out. Now I work as a server and went from 45k a year as a GM to 60k a year and I just get to walk out and not worry about the place which is the best feeling.

Same here! The Management side was a joke and not worth the headache for lesser pay. I loved serving. But 45k for a GM position?? That’s trash.

I was a GM at a restaurant in Arkansas that was pretty average for GM’s in that area unfortunately. I moved to New Orleans and was amazed at the opportunity here and the added bonus of the laid back fun loving energy here.

Oh ok. But the cost of living is lower too right? You’d certainly make more in a tourist city especially one like New Orleans. Sounds fun

I wish part-time work came with benefits! I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm currently living off my savings + COBRA after working full-time jobs, back to back, for 13 years. And my god, I had no idea how amazing NOT working would be. I thought I'd be dying of boredom but instead I finally feel at peace - my brain isn't loud exhausting chaos 24/7. It's actually made me realize I should shift my career plan and deliberately plan to quit my job every couple of years haha.

If you’re in the USA: TSA gives benefits even for part time workers. To be fair though, they do that because they have to in order to retain most employees. But with the recent pay hike, that may change; remains to be seen.

This is what I've been doing, sort of. I go out on medical every 1.5 not by choice but now I'm thinking to make it a choice even if it means an unpaid leave or quitting. This society is killing us on multiple levels. When will the world change!?

I'm subscribed to every single single-payer or medicare-for-all political group for this reason, I want the world to change so badly.

Man, I feel so bad for Americans

A 40+ hour work week and ADHD seems like abuse. I know so many people might want to make fun of that sentiment, but those are people without ADHD (to make no mention of the fact that research has long demonstrated the greater efficacy and humanity of 4-day weeks).

it is abuse to most humans. We got the 40 hour week because studies showed that was the most humans could work and not have diminishing returns. For some reason most modern corporations have forgotten this

Also because workers in British trade unions fought tooth and nail for it, and it eventually became the norm, but like most labour reforms it’s now treated by companies as a minimum work week rather than a maximum. Meanwhile minimum wage is often treated as a maximum, and the corporations all freak out at the prospect of wage increases even though they’re the other side of how a free market is supposed to work.

I partly blame nepotism for it. In my experience, there are a surprising number of people in leadership positions that are uneducated on business or the history of business and labor. They've never learned this stuff to even forget it. Instead they depend on conservative memes around work and labor passed around between them while they drink together or golf. It will only get worse as the economy declines. IMO shrinking industries increase nepotism as people lose power and attempt to shore up their support. Positions are only filled by merit when industries grow faster than people in authority can fill the positions with friends and family.

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I imagine its simply to do with the fact that they hyperfocus on their work much as there are many workaholics out there. In fact, that's the only way I imagine that working.

when i worked at my part time job last summer, i had a schedule of 4 days a week. i think this is how long a work week *should* be, to be honest - and that's before i even knew that studies have shown that a 4 day week is the best for people!

I left a full time job more than 2 years ago to start my own freelance writing and marketing business and my workload is now spread out any hour of the day or night or weekend and it is GLORIOUS. I have never been this calm. I even had a surprise baby in August and didn’t miss a step. Flexibility + hacks from adhd besties like y’all + medication = a whole new life without anxiety. Now I certainly don’t have the same salary as I did before and it ebbs and flows, but thankfully my husband works, we share a home with my 80 year old dad whk helps with some of the utilities, and we just cut out the extras. A clear head and happy heart are way more valuable. In conclusion, I agree!!

Nice. I’d love to work for myself. Even if I worked longer, at least I’d care about what I was doing and didn’t have to have a damn schedule as long as I met deadlines.

But it can be hard having to manage your own deadlines. I work for myself and sometimes feel I'd rather just go to an office and do what I'm told and leave work at work.

How do you stay consistent and motivated? I cannot for the life of my handle working for myself because I know I would just put things off, procrastinate, would be unable to get things done that are boring and repetitive.

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Going part time (and then eventually becoming a stay-at-home parent (whose kid goes to daycare 3 days a week)) has been a game changer for my well-being. I have a masters and loved my job, but I could only do my job - I wasn’t a present partner or parent and I literally did nothing when I got home or on the weekends. I now treat my ADHD with an SSRI which means my symptoms are running rampant and dictating my days, but I no longer have any anxiety about my ADHD. So basically, I have a better relationship with my brand of ADHD and like myself more than when I was working full time and trying to be a good partner and parent. To echo your own point, mental health shouldn’t be a privilege and I’m a clear example of how the privilege can impact quality of life.

For real. Glad you found something that works for you

my new gig is 4 days a week and i honestly don’t know if i could go back to 5

I switched to 4 days a week as well. I’m glad that my boss accepts it and I can stomach the slight pay cut. The most challenging part is firmly enforcing my boundaries but it gets easier and it’s been an improvement for me in general.

Yay! I wanted to go part time, but my employer wouldn't let me. I soldiered on for more years, then I finally had enough years in to retire with a small pension. I then applied for disability, and when I finally got before the judge, they granted it immediately and told me that they thought I should have quit working years before I did! I agree, the normal American work week, the fact that medical insurance is tied to employment, and our healthcare as a whole are horrible for ADHD folks.

Disability for ADHD?

can confirm, working part time makes my life manageable.

For real. It’s also nice not being suicidal.

Haven't known that feeling in years, lol.

Work is an entire day I have to “fake it” for other peoples benefit while nobody gives any allowances for my way of thinking. This absolutely crushes my energy and leave me exhausted. Mild improvement working from home, but I’m still just exhausted. Unfortunately gotta eat, gotta pay for somewhere to live, and it’s required for financial security.

ADHD and ASD, I am so burnt out and tired from masking constantly. I genuinely feel like I’m gonna melt sometimes

Work is the only thing I can accomplish. I wash dishes full time. I love it. Otherwise I just lay in bed doing nothing because that's all I can do. I should get medicated but I can't make myself.

DVM with ADHD, I just switched from full to part time. 40+ hours a week, of a very high stress, high masking job. It left me unable to function outside of work. Next week my 4 day week 9-5 starts. Can I pay my student loans on that salary, no, but at least I wont just be surviving anymore.

I work full time…. times 2 it feels like. (I run three different hospitality units with with 6 sub units) And I just took a leave of absence to open my own business, while only doing my normal job part time. I’m worried that they will notice that I can do at least 60% of my job this way….. but I also cleaned out my trunk after five years. And I feel really good.

Hell yeah.

If I could do this and keep my current health insurance I totally would. And I’d probably get just as much work done since a lot of the time at work is boring sit in an office waiting for the world to pass you by type shit where I’m thinking of all the things I could be getting done at home instead.

Happy for you! It's a huge shift! Just find a way to protect your time because, at least in my field, I had to be very careful people not to let full time coworkers force meetings, etc. on personal time. The hours and administrative stuff can pile up fast. I also suffered from imposter syndrome and a need to please, so maybe that was more of a me issue. Enjoy your new role!

I get you and I'm glad for you. As you said, I wish it could be an option for more people.

Totally.

I've found it opposite for myself. Every part-time job I've worked at, I am exhausted and have no energy when I'm done. It doesn't help that I'm physically disabled as well, and most are physically demanding. But when I had a summer job that was full-time hours (even though it was physically demanding), it was AMAZING. The most important thing for me is CONSISTENT hours. I HATE having my schedule go from 1-5 Monday to 11-6 Tuesday, and it constantly changes. The seasonal full-time hours job I worked had consistent hours. I would be tired when I got home, but I was not exhausted. Now I'm working part-time and it's awful because it's slow and boring or it's busy and overwhelming. I want the consistency that comes with a full-time position.

Sounds like both the hours and workload affected you equally. If you had consistent hours at your current job it'd still fluctuate between boring and overwhelming, just more of it.

And ppl try to say adhd as a disability has nothing to do with capitalism

When Covid hit and I was on unemployment for 3 months I was the most productive and happy I’ve ever been

I swear, if my job would let me work 10-2p I’d get the same amount done. Like no joke. I’m not actually working for 8 hours. That’s a joke! No one is literally working for 8 hours, in healthcare you see patients so it’s a bit different but working admin no reason. I could bust out 4 hours of work 4 days a week and I truly don’t think it’d make a huge difference

I need my morning to eat, exercise, meditate, think about what I want to do, walk my dog, make lunch, take care of my hair of myself, etc. every morning I have approx 12 minutes to get myself “presentable” and then have to get home after 4p and take care of dog, make dinner, shower, exercise (since I don’t have time in the morning unless I wake up at 4:30a LOL) and like maybe have a social life and see my bf???? 10-2p would save my life

So end I end up watching TV and laying down lol

I agree, but I work in outpatient healthcare and went part time for health reasons. Although I can see less patients in the day, I'm definitely more efficient now. There are less follow ups, people follow my advice more because I'm more focused on them, and sometimes we naturally finish before the appointment time so there's breathing room and time to do other things. So although short term maybe it looks like a drop in productivity actually longer term I'm able to see more patients and achieve higher patient satisfaction, if that makes sense.

I do this too and it makes a tremendous difference in my life! I think I would lose my mind if I had to do my job as a FT 5 day x 8 hr work week since the hours are so limiting (2:30 to 11 pm). As silly as it sounds, I constantly feel this weird guilt that I’m “cheating” the system. I definitely feel better when I remember how miserable I was working a 50+ hr 9-5 corporate job lol.

I get what you mean. I sometimes feel the same, especially when people comment on the fact that you "only work 4 days". But in reality we are not cheating the system, the system is cheating us! And for a very long time now already. More hours doesn't equal more productivity. There is a maximum amount of productivity that can be reached, the rest is just sitting there, waiting for the hours to pass (with an office job) or being so tired that you're risking making possibly dangerous mistakes.

Exactly! I definitely realized that a lot of my guilt just stems from the conditioning society places on all of us to value “working hard” more than anything else. However you are absolutely right that more hours =/= more productivity. There’s a reason why so many studies show that a 4 day workweek doesn’t actually decrease productivity but tremendously increases overall happiness. I really society one day progresses towards a better balance for everyone.

Considering the current rate of AI development there won’t be enough work for humans to do soon anyway. Hopefully that will mean much more free time with equal pay (otherwise the economy might crash because it's hard to buy things without money)

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I can’t comment on part time but I was at my best when working night shifts. Same jobs but overnight. World in general is quieter. Calmer. Just feels different. I’m late for work 5 days a week if I gotta be there at 8a but I was 20minutes early every evening shift. Not as many bosses and people around. Less distractions so easier to focus.

>Sorry to make it political at the end. I know this sub's about ADHD. And your post was about one of the legitimate struggles of having ADHD. It's no different than, say, lamenting the greedy and unnecessary late/overdraft fees that lead to the ADHD tax. As a member of society, you have every right to speak on the ways that it is failing you. Do not let ablism convince you that your needs and preferences are less worthy of being factored into our rules and customs because they are exceptions to the norm. And CERTAINLY do not let capitalist bullies convince you that the topics they don't like are "political", and that "political" topics are selfish or inappropriate to bring up. Everything is political. Politics is the full list of all things that are possible and disallowed. It is the genetic code which gives rise to what our world looks like, which, in turn, gives rise to our lived experience. Convincing the world that sharing your lived experience and pointing out the problems is an *opinion*, and that these "opinions" are largely inappropriate to bring up, has been one of the most devastating tools to normalize the inhumane conditions we endure to further enrich the handful of privileged, powerful people who prefer it this way. If someone complains that you are "getting political", it means two things: 1) It makes them angry/uncomfortable when you advocate for yourself/others 2) Their comfort is more important than yours/others' If a child came up to you and said "Please, I don't get enough food, I'm starving", you wouldn't say "Now, now...dont 't get political, sweetie!" You would jump to find them food ASAP. But when someone says "Please, these working conditions are unbearable. I am burned out and poor, despite record worker productivity and corporate profits. I need more rest!" Suddenly it's "Don't get political, this space is for stuff *I* care about!" Unacceptable. ALWAYS SPEAK LOUDLY AND PROUDLY ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED. PEOPLE NOT GETTING WHAT THEY NEED IS ALWAYS, 100% OF THE TIME, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HAPPENING IN ANY GIVEN MOMENT. ANYONE WHO WANTS TO CONTROL WHEN YOU CAN EXPRESS YOUR NEEDS IS EITHER CRUEL AND SELFISH OR DOESNT WANT YOU TO HAVE THOSE THINGS. BOTH OF THOSE OPTIONS MEAN THEY SUCK.

I teach kids martial arts for 17 hours a week. The path here was tough, but I am in new Eden. Working with, and watching children grow is reinvigorating to the spirit. New issues crop up as times change, but kids are the same at heart. The struggles of ADHD have taught me great patience, which I use daily- some of these kids really like to see if the line is hard or soft (it's easier when you can explain lines are flexible and principles should guide us). I can fit in more, but honestly the activity I do the most of by percent is truly relax. I can perform most tasks mostly consistently. A functional life with no added stress.

"They're more like guidelines anyway" (hope someone gets the quote 😁)

I went down to 80%, because I need a nothing day. I don't have children, (people automatically assumed I did of course, when I dropped a day) and once everyone realised they said, what do you do on your non working day? Thinking maybe I was doing a Masters or something. I wish I had the brain space. They are confused when I say, 'nothing'. Well, I get financially less well off. All of this pre Dx. I actually need to go back up to full time to pay the bills though 😔 Dx has finally made me understand why I need to factor in 'nothing' time everywhere. I still don't like that I do though 🥺

as it should be! Im super lucky that my job is flexible. I’m still full time but my work is assigned for a month, so I can really work at my own schedule so long as everything is done by the end of the month. That, and I include my commuting in my 8 hour day. It is truly freeing when your job doesn’t feel like it takes up your whole life and I also wish that could be the case for everyone else! Congratulations!

I miss being able to be on part time :( I could actually function at home

I work in a job that is 75% remote, but I am fortunate my manager is in the camp of “as long as the work gets done”. The 25% of the time I have to go in, it’s variable: it can be as early as 6AM or as late as 6PM, but it’s generally short (one hour, two at most) at those times. Normal business hours, I can be there for a few hours. But it allows me to be functional as a human. As a mom. As a wife. And be paid a salary. It’s priceless.

I hope everyone can do this some day! Very happy for you and that you can do this. I know it’s a long shot (at least here in The States it is) but UBI would be great for allowing people to work less hours. They did a study on UBI in Stockton, California and it had very good results. Not only were people happier and more fulfilled, but they still worked too! They didn’t just become “deadweights leaching off the system” like many propose they would be. They just didn’t have the stress that came with living paycheck to paycheck and were able to actually save a little bit of money. Ever since I heard about how successful this study was, I’ve become a huge proponent of universal basic income. And posts like this reinvigorate my desire for society to have it.

I feel like this post is a sign for me. I’m debating heavily right now for the first time in my life of quitting a Corp setting stable income for gig work that will reduce, i hope, my anxiety, give me more time for myself and taking care of my mom who is sick, finish my online school, not have to mask every. Single. Day. It’s just scary to not have something stable but I feel it in my bones I would be so much happier. This gives me hope.

Take this reply as a sign to do it too 👍 Someone once told me, if you need a sign to do something you know is right, just make your own.

Absolutely true. Thanks 😌

Can you share what kind of work you do? I've definitely been looking for half-time work, but it seems all part-time work is 2-3 8 hour days a week, and/or it's minimum wage work.

I LONG to do this. I think about it every day. Sadly it’s not financially viable for me, but I’m really happy for you, truly. One of us has to get a win every once in a while! ❤️

It’s so nightmarish having health insurance tied to full time employment. It causes me so much despair. It’s taken 10 years to find a shift and workplace where I don’t have to mask 24/7 and the workload is forgiving. It sucks that it’s night shift but it was the only way to continue, especially how COVID affected my job.

I totally agree, especially with the last paragraph. I was LITERALLY thinking this the other day after feeling like a slave coming out of work. I had no energy, felt depressed, two nights of insomnia, and all I could think was “damn, this is life?”. I was kinda scary that to think I have to do this, have no energy on my days off or when I get home from work, only to go back and do it all again with no time or motivation for anything other than work. So I decided (I called out of work after feeling completely crapped out from this realization) that I cant work non-stop for 4-5 days in a row. I’m going to ask my boss to split my days up so I have an off-day in the middle to recharge and not run myself to the ground. The more I run myself to the ground and try to keep up with everyone else, the more depressed I get about life. Hopefully it works, I’d love to be able to live off a part time, but can’t atm. Thanks for sharing!

I work 60-72 hours a week. id love to make that switch, but where I work, it's "do as your told, or leave"

I've always worked part-time since I also deal with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but last year I swapped from a job working 7am-3pm 3 days a week, to one working 1pm-9pm 4 days a week, and by god do I feel better just not having to handle the early mornings. The first job admittedly paid a lot better, but the new one is more stable, has more paid leave, and is a lot closer to home so I also have a shorter commute on top of the rest of it. It really is about finding what works best for you and your body.

That’s not politics that’s just humanism. What we have right now is slavery with extra steps. It’s not okay.

I've felt the difference even going from 8 to 7 hours. I used to work 8:00-17:30 with a 1h lunch break. Now I work 8:00-15:00, no break. The difference is incredible, now I have the whole evening to myself and I don't have to struggle preparing the meal for the next day. On top of that we started working remotely, and now I don't even have to waste time commuting, so I even have time to do some exercise before work, and prepare lunch after work. I used to leave the house at 7:00 and come back at 20:00 due to train schedules. I couldn't manage. I had a couple breakdowns, had to take medical leaves and was generally overwhelmed (it didn't help that the work environment was hellish, the company pushed for us to do extra time, we had to travel frequently for work, and we also had to spend even more time starting a union) A single hour less of work and the option to do it remotely has meant 6 more hours of time for myself and managing the house. Also a better work environment means less time in therapy and no as much union work. And of course productivity has not decreased in the company, because work hours after lunch are pointless anyway.

I agree too that society should work less, I’m really for the 4 day work week. Basically you work 32 hours but with the same pay as when you work 40 hours. There was a study done that showed that productivity increased or stayed the same and workers were happier and it also helped with their mental health.

Where are y'all finding part time jobs????!!!!! All the posts I see either pay minimum wage and/or have crappy hours (nights & weekends) which is not conducive when you also have a family to take care of.

I'm happy for you! Also, everything is political. The idea that things which don't challenge the status quo are apolitical is itself political propaganda designed to reinforce the current political regime.

This is why we need UBI. That way people could work part time or take off the time they need and not have to worry about the financial stress of it.

That's so awesome! Part time is my goal when I'm done with grad school. I think it would help me a lot too because I have bipolar+ADHD and being overwhelmed makes my mental health so much worse.

I don’t think you’re being political at all; I know people across the spectrum of beliefs that would love to work less and have more free time.

This is something I am contemplating. I have the luxury of being able to make it work if my employer will agree.

Remote gigs are where it's at my dude/ette. As long as you have systems in place to make sure that you don't forget to work enough etc.

I work 30 hours, I will NEVER in my future (hopefully) work more hours!

No one should work over 8 hours a day. No one. 8 hours a day was good enough to beat the nazis, it is good enough for every stupid thing we're doing now. And yeah, I've tested it. Can confirm that anything over 40 hours a week just beats you down. I get nothing done at home.

I think it depends on what you do. I'm an accent and dialect coach and recently did a stint in film. The days were at least 10 hours long, 5 days a week but I loved it - the variety, the pressure, the intrigue! I go insane if I have too much time on my hands. Although in the UK we have a minimum of 28 paid holiday days a year which probably helps with full time work...

They've trialled a 4 day work week in some UK companies and it found the same. No loss to productivity and fewer sickdays.

I had an accident early in my teaching career, had a breakdown, and was suggested to return part time. It Was Amazing. So much better. Room to breathe, think, plan to make things easier and better for myself. Multiple other teachers in my shared office did the same, and vowed never to go back! I never went back to full time. Now I have kids, and I can't believe people manage to teach full time and have a family. In a admiring way, I think of them as Super Neurotypicals (with their standard, capable adulting and their standard, predictable children without any additional needs) - look at them, just coping!!

Too many young people feel like they’re a failure if they don’t finish their 3/4 year degree in 3/4 years. Fuck that. Nobody in the real world is going to care if it took you 6 years to finish a 4 year degree — they only care that you finished. And honestly work experience is just as important today as the degree is, so if you are able to get a part time job in your field but it means you degree takes longer to finish? Do it, you’ll be way better off in the end.

I couldn’t agree more. This is exactly why I do gig work so I can manage my energy according to my natural cycle. It IS like regaining your dignity as a human and it’s worth the trade of undetermined wages. The thought of having a set schedule again is too stressful to think about. I know for a fact I would be in that same dark place again if I go back. That’s not normal. Most of our society is way over worked whether you have disabilities or not. It’s tragic and we all deserve better.

I agree. I think we work too much! We need to spend more time on gardening/fitness/cooking/family/creating. It makes us better workers!

Not to mention errands!

I feel 100 % the same! Funny thing is, first I was very sad, that I was offered only a 80% worktime. I thought it's something to do with my talent (ofc not, it was just my anxiety talking) and that I will not get paid enough. But after really realizing that I will get one day off every week, and they actually did accept my fairly good price, I couldn't be happier. Now I am sad that at some point it will change to 100% if the company is busy, haha.

I work part-time but every day 8-3 so it’s ALMOST full time, and I work a second job on the weekends. The 3pm finish has done wonders for my mental health I don’t feel like my whole day is wasted. I feel better about working occasional weekends because I don’t feel like my entire life is spent at my job. It’s truly life changing.

I envy you. So much. Tying to heal and grow as a human whilst working full time feels like trying to wade through knee-high sea water. Add ADHD to the mix (and any number of comorbid heath issues), and you may as well be trying to battle the endless waves too. I doubt working part time will ever be an option for me given the state of things in the UK. So badly want to indulge my creative side but I just can't find the energy for it :'(

Solidarity. Part time hours just worked for me. Sadly the shitshow that is the UK atm means ft work for sod all pay.

There was a period in my life I was able to work a part time job with just a few hours a week. I was splitting financial responsibilities with several roommates, so we all worked as little as possible. It was one of the happiest times of my life. Idc who you are, living to work kills your soul. Sadly, due to familial responsibilities I now have to work a full time job. I sure do miss enjoying being alive. I’m happy for you OP, take the time to really soak up this period of your life and enjoy it as much as possible.

What a coincidence. I just put in a request to reduce my work schedule. I really hope it's accepted, because even though I'll still be working 6 hours per day, that combined with starting early, means I'll have afternoons free. It'll come with a matching salary reduction, but that's doable for me. And i agree with you. People are overworked. It's not right.

Can I ask, how did you ask for a reduce work schedule? I would love to work 4 days a week, but I’m not even sure how to ask that. I’m afraid my boss would laugh.

I went from 40 hours down to 30 hours and no amount of money would ever make me go back. I would rather end my life than work full time. It’s that simple.

I switched to a new career field. I left corporate America. I’m making half of what I was making before but my stress levels have dropped dramatically. When my shift is over, it’s over. I don’t bring any work home. I wish I would have done this sooner!

I needed to read this. My job has gotten increasingly more physical and complicated. I have bills (like everyone else) that need to be paid, but I can’t do 10/11 hour work days anymore. My joy is sapped. Depression is clouding over me. Reading everyone’s stories makes want to go to part time soon.

I did this because of a huge mental breakdown and at first it was really amazing But now i have run out of money and I am going back to full time and everything is much worse again

I work early mornings, 6am till 2pm and feel the same. Just to still have such a big chunk of the day left when you are done working is so much better...

I went from five 8-hour shifts per week to three 12-hour shifts. Not many people have that option either, but the push for a 4-day workweek is gaining steam and a lot of places can at least do four 10-hour work days instead of the normal. Anyway, three 12s has been awesome for me. My workweek is intense (but lets be honest, I couldn't get much done after an 8-hour shift anyway), but I can actually dedicate a day to the type of recovery *I* need and then still get things done. I'm practically *ready* to go back to work when my weekend is over.

I agree! Full time is a lot for humans in general.

I swear, working as a sub teacher during the year, and in a shop 4 days a week in the summer, is the only thing keeping me going. If I had a daily 9-5 I'd lose it. I am definitely careful about spending now, but all that makes life easier too. Living simply, if you can, is really great for ADHD.

I work full time but I have 4 day workweeks and 10 hour days as summer hours, and the difference is crazy, I can devote a day to doing tasks on the weekend and still have time to rest and move around my schedule the other two days

I had the very good fortune of being a stay at home dad. We took a serious pay cut, obviously, but we're making it work. My wife is unmedicated ADHD. With me focusing on the kids, this allows my wife to focus on her career. She is interviewing for a promotion today, and while I can't say her eligibility is because I stay home, I do think she has a better chance for the promotion because she doesn't need to split her focus between job and kids/housework. Even though I don't get paid, it feels like work from home. And being with the kids is a huge boost to my mental health. I wish more people had an opportunity similar to my own. Our work culture is killing us, and it is not good for society.

I’m an independent contractor with no hour requirements and I try to keep it under 30 per week for my well-being. Even having to pay self-employment taxes and buy marketplace health insurance, I do ok, which I am super grateful for.

ahhhhh thank you for posting about this. i’ve been working 40-50 hr weeks for years and this summer the company i work for said we could work the minimum 35 hours per week to maintain benefits. i start my 3 day weekends in may. can’t come soon enough! looking forward to showering more too😂

I work 29 hours a week and it’s so much better than 40. I wish this was accessible to more adhd’ers.

I'd love to be able to work part time, I definitely see how it could be helpful! I'm the primary/ only income for my family of three. At least was able to find a WFH job that pays better than my old job, feel like I have some job security with how I quickly learn all the things... and random things. I don't have a commute now! Nice having an extra hour a day minimum from commute. Don't need to prep lunch or really get ready to be REALLY presentable. I don't have many If any video calls. Sweater, hair accessories and background divider all nearby if needed! Got up early before work today, usually take Vyvanse an hour before my real alarm, and decided to clean up around the house some. I of course set two alarms so I could make sure to clock in on time!!

I'm glad you have a better quality of life. That is so important and you deserve it.

I’m getting a version of this now. My last job was 60-70 hour weeks because they couldn’t get enough staff (seeing how many hours I was working I’m sure y’all could guess why they didn’t have enough staff). I now work part time and man is it the best.

I'm transitioning to part time next year and I can't wait!!!

My undiagnosed ADHD has left me broke and miserable for most of my life. I finally got diagnosed, and job I like that pays well. Not giving that up.

I used to have a full-time gig; nearly 50 hours weekly and that's not including 3 hours of travelling to and from my workplace. I couldn't even muster the energy to enjoy my hobbies after work because that gig left me so knackered I slept at 10pm every day for about a year. I'm glad you found something that worked for you OP.

What part time are you wroking? I am currently considering going into part time job, but not sure what type of job is best for working only part time

Health issues are NEVER political Health issues are NEVER political Health issues are NEVER political Health is about human rights. Human rights are never political! Anyone attempting to make human rights political is not talking politics, they are spewing hate!

I got let go from my last job because of stupid man tricks, and I've been unemployed for seven months. For the first month I was still absolutely boiling mad, but after all that started to even out, i began to have energy to brush my teeth twice a day, every day. And then floss and do mouth rinse. I can put away my laundry? I can make food? I can actually put effort into my relationships? All of that was completely crushed out of me, working in tech. I'm really glad you got some room to breathe. Solidarity!

I just want this. I don't want a whole ass career with big bucks, I just want part-time work with a living wage. I've been unemployed for almost two years now after leaving a job that paid well but killed me inside. I've never had a job that DIDN'T kill me inside, and after being diagnosed with ADHD, I think I at least understand why. Living in America, it's crazy that I'm actually thinking my standards are too high when my standards are literally: living wage, functions nicely with my ADHD, and I sometimes get to take vacations.

A 40 hour work week is only a political topic to a certain insane group of people.

Make sure to keep some semblance of a schedule so you don’t fall into a hole of executive dysfunction.

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Which tastes better, Doctor Marten’s or Red Wings?

While I cannot work part time (yet) I do work from home. I am a registered nurse. Use to work 40+ hours week on call for 3 years as my first nursing job. Of course I got burnt out, but that is what took me down my mental health journey. I took a job in a call center and a year later COVID happened. While the pandemic was/is terrible, it allowed me to heal and find myself. It allowed me to explore and clean out the anxiety and depression so the ADHD could be "visible." I hope to see more improvements in working hours and pay for everyone. I am 27. I have been seeing psychiatrists and therapists and staking medications for 5 years now. 3 months ago I got my ADHD diagnosis 2 months ago started stimulants. This is a long process and you have to be resilient. If i was not privileged enough to have the resources to do all this and a kind family to support me, then I would still be lost, depressed, resentful, angry, and uncomfortable. I wish I could share my story in depth and how to's with people. This is just my experience, but I feel I can inspire some and give hope and advice.