ADHD AND MANAGEMENT MODELS

Naïma Laraki, M.sc CPCC PCC MCAC



In today’s workplaces, traditional management models still rely heavily on consistency, linear productivity, and tight control of time. For individuals with ADHD — whether employees or managers —

these models often create more barriers than support.

The ADHD brain works differently. Focus comes in waves, influenced by interest, stimulation, emotional safety, and nervous system regulation. Someone may struggle to start a task, then later enter a period of intense focus, produce high-quality work in a short amount of time, and require genuine recovery afterward. This is not a lack of discipline — it is a neurobiological reality.

Self-regulation also requires more effort. Managing attention, emotions, impulses, and cognitive energy

is not automatic for ADHD brains. Under pressure — long and frequent meetings, constant interruptions, rigid deadlines — regulation becomes increasingly costly, making organization, planning, and task initiation far more difficult.

In my coaching practice, I work with both employees and managers who have ADHD. While organization, time management, and prioritization are always part of our work, I consistently observe that their true foundation lies elsewhere: energy management. When energy is depleted, even the best organizational strategies become inaccessible.

What works better is not the absence of structure, but outcome-based management within clear timelines. People with ADHD generally know their natural productivity cycles and can plan demanding

tasks for moments when their brain is most available. These shifts also require integrative leadership,

where managers act more as coaches than controllers and are trained to understand neurodivergence.

Author note: Before becoming an ADHD coach, I worked in management roles myself and hold a Master’s degree in Marketing Sciences as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Management. This dual background allows me to bridge organizational realities with the lived experience of ADHD, supporting both individuals and leaders in creating environments where performance and well-being can coexist.

DOPAMINE MENU

Andrea Dasilva, M Ed. RCC



What was I saying? What am I doing?!  I feel angry, nervous, excited, curious, and scared in the same minute. Meh… I’ll deal with this later.

When levels of the neurochemical dopamine are imbalanced or dysregulated, our behaviours and emotions (and so much else) become similarly imbalanced, which could lead to impulsive choices that are not overly satisfying.



Wouldn’t it be great if we could plan for and cater to what our systems are so hungry for? That’s where creating a dopamine menu comes in handy…

Dopamine: The Secret Sauce

In the ADHD brain, levels of dopamine are below average; as a result, the reward and pleasure pathways are very often starving for ways to stimulate levels of this chemical messenger. Hungry for the next dopamine kick. To maintain motivation, boredom, emotion regulation, concentration, and, well, feeling good, there might be a sort of desperation to reach for something – anything – that “hits the spot” (a highly stimulating behaviour which triggers a burst of dopamine). Whether that take the form of doom scrolling on social media, repeatedly clicking “Purchase” on items we like but don’t need, gambling, or finishing that box of doughnuts, the mind is trying to figure out how to achieve at least short-term satisfaction of cravings. After that wave of pleasure, dopamine levels drop back down to where they started. It can seem like a vicious cycle.

Creating a Dopa-mine

When we’re feeling depleted, dysregulated, and without energy, the last thing we want to do is to think hard to identify healthy and sustainable ways we can enhance levels of dopamine in our brains. It is so tempting (and simple) to indulge in impulsive behaviors.

Even though levels of dopamine are lower in the ADHD brain, this does not mean that we are helpless. We know healthier options to help ourselves regulate – this info is in the brain; ADHD makes it tougher to actualize or follow through on this information. So, how about separating the choosing from the planning to lighten the cognitive load and ease the overwhelm? Rather than trying to wrack your brain on the spot for “solutions” or shortcuts when the mind is already spent trying to deal with distressing perceived emptiness, how about creating your own personalized Dopamine Menu? A menu that suits you – you know what helps or has been effective for you.

Smorgasbord of Options

To begin creating your dopamine menu (before a dopamine crash), write out a list of activities that you know have been helpful for you to feel regulated. These might be things like taking a walk, listening to music, dancing, writing, exercising, jumping up and down for a minute, taking deep breaths, talking to a friend, the list is endless. 

Structure your dopamine menu like a restaurant menu:

• Appetizers: Quick activities that provide a burst of energy (i.e. drinking a glass of ice water or cup of coffee, listening to (or singing along to) your favourite song, stretching)

• Main Courses: Time consuming activities that excite you (i.e. walking the dog, journaling, painting, dancing, solving a jigsaw or Sudoku puzzle)

• Sides: Things you can do simultaneously to make boring tasks more interesting (i.e. turning on white noise or some music, playing with a fidget toy)

• Deserts: Activities that are easy to overdo (i.e. texting, scrolling, watching TV). Consider these as sweet treats you pick on occasion.

• Specials: Exciting activities that might involve more planning or spending (i.e. going to a concert or a movie, taking a vacation, going to a play)

Once you have your items selected, make any preparations you can to make engaging in the activities more accessible or sustainable; perhaps also render it more difficult to do contrary behaviours. Which activities are included in each course is totally up to you! There can be seasonal changes, updates, deletions – whatever suits your palate!

Have your menu easy to retrieve (maybe on your phone?) so that the next time you are feeling really low on dopamine, you have a list of healthy and productive options to help you experience increased dopamine – in ways that you are aware of selecting and aligning what your mind and body are craving most – regulation.

Receiving an autism diagnosis can provide access to a variety of accommodations and supports. It can also provide a profound sense of self-acceptance and understanding, and help to guide a plan to move forward. Some of the lifestyle changes that can benefit autistic adults include environmental adjustments, skill development, support systems, routine development, sensory regulation, and social strategies.

An autism diagnosis can empower you to embrace your true self, advocate for your needs, and live authentically. You can trust the Adult Autism Centre to help you through the first steps of this journey.

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