ADHD and the Open Office: Strategies, Flexibility, and Advocacy

Coping with Overstimulation in the Open Office 

Being ADHD in the open office can be awful.  The constant noise, movement, and lack of privacy often lead to sensory overload, making it hard to stay focused. While open office designs aim to promote collaboration, they can create a chaotic environment that feels unmanageable for ADHD people. The good news is that with the right strategies, flexible work options, and self-advocacy, you might be able to regain control of your workspace.

Common Sensory Challenges When You Are ADHD  in the Open Office

Sight: Bright and Flickering Lights
Fluorescent lighting in the office is a common source of overstimulation for ADHDers. These lights can be too bright and may flicker, causing discomfort and distraction. The subtle hum and flicker from fluorescent bulbs can make concentrating difficult, leaving you feeling frazzled.

Think About It: Are the lights in your workspace affecting your focus? Could a desk lamp with softer lighting or light-diffusing filters help reduce overstimulation?

Sound: A Constant Source of Overload
Sound is often the biggest sensory challenge when you have ADHD in the open office. Constant background noise from phone calls, conversations, or even the hum of office equipment can be highly distracting. For some, specific sounds like coworkers eating at their desks or clicking keyboards can be particularly aggravating, making it even harder to stay on task.

Pause and Reflect: What types of sounds distract you the most? Understanding these triggers can help you develop strategies to manage them, like using noise-canceling headphones.

Smell: A Surprising Source of Overload
The smell can also be a sensory challenge. Strong odors from cleaning products, perfumes, or food in the office can overwhelm those sensitive to smells. Even a passing whiff can trigger sensory overload, making it hard to stay calm and focused.

You can ask to be moved to a different location where these smells are less potent.

Touch and Temperature: Uncomfortable Sensations
Sensory discomfort can also come from itchy clothing or feeling too hot or cold in the office. These physical discomforts add to the distractions and stress, further hindering focus and productivity.

Self-Care Tip: Are your clothes or the office temperature making you uncomfortable? Minor adjustments, like layering or choosing softer fabrics, can improve your comfort and help you focus better throughout the day.

Strategies to Manage Sensory Overload

1. Choose Your Workspace Wisely
If possible, pick a quieter, low-traffic area to sit. Sitting away from entrances, printers, or break rooms can help reduce visual and auditory distractions. Finding a spot near a wall or in a corner can also limit distractions from people walking by.

2. Use Noise-Canceling Headphones or Loops
Noise-canceling Loops can create a peaceful bubble in a noisy office. Listening to white noise, nature sounds, or instrumental music can help drown out distracting conversations and office machinery, making it easier to stay focused.

3. Adjust the Lighting
Consider using a desk lamp with warmer, softer lighting if the overhead lights are too harsh. And ask to have the light removed from your area if possible.  Light-diffusing filters or specialized glasses can also help reduce the flicker and glare from fluorescent lights.

4. Take Breaks in Quiet Spaces
When overstimulation becomes too much, stepping away for a break can help reset your focus. Find a quiet spot—like a break room, a stairwell, or even outside—where you can decompress for a few minutes before returning to work.

Ask Yourself: Are you taking enough breaks to manage sensory overload? Could stepping away for a few minutes help you recharge?

5. Create Visual Barriers
Visual distractions can also be challenging in an open office. Setting up desk dividers, using plants, or even positioning your computer screen to minimize movement in your field of vision can help you stay focused.

If work-from-home arrangements are not available for you and an individual office isn't available, there are more elaborate solutions, such as these dividers, that you can request your company to purchase for you. Assuming you have your disability on record.

Flexible Work Arrangements: Finding What Works for You

For some ADHDers, a partial work-from-home setup or other flexible work arrangements may be the ideal solution. Working from home offers more control over your environment, allowing you to adjust sensory factors like noise, lighting, and temperature. If your job can be done remotely, consider asking your employer about the possibility of a hybrid schedule, where you work from home part-time and only come into the office on certain days.

Flexible hours are another valuable option. If you work best during specific times of the day, adjusting your work hours to fit your natural productivity patterns could help you perform better in and out of the office.

Think About It: Could a flexible work schedule or working from home help you manage distractions more effectively? What type of arrangement would work best for your focus and energy levels?

Communication and Advocacy: Speaking Up for Your Needs

1. Educate Colleagues and Supervisors
If you feel comfortable, consider disclosing your ADHD to trusted colleagues or supervisors. You can foster a more supportive and understanding work environment by helping them understand how sensory overload impacts your work. This could lead to greater flexibility and accommodations that suit your needs.

2. Advocate for Accommodations
Being assertive in requesting accommodations that will help you thrive is important. Whether that’s noise-canceling headphones, quieter seating, or a flexible schedule, the more specific you are about your needs, the easier it will be for your employer to support you. Remember, you deserve a work environment that enables your success.

Self-Advocacy Tip: What adjustments would make your workday more manageable? How can you clearly communicate your needs to your employer?

Personalizing Your Approach: What Works for You

Every ADHDer’s experience is different. What works for one person may not work for another, so trying different strategies to see what fits your individual needs is essential. Whether using sensory tools like fidget toys, adjusting your workspace, or working from home, finding the right balance is key to staying focused and productive.

Experiment with different combination strategies, be open to adapting, and keep communication with your employer ongoing. This approach can lead to a much more manageable and productive work experience in an open office environment.

Can you be an ADHD person in the Open Office Setting?

You deserve to work in a way that honors your ADHD needs. A workspace that doesn't accommodate you is one you should leave. Sensory issues impact your mood, emotional regulation, and executive functioning. If you feel bad regularly, consider finding a new job.