A Quick Note About ADHD, Anxiety, and Communication

I’ve always believed that honesty and transparency help create better experiences for everyone. With that in mind, I think it’s slightly relevant for my clients to know that I have ADHD and anxiety. These are both things I manage well, but they can occasionally affect things like timing and communication.

One of the most common ADHD traits is difficulty with time management and response timing. Because of that, I’m guilty of not always replying as quickly as I would like. Life gets busy for all of us, but with ADHD there’s simply a higher likelihood of delayed responses or typical “ADHD moments.” If you’ve ever sent me a message and I took a little longer than expected to reply, that’s usually why.

Anxiety can occasionally play a role as well. Very rarely, it might mean that I’m running a little late to something—whether that’s from ADHD timing issues or just having an anxious moment. That said, I always do my best to communicate appropriately if something is going on. It’s extremely uncommon for me to be more than 30 minutes late, and I make every effort to respect people’s time.

For context, I don’t typically experience panic attacks. I’ve only had a handful throughout my entire life. But understanding how my brain works is one of the reasons I tend to avoid things like drinking heavily or using drugs when I’m working or meeting people. Staying clear-headed helps me stay grounded and professional.

While I’m obviously not a therapist, I do have a lot of empathy for people who deal with anxiety or other mental health challenges. You never have to disclose anything personal to me if you don’t want to—that’s completely your choice. But if you’re having a stressful day, running behind, or need to cancel because something unexpected came up, I understand that life happens.

The only thing I ask is respectful and responsible communication. If something is going on, just let me know. My first response will almost always be to see if there’s another time that works for both of us.

Because I work as an independent contractor, I sometimes have more flexibility than traditional jobs when it comes to rescheduling—especially if I don’t have other commitments at that time. My goal is always to be reasonable and work with people when life throws unexpected situations our way.

Of course, any system based on trust relies on people not abusing it. Thankfully, out of all the people I’ve met over the years, I can honestly say I’ve only had one person take advantage of that flexibility. The vast majority of people are respectful and understanding, which I really appreciate.

Mental health conversations are becoming much more common as society gains a better understanding of how biological conditions like ADHD and anxiety work. Stress can sometimes amplify those conditions for anyone, and I think most people can relate to that in some way.

At the end of the day, my approach is pretty simple:

I try to be understanding, communicate clearly, and treat people with respect. All I ask is for the same in return.

Still creating. Still evolving. Still yours,

The Mia Amore 🦋