Being a Professional with ADHD: When Your Brain Forgets to Proofread (Even Though You Used To Be A Proofreader…)
If you’re a professional with ADHD, you probably know the feeling - you triple-check something in your head, hit send, and then realize you just informed everyone that your office will be closed for Easter… in July. Or you address a student as “Michael” when their name is definitely not Michael. (Apologies to all the Michaels out there.)
Yep, I did both of these recently. One email caused scheduling confusion for all my clients, and the other accidentally gave a student a temporary new identity. These weren’t life-or-death situations, but they were definitely face-palm moments - especially for someone who spent 15 years as a proofreader and now works as a therapist helping people with ADHD learn executive function skills.
Yes, the irony is not lost on me.
Why Does This Happen? ADHD, That’s Why.
ADHD is like having 37 browser tabs open at all at once - except you’re not sure where the annoying, jangly music is coming from. And even though I spent a decade and a half professionally catching other people’s mistakes, my own brain is a little less cooperative.
Here’s how my brain managed to sabotage me this time:
1. My working memory took a tea break – I had the correct Easter dates at some point, but by the time I typed them, my brain had already moved on to something else.
2. Speed over accuracy – My brain loves efficiency. “Double-check the student’s name?” Nah, I'm sure I did that!
3. Task-switching struggles – Juggling multiple responsibilities means small details sometimes escape before I can catch them.
Sorting It (Without Spiralling Into Self-Doubt)
After a brief moment of wanting to relocate to a quiet and dark cave, I took these steps:
Sent a quick correction – “Oops! My brain got ahead of me—here are the actual Easter break dates.” Simple, clear, and no over-apologizing.
Addressed the name mix-up – “So sorry about the name slip! My brain sometimes moves faster than my typing.” Humour helped lighten the moment.
Now, I take a few extra seconds to double-check names and dates before hitting send. Revolutionary, I know.
Note to Self: Perfection Is Overrated
ADHD brains are wired for creativity, problem-solving, and thinking outside the box. The trade-off? Sometimes we, uh… forget where the box even is. Mistakes happen. The key is handling them with grace, humor, and a solid plan to prevent repeats (most of the time).
So if you’re also a professional with ADHD, just remember: your brain may take detours, but it also brings incredible strengths. And if you ever misname someone in an email, just hope it’s a Michael. There’s a lot of them! 😂
Yep, I did both of these recently. One email caused scheduling confusion for all my clients, and the other accidentally gave a student a temporary new identity. These weren’t life-or-death situations, but they were definitely face-palm moments - especially for someone who spent 15 years as a proofreader and now works as a therapist helping people with ADHD learn executive function skills.
Yes, the irony is not lost on me.
Why Does This Happen? ADHD, That’s Why.
ADHD is like having 37 browser tabs open at all at once - except you’re not sure where the annoying, jangly music is coming from. And even though I spent a decade and a half professionally catching other people’s mistakes, my own brain is a little less cooperative.
Here’s how my brain managed to sabotage me this time:
1. My working memory took a tea break – I had the correct Easter dates at some point, but by the time I typed them, my brain had already moved on to something else.
2. Speed over accuracy – My brain loves efficiency. “Double-check the student’s name?” Nah, I'm sure I did that!
3. Task-switching struggles – Juggling multiple responsibilities means small details sometimes escape before I can catch them.
Sorting It (Without Spiralling Into Self-Doubt)
After a brief moment of wanting to relocate to a quiet and dark cave, I took these steps:
Sent a quick correction – “Oops! My brain got ahead of me—here are the actual Easter break dates.” Simple, clear, and no over-apologizing.
Addressed the name mix-up – “So sorry about the name slip! My brain sometimes moves faster than my typing.” Humour helped lighten the moment.
Now, I take a few extra seconds to double-check names and dates before hitting send. Revolutionary, I know.
Note to Self: Perfection Is Overrated
ADHD brains are wired for creativity, problem-solving, and thinking outside the box. The trade-off? Sometimes we, uh… forget where the box even is. Mistakes happen. The key is handling them with grace, humor, and a solid plan to prevent repeats (most of the time).
So if you’re also a professional with ADHD, just remember: your brain may take detours, but it also brings incredible strengths. And if you ever misname someone in an email, just hope it’s a Michael. There’s a lot of them! 😂