Anita Bhagwandas - WORK

Is It My ADHD?

Explicit language warning: some swearing, as usual.

In this episode, journalist and author, Anita Bhagwandas and I explore the world of work through the ADHD lens.

Without ADHD I would be a completely different worker. Half of my strengths – speed, efficiency, focus, fearlessness, creativity, the ability to multi-task and a seamlessly endless capacity – are undoubtedly down to my ADHD. I don’t require breaks or incentives, I just love to work. Some of the associated impairments will also impact the way in which I work, though, such as working memory dysfunction, perfectionism, boredom, imposter syndrome, and overcommitting. Perhaps you are nodding along? The demands to juggle work and home life, to be a caregiver and nurturer to all, to be emotionally available and organized, and often, to keep the house clean, the children happy and the food cooked, are overwhelming, not to mention the constant pressure to hold your own space within a patriarchal employment system. But with ADHD, it’s the intensity with which you experience these impairments that differs, and the outcomes. Women with ADHD are more likely to quit a job or be fired; it’s a harmful fallacy to think all neurodivergent people have the capacity or privilege required to become an entrepreneur.

At the peak of my journalistic career in London, I was able to mask to an extent, but the personal cost of that was having nothing left for anyone else when the working day was done. It took a lot of exploration - of my skill set and my weaknesses - to harness the benefits of my ADHD traits.

Anita is a multi-award-winning journalist, social commentator, broadcaster, diversity advocate and Beauty Director with over 10 years' experience working for the UK's top women's titles. Her book UGLY – which uncovers where beauty standards started, unpicks why they've been perpetuated and unmasks how they're still being upheld - is out in the spring of 2023 and is available to pre-order now.

Anita shares what it’s like to be woman at work with ADHD, how the intersections of her Indian heritage exacerbated feelings of ‘otherness’ in a predominantly white work place, and the various ways in which she has tailored her working day to accommodate and actually, make the most of, her ADHD. She also reveals what she’s found most challenging about office environments and why water cooler chat is not the one.

This episode is for all of you who have messaged me about work – Anita is full of tips and wisdom, and so my hope is that you’ll have plenty to use in your own lives, as well as the sense of ‘oh me too!’ I always have when talking to this brilliant woman.

Find Anita on Instagram at @itsmeanitab

Anita's ADHD Coach Steph Camilleri can be found here.

THE EXPERT

Dr Mohamed Abdelghani is a consultant psychiatrist who specialises in mood disorders and adult ADHD. www.Dyad-medical.com

Please note, your first port of call if you think you might have ADHD should be your GP. In the meantime, you can find more information here:

Understanding ADHD in Girls and Women, by Joanne Steer

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1787754006/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1646068472&sr=8-1

The ADHD Foundation

https://adhdfoundation.org.uk/

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