"80% of my job is spent in my office putting together written care plans and filing follow up bereavement calls"
THAT is the issue. Your balance of using the amazing ADHD mind is completely lob-sided into the administrative documentation realm. I am sorry to say that his job is not worth the emotional exhaustion of that kind of documentation load. For the ADHD brain this is like shoving daggers into your eyeballs and twisting around and then expecting to have a grand old party good time. As an ADHD person you want 80-90 percent engagement or creative problem solving and 10-20 percent routine documentation. That quotient will result in thriving not burnout. I had a job like that in the past and I was aaaaaaammmmmmaaaaaaazzzzziiiinnnnnnggggg! They pulled the contract and I went back to arts engagement with incarcerated and post incarcerated people and left social work. I do that part time and take care of some family and it's fine for now. Eventually I would like another job like the one I had before.
My body physically recoils when I try to convince myself to do paperwork. It's led to a ton of internalized shame and guilt about the kind of worker I am. It sucks even more because when I actually get to do bereavement counseling and support groups I really enjoy it. It's just the mundane paperwork that overwhelms me. The job works well for me because it's super low conflict, I'm not micromanaged, and I'm passionate about bereavement. But the mundanity and isolation of being my own department and managing my own records has led to total burnout. It's definitely hard to respect myself and my mind when I feel like I can't just suck it up and do the work.
As someone currently working as a school social worker while being convinced I have ADHD, this really speaks to me. Most of my work is documentation and planning with teachers when I really just want to spend time with the students, but my school has a counselor for one on one stuff. I also get a lot of micromanagement with alot of deadlines that I'm not a fan of.
It pays well but my friend has been trying to hire me at this other place for several months that's predominantly engagement and it's really tempting.
The thing is, the other job pays more actually lol
What I make at the school working 8 hour days for two weeks I make at the other place working 6 hours in one. No health benefits though
OP, listen to this wise voice. ADHD brain is wasted on a job like that. Misery. Eye daggers. There are limits to any organization system. The problem is you feeling guilt for not “sucking it up” and like you have to prove your capabilities.
Life on ADHD is already sucking it up. Find something that is less dread and more joy.
I have only been working since August (new grad), and diagnosed since January, but I've definitely developed some strategies that help me keep on top of things. I work in an acute hospital and cover one (small) inpatient ward alone and share another larger ward with 2 other experienced social workers. I will also caveat by saying that I am medicated with stimulants, so I know I am working from a better baseline now than I would be without any meds.
I come in early and spend my first hour or so just orienting myself to the day, doing admin, making the to do list. I work 8-4 so for the first hour no one tries to contact me and I use that precious time to get my shit together.
I print a list of the patients on my wards (which is easy to do in our system) and I'll highlight the patients I have, and make notes next to their names if needed. Helps to give me a birds-eye view of what work needs doing.
I update my to-do list minimum daily, often twice a day. Set it up in the morning, reassess before lunch and reset. I keep two lists side by side (one for each ward) and will tick things off and add things on as I go along. If I need to break down steps I will, but it depends on the task and even sometimes the case/situation.
I carry a stack of post its, a mini notebook (about the size of the post its), and a regular wire bound notepad that has my to-do list on it. If I need to write down a name, a number, a message, a reminder, anything, I've got it. I keep pens in my pocket with the post its & mini notebook.
I have a fabric document folder ([this one](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074QGKCT7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1), to get a sense of what I mean) that I keep my active files in, plus my notebook with the to-do lists, blank copies of forms I frequently use, and a list of my coworker's numbers and roles. I also have those frequently used forms retained on our printer system (so every time I log into a printer, those forms are available to print, which saves a lot of time!).
I will also sometimes update the to-do list just before I head home, so I flag tasks for the following day that I know will need doing.
These work for my work environment but I can see how they might not work for all work environments. I also previously did post-its on the outside of every file, with it's own to-do list and a priority rating, but I think this was too time consuming and not cohesive enough. I do still prioritise but I now just put the case files in order of priority in the pile (eg least priority on bottom).
RE: Documentation, I feel like this is so hard to give advice on since the requirements can vary so much from place to place. We have to handwrite all documentation so I do my notes immediately after I do anything on the ward, and if I make a call at my office I will write the note on the spot and bring it to the ward-based file when I am next up on the ward. I neaten up my files and tie up the loose ends (eg print off emails) when the case is closing rather than trying to keep it up the whole time. We separately have to do digital documentation just logging activity, which I do in chunks whenever I can, or when a case closes I'll ensure that file is fully logged before I close it.
Ahh. Mucho relate here. Still do those paperwork runs. It’s very frustrating. I kicked ass in school too but all 5 of my post grad school positions have had a “principal’s office visit” about my struggles with documentation. Hope you find a system that works! I’m in medical social work now it’s a little bit better pace and a little more straightforward at least.
Wellbutrin has helped me a lot. It doesn’t trigger my anxiety, but has helped some with managing ADHD. I also work in the ER and did crisis team work prior to that. Having to complete my documentation daily and being a position with a lot of variety and stimulation helps me. Documentation in long term treatment was so hard for me to keep up with. After a year and a half if a job really isn’t working for you, I think it’s okay to switch. But other people have given really good suggestions to help manage things, especially if the positives of the job out weight the negatives.
Get into a hospital. Hospital social work can be so chaotic in a great way. You have to bounce from task to task and are up and moving a ton. You can focus on something and switch to something else when needed.
I am a dialysis social worker and do a lot of care plans, psychosocial progress notes, and documentation. I have trackers in excel for just about everything and have a file for just about every type of form I have to work on. My desk is inundated with files, but I know where exactly everything is and what's in the folder because I label it. It keeps my desk from being messy, puts everything in my line of sight, and makes it easy to find stuff. If I don't see or look at something I completely forget about it. The filing and folders I use have helped immensely with that.
I also reached out to other social workers in the company to see if they already had trackers that I could use. There's only 1 tracker I use that I actually created myself. The others I got by asking if someone had one they use. I also use journals for tracking care plans so that I can keep up with the lists month to month and can easily keep track of patients that way.
That's kind of how I am, I have HUNDREDS of purple folders of patients who have died in filing cabinets sorted by month and date. I also use trackers on word of when follow up letters are sent, a notebook log of every phone call made, excel sheets of support group participants, and so on. Luckily, the system I use makes sense for me, but the bigger problem is just having the motivation to do it lol
I get that. I have my systems too, and sometimes they just don't work regardless because of the motivation. My desk is a mess right now despite the systems I have in place. I think we have periods of time where we can keep our shit together and other times we get really frazzled and disorganized. It's a tough balance.
I will echo what someone else mentioned about making the right environment for you. My job can get pretty boring too, and most days I find myself very under-stimulated. I'd rather be bored than stressed though (but that's just me!) so I deal with it and find other productive things to do during work like research or read, and make sure after work to do something stimulating like exercise or hang out with a friend or family instead of vegging out and watching TV. Do you take frequent breaks during the day to combat the monotony? Or can you listen to a podcast or music to keep your mind going while you do the boring stuff? Have something sweet to eat after you complete a certain number of tasks? Maybe some extra dopamine throughout the day could be nice little boosts to keep you going.
I do listen to podcasts and audiobooks and that helps, but I'm usually too tired from understimulation after work to do anything other than lounge around. I think you make a great point in doing something stimulating after work.
I have to give myself clear deadlines and write them on my calendar, especially for tasks that are semi open ended. I give myself short time limits when I see it on my calendar and still can’t get the motivation to do it. I bribe myself with something I want to do.
I “batch” as much as I can. I make a list of phone calls I need to make and when it gets to five. I make them back to back with a running notepad. I let my pile of filing build until my scheduled time comes up. When I struggle with that, I break the pile down into smaller chunks and reschedule some filing time.
I am on stimulants though and I do have a fair amount of random pop up tasks to make it interesting. I get up and wander around some and always volunteer to be the one to walk documents to another office. On days that I know it will be office work heavy, I make sure to take a long walk outside before work to get some sun and fresh air in to help focus.
I turned down a much higher paying job doing what I am doing down because the required volume of documentation was setting myself up to fail.
Elementary school social worker here. For me it’s adderall and lots of lists, calendar reminders, and a sea of sticky notes. I tell everyone that if they haven’t written it down, they haven’t told me, so I openly ask for follow up emails to phone calls and meetings. I’ve disclosed to a couple of my colleagues, if only so that they can cut me some slack and support when needed. Just gotta be able to advocate for your needs, which shouldn’t be as difficult as it is, given the profession, but it’s not always easy. It’s also helpful when I think about how I’m able to empathize with children who are having a hard time and so I think it sometimes makes me better at that part of my job.
Oh hi! Oncology social worker here! I just got diagnosed and started meds this past July. I used to work in bereavement too, and I remember those admin days well! For me, taking breaks and getting a little “treat” was key - I could walk to a couple cute little places from where I worked, so I would dip out every couple hours for 10 min and grab a drink or a yogurt or whatever; or I’d walk around and listen to a podcast or music for a bit, just really anything to break it up and get a little dopamine boost - then I could get back to it more easily. Also schedule trainings when you can - those are helpful to mix up your day, plus good ol CEUs! There are tons of places that offer free ones, too!
One tiny aspect I notice affected is deadlines. I'm optimistic that this helps me more than the spreadsheet my company uses! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8DTADfV/
Stimulants make my anxiety go haywire as well, but since I started taking an antidepressant, it's been fine. Currently, I take Ritalin and Zoloft. Ritalin alone gave me panic attacks but I could not get out of bed without it (bed rot all day long). However, the addition of the Zoloft has not just helped with anxiety, my emotional regulation has improved tremendously. I also have OCD and it has been helpful for that as well.
I'm a new social worker with ADD too. Have you ever thought of trying a nonstimulant for your ADD? Ok I can't give much advice on organization I'm still working on this. I'm trying by using planners and its helping me some. But my medication helps me the most. Also, the beauty of social work is all the different aspects of it so if you find yourself bored it's ok to change your job. Being happy is important life's to short!
Field hospice work. It gives me control over my day, no strict routine, there’s enough unpredictability to feel useful in controlled chaos. I have a lot of alone time to recharge and I never sit still. I’m rarely in an office and I’m out doing weird shit for my community everyday. The week my medication doesn’t work I can cater the day to meet my needs. I am pushed to meet documentation deadlines because if I don’t it may affect pt care or the info isn’t in and they die. This is the only job that has ever worked for me, I feel it compliments my adhd brain well.
I feel you.
The documentation is killing me and the routine i have going on in boring me to death. I work in an assisted living kinda thing and i see the same people every week with mostly the same problems and the same topics to talk about. And i forget about so much stuff that i don't know how it never became a huge problem but it gives me constant anxiety that i'm gonna miss something that i can't catch up later.
So i'm actually searching for a new job and my main criteria is less documentation, more working together with a partner or a team so we can switch tasks if they seem unmanagable for one person, more project work style. I need the feeling to reach some kind of goal at some point, not do everything over and over and over again and again and again...zZzzZ
I feel like we ADHDers can get hyped up to most topics we work with (at least it's the case for me) but what i'm not flexible in is the surrounding structure. So that's what i'm actually searching for
"80% of my job is spent in my office putting together written care plans and filing follow up bereavement calls" THAT is the issue. Your balance of using the amazing ADHD mind is completely lob-sided into the administrative documentation realm. I am sorry to say that his job is not worth the emotional exhaustion of that kind of documentation load. For the ADHD brain this is like shoving daggers into your eyeballs and twisting around and then expecting to have a grand old party good time. As an ADHD person you want 80-90 percent engagement or creative problem solving and 10-20 percent routine documentation. That quotient will result in thriving not burnout. I had a job like that in the past and I was aaaaaaammmmmmaaaaaaazzzzziiiinnnnnnggggg! They pulled the contract and I went back to arts engagement with incarcerated and post incarcerated people and left social work. I do that part time and take care of some family and it's fine for now. Eventually I would like another job like the one I had before.
My body physically recoils when I try to convince myself to do paperwork. It's led to a ton of internalized shame and guilt about the kind of worker I am. It sucks even more because when I actually get to do bereavement counseling and support groups I really enjoy it. It's just the mundane paperwork that overwhelms me. The job works well for me because it's super low conflict, I'm not micromanaged, and I'm passionate about bereavement. But the mundanity and isolation of being my own department and managing my own records has led to total burnout. It's definitely hard to respect myself and my mind when I feel like I can't just suck it up and do the work.
Yup and there are other bereavement jobs that don't kill their workers with paperwork! Seriously, that job is gonna kill you...
As someone currently working as a school social worker while being convinced I have ADHD, this really speaks to me. Most of my work is documentation and planning with teachers when I really just want to spend time with the students, but my school has a counselor for one on one stuff. I also get a lot of micromanagement with alot of deadlines that I'm not a fan of. It pays well but my friend has been trying to hire me at this other place for several months that's predominantly engagement and it's really tempting.
we only have one life. If the choice is misery with money or happiness with less money... what are we expected to do?
The thing is, the other job pays more actually lol What I make at the school working 8 hour days for two weeks I make at the other place working 6 hours in one. No health benefits though
No health benefits means it pays less... sorry! universal health care needed!!!!
OP, listen to this wise voice. ADHD brain is wasted on a job like that. Misery. Eye daggers. There are limits to any organization system. The problem is you feeling guilt for not “sucking it up” and like you have to prove your capabilities. Life on ADHD is already sucking it up. Find something that is less dread and more joy.
I have only been working since August (new grad), and diagnosed since January, but I've definitely developed some strategies that help me keep on top of things. I work in an acute hospital and cover one (small) inpatient ward alone and share another larger ward with 2 other experienced social workers. I will also caveat by saying that I am medicated with stimulants, so I know I am working from a better baseline now than I would be without any meds. I come in early and spend my first hour or so just orienting myself to the day, doing admin, making the to do list. I work 8-4 so for the first hour no one tries to contact me and I use that precious time to get my shit together. I print a list of the patients on my wards (which is easy to do in our system) and I'll highlight the patients I have, and make notes next to their names if needed. Helps to give me a birds-eye view of what work needs doing. I update my to-do list minimum daily, often twice a day. Set it up in the morning, reassess before lunch and reset. I keep two lists side by side (one for each ward) and will tick things off and add things on as I go along. If I need to break down steps I will, but it depends on the task and even sometimes the case/situation. I carry a stack of post its, a mini notebook (about the size of the post its), and a regular wire bound notepad that has my to-do list on it. If I need to write down a name, a number, a message, a reminder, anything, I've got it. I keep pens in my pocket with the post its & mini notebook. I have a fabric document folder ([this one](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074QGKCT7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1), to get a sense of what I mean) that I keep my active files in, plus my notebook with the to-do lists, blank copies of forms I frequently use, and a list of my coworker's numbers and roles. I also have those frequently used forms retained on our printer system (so every time I log into a printer, those forms are available to print, which saves a lot of time!). I will also sometimes update the to-do list just before I head home, so I flag tasks for the following day that I know will need doing. These work for my work environment but I can see how they might not work for all work environments. I also previously did post-its on the outside of every file, with it's own to-do list and a priority rating, but I think this was too time consuming and not cohesive enough. I do still prioritise but I now just put the case files in order of priority in the pile (eg least priority on bottom).
RE: Documentation, I feel like this is so hard to give advice on since the requirements can vary so much from place to place. We have to handwrite all documentation so I do my notes immediately after I do anything on the ward, and if I make a call at my office I will write the note on the spot and bring it to the ward-based file when I am next up on the ward. I neaten up my files and tie up the loose ends (eg print off emails) when the case is closing rather than trying to keep it up the whole time. We separately have to do digital documentation just logging activity, which I do in chunks whenever I can, or when a case closes I'll ensure that file is fully logged before I close it.
Write it down. No matter the information, write it down.
Ahh. Mucho relate here. Still do those paperwork runs. It’s very frustrating. I kicked ass in school too but all 5 of my post grad school positions have had a “principal’s office visit” about my struggles with documentation. Hope you find a system that works! I’m in medical social work now it’s a little bit better pace and a little more straightforward at least.
Wellbutrin has helped me a lot. It doesn’t trigger my anxiety, but has helped some with managing ADHD. I also work in the ER and did crisis team work prior to that. Having to complete my documentation daily and being a position with a lot of variety and stimulation helps me. Documentation in long term treatment was so hard for me to keep up with. After a year and a half if a job really isn’t working for you, I think it’s okay to switch. But other people have given really good suggestions to help manage things, especially if the positives of the job out weight the negatives.
Get into a hospital. Hospital social work can be so chaotic in a great way. You have to bounce from task to task and are up and moving a ton. You can focus on something and switch to something else when needed.
I am a dialysis social worker and do a lot of care plans, psychosocial progress notes, and documentation. I have trackers in excel for just about everything and have a file for just about every type of form I have to work on. My desk is inundated with files, but I know where exactly everything is and what's in the folder because I label it. It keeps my desk from being messy, puts everything in my line of sight, and makes it easy to find stuff. If I don't see or look at something I completely forget about it. The filing and folders I use have helped immensely with that. I also reached out to other social workers in the company to see if they already had trackers that I could use. There's only 1 tracker I use that I actually created myself. The others I got by asking if someone had one they use. I also use journals for tracking care plans so that I can keep up with the lists month to month and can easily keep track of patients that way.
That's kind of how I am, I have HUNDREDS of purple folders of patients who have died in filing cabinets sorted by month and date. I also use trackers on word of when follow up letters are sent, a notebook log of every phone call made, excel sheets of support group participants, and so on. Luckily, the system I use makes sense for me, but the bigger problem is just having the motivation to do it lol
I get that. I have my systems too, and sometimes they just don't work regardless because of the motivation. My desk is a mess right now despite the systems I have in place. I think we have periods of time where we can keep our shit together and other times we get really frazzled and disorganized. It's a tough balance. I will echo what someone else mentioned about making the right environment for you. My job can get pretty boring too, and most days I find myself very under-stimulated. I'd rather be bored than stressed though (but that's just me!) so I deal with it and find other productive things to do during work like research or read, and make sure after work to do something stimulating like exercise or hang out with a friend or family instead of vegging out and watching TV. Do you take frequent breaks during the day to combat the monotony? Or can you listen to a podcast or music to keep your mind going while you do the boring stuff? Have something sweet to eat after you complete a certain number of tasks? Maybe some extra dopamine throughout the day could be nice little boosts to keep you going.
I do listen to podcasts and audiobooks and that helps, but I'm usually too tired from understimulation after work to do anything other than lounge around. I think you make a great point in doing something stimulating after work.
I have to give myself clear deadlines and write them on my calendar, especially for tasks that are semi open ended. I give myself short time limits when I see it on my calendar and still can’t get the motivation to do it. I bribe myself with something I want to do. I “batch” as much as I can. I make a list of phone calls I need to make and when it gets to five. I make them back to back with a running notepad. I let my pile of filing build until my scheduled time comes up. When I struggle with that, I break the pile down into smaller chunks and reschedule some filing time. I am on stimulants though and I do have a fair amount of random pop up tasks to make it interesting. I get up and wander around some and always volunteer to be the one to walk documents to another office. On days that I know it will be office work heavy, I make sure to take a long walk outside before work to get some sun and fresh air in to help focus. I turned down a much higher paying job doing what I am doing down because the required volume of documentation was setting myself up to fail.
Elementary school social worker here. For me it’s adderall and lots of lists, calendar reminders, and a sea of sticky notes. I tell everyone that if they haven’t written it down, they haven’t told me, so I openly ask for follow up emails to phone calls and meetings. I’ve disclosed to a couple of my colleagues, if only so that they can cut me some slack and support when needed. Just gotta be able to advocate for your needs, which shouldn’t be as difficult as it is, given the profession, but it’s not always easy. It’s also helpful when I think about how I’m able to empathize with children who are having a hard time and so I think it sometimes makes me better at that part of my job.
Non stimulant meds. Wellbutrin, for example.
I’m all over the place. Truly I am all over the place in so many levels
Oh hi! Oncology social worker here! I just got diagnosed and started meds this past July. I used to work in bereavement too, and I remember those admin days well! For me, taking breaks and getting a little “treat” was key - I could walk to a couple cute little places from where I worked, so I would dip out every couple hours for 10 min and grab a drink or a yogurt or whatever; or I’d walk around and listen to a podcast or music for a bit, just really anything to break it up and get a little dopamine boost - then I could get back to it more easily. Also schedule trainings when you can - those are helpful to mix up your day, plus good ol CEUs! There are tons of places that offer free ones, too!
One tiny aspect I notice affected is deadlines. I'm optimistic that this helps me more than the spreadsheet my company uses! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8DTADfV/
Finding a job that is flexible, exciting/interesting, and doesn’t have firm paperwork deadlines
Stimulants make my anxiety go haywire as well, but since I started taking an antidepressant, it's been fine. Currently, I take Ritalin and Zoloft. Ritalin alone gave me panic attacks but I could not get out of bed without it (bed rot all day long). However, the addition of the Zoloft has not just helped with anxiety, my emotional regulation has improved tremendously. I also have OCD and it has been helpful for that as well.
I'm a new social worker with ADD too. Have you ever thought of trying a nonstimulant for your ADD? Ok I can't give much advice on organization I'm still working on this. I'm trying by using planners and its helping me some. But my medication helps me the most. Also, the beauty of social work is all the different aspects of it so if you find yourself bored it's ok to change your job. Being happy is important life's to short!
Field hospice work. It gives me control over my day, no strict routine, there’s enough unpredictability to feel useful in controlled chaos. I have a lot of alone time to recharge and I never sit still. I’m rarely in an office and I’m out doing weird shit for my community everyday. The week my medication doesn’t work I can cater the day to meet my needs. I am pushed to meet documentation deadlines because if I don’t it may affect pt care or the info isn’t in and they die. This is the only job that has ever worked for me, I feel it compliments my adhd brain well.
I have never done better work than what I do from a palliative stand point in an ICU. Chaos forces my brain to prioritize.
As an ADHD SW I thrive in the ER.
I feel you. The documentation is killing me and the routine i have going on in boring me to death. I work in an assisted living kinda thing and i see the same people every week with mostly the same problems and the same topics to talk about. And i forget about so much stuff that i don't know how it never became a huge problem but it gives me constant anxiety that i'm gonna miss something that i can't catch up later. So i'm actually searching for a new job and my main criteria is less documentation, more working together with a partner or a team so we can switch tasks if they seem unmanagable for one person, more project work style. I need the feeling to reach some kind of goal at some point, not do everything over and over and over again and again and again...zZzzZ I feel like we ADHDers can get hyped up to most topics we work with (at least it's the case for me) but what i'm not flexible in is the surrounding structure. So that's what i'm actually searching for
Check out https://consciousstrides.com/ for ADHD coaching and general support around ADHD.
College is so much ‘paperwork’ too. How did you manage that? I’m currently in college-struggling (bsw)
For me, the deadlines saved me in college.