It took me five years — and a fortune lost in “forgotten” assignments — to accept that I can’t just switch off my ADHD when I start my workday.

It’s a part of the workday, just like my laptop or my notebook. And much as I wish my clients would magically figure out when I’m in peak mode and keep all my assignments for then, that’s not happening. I need to figure out routines and safeguards that keep me going even on the days my brain doesn’t want to — because that’s what my clients pay me to do

You’ll find a lot of neurodivergent folks in freelancing. What you won’t find as much of? Resources designed specifically for neurodivergent people to navigate freelancing without falling prey to the inherent uncertainty. And that’s exactly why I’m sharing this piece— a list of no-BS tips for ADHD freelancers to max their game without unrealistic effort. They’ve helped me reach a baseline level of regular productivity, even on my bad days, and I’m counting on them to push that baseline higher and bring me to my six-figure income goals.

And I hope they help you grow too.

Have a morning routine

Boring, I know. And super LinkedIn bro-ey.

But having been an anti-routine person for a large fraction of my life, I can see a clear difference between how I work on days when it’s all chaos and how I work after a simple morning routine.

Brains like mine don’t just get to work when you tell them to. They need a push to get into work mode — and by push, I mean a trusted set of steps that act as a cue to exit sleepy mode and enter go-get-em mode. And no, you don’t have to take cold showers at 4AM or blend impossibly green smoothies. My slow morning routine is specifically designed for people who love sleep and coffee.

Speaking of which…

Don’t resist caffeine

All those pompous anti-coffee preachers can take a hike. A PCT-length hike with a crappy backpack and zero trail angels along the way.

First off, you can’t help wanting caffeine. Our brains naturally seek dopamine, and caffeine is an easy way to get that hit. (This is actually something I only discovered recently — no wonder I used to throw tantrums at the age of five when my grandmother refused to give me tea twice a day!)

And secondly, coffee is one of the small reliable pleasures of life. Do you really want to take that away from yourself?

Set your deadlines a day later than you can actually deliver

This has been a gamechanger for me in the last few months.

I estimate how long the assignment will take me (as a function of my other assignments, any home/social obligations and my sleeping patterns), and add one day to that number when setting the client deadline.

This is the buffer day. The day I use when my ADHD brain freeze kicks in and three hours go by in three seconds. The buffer day lets me crawl back into functionality and deliver my work within the time I was asked to deliver it, without having to play the “sorry I got sick” card. And if my brain decides to be good? I deliver early. Brownie points!