How to keep a side hustle going when you have ADHD

Learning to live with the cognitive chaos of ADHD can be a daily struggle. You can’t sleep at night because your brain is whirring with snippets of songs. You can’t find your keys or phone, but you’ve got a list of potential new clients to approach for work. You’ve left your jacket in a cafe, but you’ve got endless ideas for your new business.

The link between ADHD and side hustles might seem like a stereotype, but the pull to start new projects is often driven by two characteristics of ADHD: the urge to seek out new things, and the ability to think creatively.

Research has linked ADHD with three aspects of creative cognition: Divergent thinking (thinking ‘outside of the box’) conceptual expansion (broadening the boundaries of an existing concept) and overcoming knowledge constraints (breaking past assumptions or accepted boundaries). Novelty seeking is also a well-known characteristic of ADHD. This is thought to be because ADHD brains typically appear to run on a lower baseline of dopamine in the reward circuitry. This makes familiar tasks hard to start or engage in, while new things trigger a release of dopamine in the brain's reward centres.

Throw in the fact that many ADHD-ers are self-employed – often because traditional employment doesn’t offer adequate support for neurodivergent needs – and it’s easy to see why so many individuals with ADHD end up starting side hustles.

But, when the novelty wears off, it’s easy to abandon projects and get stuck in a cycle of starting new things and not seeing them through.

“Side hustles are brilliant at the beginning, bringing novelty and challenging ideas to explore – all things that are really exciting and motivating for an ADHD brain,” says therapist and Counselling Directory member Lianne Terry. 

“Problems can kick in when the business moves from the exciting start up phase into the maintenance phase. Repetitive tasks like replying to emails, admin, marketing consistently, updating a website or repeating the same tasks week after week will offer much less stimulation and instant gratification.”

ADHD also affects executive function, so planning, prioritising, time management and task switching can be difficult. You might know what needs to be done, but actually doing it is another thing altogether.

“Another difficulty with a side hustle is that generally you’re only accountable to yourself, there’s no managers, deadlines or colleagues, so this makes procrastination and inconsistency work likely to creep in,” says Terry.

(Kaboom/Pexels)

How to keep a side hustle going when you have ADHD

Find new ways to keep things new

The initial excitement of a new idea will fade, which is normal and not a sign that you should quit. Instead of abandoning the project, inject a small change, like a new product, a fresh design, or a different platform.

“It’s unlikely that you’d be able to remove the need for newness and novelty, so instead try and build it into the way you work,” says Terry. “While the goal should be the same, change how you work – so alternate between tasks, and set different projects or tasks for each day.”

Create rewards

Setting challenges and ‘gamifying’ tasks can create the sense of reward needed to keep you engaged. This might mean creating ‘task streaks’ (a series of completed assignments), track your progress and set small milestones to reach (like scheduling your social media for two days)

Use external accountability when possible

Some swear that having a 'body double' – someone to work alongside them physically or virtually – helps them stay on track. It's thought to help you stay focused, engaged and motivated by creating an environment of shared presence and accountability. The other person doesn't need to engage in the same task. Body doubling relies on the idea that having company can make a hard task easier.

Beware of hyperfocus

You might spend 10 straight hours building a website and then never want to look at it again. Setting a physical timer or arranging another activity like meeting a friend can put a barrier in place before you exhaust yourself and hit burnout.

Write down new ideas

“If you notice new ideas popping up and taking you off on a side quest, instead just note them down, review the list periodically and see if things still feel important to you,” says Terry.

“Don’t lose focus on your main goal, but also give yourself permission to experiment. Learning new skills, running a short promotion, or changing how you do something can bring novelty without taking you off track.”

Choose how you work

Perhaps most importantly, design your side hustle around your natural ways of working. Being self-employed isn’t easy, but there are some significant benefits like choosing when or where you work. So if you work best with background bustle, head to a cafe with good coffee and a list of small, achievable tasks to complete.

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