When work isn't working, the first instinct for a lot of adults with ADHD is self-blame. I should try harder. I need more discipline.
But what if the problem isn't you? What if it's where you're planted?
An ADHD friendly workspace isn't about having a perfect office. It's about noticing what helps your brain settle in and making room for more of it. So Pete and I decided to open up our own spaces and share what's in them.
What does "plant yourself in the right garden" mean?
It means changing your surroundings to fit how your brain works, instead of forcing your brain to fit your surroundings.
The idea comes from Dr. Kathleen Nadeau, who describes much of ADHD struggle as a planting problem, not a discipline problem. Pete and I break it into three gardens: the right job, the right room, and the right people. This post focuses on the room.
Why does environment matter so much with ADHD?
With ADHD, motivation is hardest to find when you need to start. Dr. Russell Barkley calls this the point of performance. Support works best when it's built into the place where the work happens.
Here's what I see in coaching. When a space fits, people notice it right away. When it doesn't, they rarely blame the room. They blame themselves.
That instinct deserves a second look. Even the classic willpower research is shakier than its reputation. The famous marshmallow test turned out to say a lot more about kids' home environments than about their self-control.
So before deciding something is wrong with you, it's worth asking what's around you.
Pete's garden, in his words
I asked Pete what's in his garden. Here's what makes his space work.
AirPods Max. When the house gets loud, good over-the-ear noise-canceling gives me a quiet room wherever I happen to sit. Earbuds never did that for me.
More than one place to work. I keep at least three spots in rotation, and one of them is soft and reclines. When I'm stuck, moving to a different seat is sometimes all it takes.
A docked laptop. Everything lives on my laptop, so I can unplug from the monitor and keyboard and carry my whole work life to any of those spots without syncing anything.
A clear work surface. The rest of the room can be chaos, but the space right in front of me has to be clean. I'm a horse that needs blinders.
Colored lights. I have Philips Hue lights all over the house. Changing a room's color is the fastest way I know to tell my brain we're doing something different now. A new color makes the same room feel like a new place, without me having to move.
FocusFlight. This app turns a focus session into a pretend flight. You pick a destination, choose a seat, scan your boarding pass, and work until you land. For long sessions, I close the curtains and set the lights to overnight flight blue. It's ridiculous, and it works for me.
Nikki's garden
Here's what helps my space feel like somewhere I want to be.
Fresh flowers, every once in a while. I can't have them every week, but when I can, they make a difference. They bring me joy.
Decorations with meaning. I'm surrounded by photos of my family and mementos my children have made me over the years. They remind me of what matters most.
Music, for the right kind of work. I've learned I can't have music on when I'm writing. For admin work, though, having something playing in the background is important.
A laptop. Switching to a laptop was a game changer for me. I was no longer stuck in one place. I could pack up and head to a coffee shop to get work done, which is where a lot of our book got written.
You might notice my list is less about focus and more about feeling. When I like being in my space, sitting down to work feels a little lighter.
How do you find your own ADHD friendly workspace?
Start by noticing, not shopping.
Pete's list and mine look nothing alike, and that's the point. There's no single right setup. There's only what fits your brain.
You won't always get to choose the room. Small moves still count, though. Maybe it's a different chair, a different time of day, a different person nearby, or one cleared surface.
A few questions to sit with:
When did work feel lighter recently? Where were you?
What's different about the space when you feel stuck?
What's one small thing you could change and try this week?
Come at it with curiosity, not judgment. Your answers are clues, not grades.
Quick answers
What is an ADHD friendly workspace? It's a space set up around how your brain focuses, not around how a workspace is supposed to look.
Do I need to buy new things? Not usually. Many helpful changes cost nothing: moving seats, clearing one surface, or changing the time of day.
Is trouble focusing a willpower problem? Often it's a fit problem, where the environment is working against you rather than with you.
Want to hear the whole conversation? Pete and I dig into all three gardens on the podcast.
🎧 [Listen Here]
