MY ADHD JOURNEY AND WHY I BECAME AN ADHD CAREER COACH
- Nat Harrison
- May 19
- 7 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Have you spent years like me, wondering why basic household tasks seemed really hard, but were a breeze for your friends?
Maybe you feel overwhelmed at work by simple tasks like email or admin, or can't get anything done in the day because open plan offices are so distracting, and stay late for some quiet time to allow you to focus (I know I did when I worked in finance)?
Do you repeatedly think, "What's wrong with me?" " Why can't I just do... " or are you embarrassed that you always lose your keys, phone, or credit cards?
These have been my experiences for my whole adult life, but these days, my ADHD symptoms are so much better.
Hi, I'm Nathalina, an ADHD Career Coach.
I bring an ADHD lens to coaching, help you gain a deeper understanding of your neurodivergence and develop strategies for self-regulation and symptom management.
Having worked with many ADHDers and other Neurodivergent folks, I see the difference that self-compassion and coaching can make in you and your relationship with yourself and your career.
When I was growing up in the 80s. I was told I had ADHD by my mum (but I wasn't formally diagnosed - it was new thing and diagnosis wasn't a thing in the UK). I was your typical hyperactive child - I couldn't sit down at other people's houses, apparently I would lay on the floor in M&S and was continuously told off for chattering in the school.
I assumed that I had "grown out of it” as I stopped being madly hyperactive around the start of puberty. The thing is, I didn't grow out of it - I just internalised a lot of the outward physical hyperactivity, which led to a very busy mind, anxiety, fighting with my parents incessantly and feeling like I was being run by a motor that got faster and faster throughout the day.
My Adult ADHD Journey
In my early 40s, my perimenopausal symptoms caused me to totally lose my working memory. My short-term memory and decision-making were massive impacted, and I was worried! My ability to work dropped off a cliff, and I was barely keeping my business going, struggling so much with processes and all the admin needed to successfully run a small business.
A random discussion about a repeated pattern of a burnout cycle (high energy, getting very excited about what I was working on, period of hyperfocus, and my ability to move mountain-loads of work in short periods, following by a period of exhaustion and a downward spiral of mental wellness and productivity), lead to me to Google and it was THEN that I realised I was experiencing ADHD symptoms and I STILL had ADHD!
Upon reflection of my schooling and career, I realised I had experienced multiple severe burnouts throughout my life, the last one ultimately resulting in me resigning and leaving my career in Investment Banking behind. This all started to make sense when I learnt more about what ADHD is and how ADHDers experience the world.
At this point, I felt very stupid for essentially "forgetting I had ADHD" and also very sad that I hadn't understood sooner what was going on and had had the opportunity to limit the impact it had on me, my family and my career - my whole life basically.
I spent some time in the knowing/not knowing flip-flop, doubting my symptoms, and as I started taking HRT, my symptoms became less severe again (a result of having more oestrogen, which is required to produce dopamine). Then realising that other "personally traits" such as being able to listen to someone else's conversation at the same time as holding one myself or over-worrying about whether I should say hi to someone I knew in the street (how my rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) presents) was actually neuro-developmental and not as unique as I suspected - of course, I had masked and not discussed with anyone - I had kept these traits to myself my whole life, so I had no one else to compare them with.
After a few years, I decided that I wanted to go for a formal diagnosis as I was flip-flopping and questioning myself all the time. I couldn't move forward with my ADHD and start to work on managing my symptoms without this certainty (something I am sure many ADHDers feel they need to do). After being on a waiting list for 2 years - I had waited so long that the waitlist with Right To Choose (in my case with Psychiartry UK - ADHD 360 is also another provider) had gone from 6 months to 18 and was at its longest, I finally had my assessment and was I was diagnosed with ADHD-Combined Type in 2023.
I spent a year coming to terms with what this meant for me. I went through what is described as a 'grelief' period (experiencing grief and relief all at the same time), where I asked myself "What If.....?" repeatedly and replayed my whole life over and over again with the new knowledge that I did actually have ADHD - it wasn't something I had made up. I wasn't making excuses, being a hypochondriac or imagining things.
I slowly started to tell people and became aware of more and more of my symptoms ( hypermobility and poor muscle recruitment in my legs, my need to vocalise to surface ideas and decisions and why I need to listen to something to go to sleep).
In 2024, I decided to do a formal ADHD Coaching certification so that I could help my neurodivergent clients more successfully, but I didn't realise the benefits this year-long course would bring me. I have been on a journey of ADHD Awareness—understanding what executive function impairment look and feel like, connecting and sharing with other ADHDers, and realising how much we have in common.
Throughout the course, I learnt self compassion, self acceptance and with a good dose of humour to allow me to let go of the shame of being inept at basic everyday tasks - this felt like an integration phase where my ADHD became part of me. I started to identify as an ADHDer. Then, as we moved on with the course, we looked at our own narratives and stories around our ADHD, and I was able to rewrite my story and reframe the negativity I attached to these traits.
Whilst I would have probably preferred to live without this neurodivergence and the difficulties it brings me and my family, I have come to terms with it and have stoppd worrying about what other people think about me. I have stopped bring scared of who I think I am (lazy, useless, airheaded, not capable of being an adult, not responsible, too much, too loud).
I now see it more balanced and have come to appreciate my ADHD strengths more (fast thinking, great in a crisis, pattern recognition, stamina, ability to pull off big vision tasks, doing things without thinking about them too much (a positive of impulsivity). This reframe has helped me grow in resilience, be more self-connected, understand my emotions and needs and play to my unique abilities more (and stop beating myself up because I can't sustain interest in doing the washing up/boring household talks for more than 10 minutes at a time).
I now fully believe that ADHD is not a disorder or deficit; it’s a difference in my brain’s neurobiology that impacts the balance of neurotransmitters (which are real things - it's not just in our heads! haha). Neurodivergence is a unique way of processing and perceiving the world, often paired with brilliance (or overcompensation) in other areas. When I worked in banking technology, my ADHD allowed me to focus intensely, make quick decisions, and stay very calm when a trading system went down - a skillset that made me a valued problem-solver and very good at my job.
ADHDers have “spiky profiles.” and whilst I may not excel at everyday tasks like washing dishes, I excel in other ways, and I value these skills over my ability to successfully order online grocery delivery or the inconvenience of having to cancel my bank cards fairly regularly.
Over time, I’ve developed a deep understanding and appreciation for my ADHD traits / characteristics / symptoms and the resilience, adaptability and energy it benefits me. I’m in a phase of learning to “do ADHD on purpose” - to be prepared, proactive and intentional, knowing what challenges ADHD Time processing issues, executive function impairment, and emotional dysregulation might bring. I am delighted that I can help so many other ADHDers or AUDHDers to go on this journey and get to ADHD On Purpose, which is exactly where I aim to help clients get to with their Neurodivergence, which is a total gamechanger at work and for your career too.
I hope my story has been useful for you in some way - be it validating, not feeling alone, or giving you hope to move to a better place, where self-acceptance and compassion are paramount and ADHD management is possible.
I am extremely passionate about helping others experience the changes I have and helping you (or your family/friends) harness your ADHD, so you can create a more fulfilling work life, embrace your wonderful uniqueness, and be more relaxed, content, and successful.
If you'd like to find out more about ADHD Career Coaching, click here.
With empathy and compassion
Nat x
ABOUT NATHALINA HARRISON - ADHD CAREER COACH
Hi, I am Nathalina (you can call me Nat). I'm a certified ADHD coach specialising in supporting neurodivergent people who want to harness their brains for the better, improve their relationships with themselves and overcome barriers to success at work or in the businesses..
Book a consultation below if you would benefit from specialist ADHD coaching on your work life.
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