ADHD at work: How I find calm and maintain routines with Brain in Hand
Brain in Hand supports Tim in maintaining their morning routine and arriving at work prepared and focused. The app's mood tracker enables them to regularly check in with themself, helping them to prevent burnout and avoid absences.
Tim’s story: Getting support with Access to Work
Tim has been recently diagnosed with ADHD; they experience anxiety and suspects they may be autistic. Tim has been using Brain in Hand since June 2023, which they received as part of the Access to Work (AtW) package.
Their Access to Work support also included ADHD-specific talking therapy, assistive software to address attention span challenges related to reading and writing, and AtW-funded, in-person group sessions facilitated by Ability Smart for their team members to raise awareness of ADHD and its impact.
Fewer absences and no more burnout
Tim has worked full time at a research establishment since 2011, holding two different positions. Their role involves security administration and decision-making responsibilities as part of a team across a number of facilities within the UK. While their workplace offers a flexible hybrid model post-pandemic, they prefer the structure of the office environment, stating, "the structure of being in a proper working environment suits me." Tim is currently pursuing further qualifications in their current role and aspires to advance within the organisation, similar to their colleagues.
Previously, Tim experienced a month-long absence from work because of burnout. Since having their Access to Work support in place incorporating Brain in Hand into their routine, they have not experienced any further anxiety or burnout, resulting in zero work absences. They are also on track to fully integrate into their formal role, with their responsibilities and workload steadily increasing as their ADHD symptoms are mitigated. This has been beneficial for Tim, their employer, and their team.
"I am much more stable with fewer absences, and more available for work, which reduces the impact on my colleagues and team."
How BiH supports me with self-care for ADHD
Brain in Hand provides Tim with crucial support in their work by helping them maintain a consistent morning routine, ensuring they arrive at the office prepared and ready to work. The visual reminders for self-care are important for their mental and physical wellbeing. As they manage both diabetes and ADHD medication, ensuring they eat breakfast is essential. This improved morning organisation allows them to arrive at work feeling "much calmer."
"The most noticeable impact is my morning routine—the app reminds me to clean my teeth, get breakfast, pack for work. I don't always tick it off as a complete task, but that prompt is there when I wake up at 6:30 in the morning. I am a lot better at being up and ready and leaving the house without missing any tasks or dramas. Before the app, it could be a bit chaotic in the morning. I would sometimes fall out of bed, washing my face, grabbing my basics for work, keys, my pass. I didn’t always eat breakfast and as a type 2 diabetic breakfast is important, but now, I am better organised."
Finding better emotional stability with reminders
Beyond improving his start to the day, Tim uses the check-ins and mood tags to reflect how they’re feeling, which helps them navigate their workday with greater stability and fewer crises. They feel more grounded, and combined with other workplace adjustments and Brain in Hand, they are "more open to discuss things at work."
"When I'm having stressful days, the traffic light reminders and the check-ins are useful to just to pause and reflect and on how you're doing."
No routine, greater stress: Life without Brain in Hand
Tim knew that before Brain in Hand they weren’t feeling great, and even though they are not a big BiH user, the areas of life they do use it for makes a big difference to them and they value this. They have experienced what it is like to not have BiH for a few weeks when there was a problem with payments through their work. The impact on their morning routine was significant and caused them stress, especially as it coincided with not being able to access their ADHD medication for 4 months because of supply issues.
"I wasn’t getting those prompts or mood checks. You don’t realise how much actual support it gives you. I don’t consider myself a heavy user of BiH but when it was gone, I noticed the differences those small prompts make. It also coincided with not having meds which is why I had to also get CBT. I was only 2-3 weeks [without BiH] but that was enough to interrupt my morning routine."
How Brain in Hand offers friendly, nurturing support
The cessation in their specific type of ADHD medication meant they needed to reach out for CBT to help with emotional regulation. Tim has a history of using CBT or other talking therapies two to three times annually. However, with the exception of a recent medication-related issue, Tim hasn't needed these therapies since starting Brain in Hand. They find that the app's mood tracking feature helps them self-regulate, reducing their need for formal therapy. While acknowledging that other reminder apps might exist, Tim appreciates Brain in Hand's user-friendly and supportive design.
"If I didn’t have access [to BiH], I could maybe figure it out from reminders and stuff but sometimes my reminders for medication get forgotten. Also, reminder apps are a bit blunt, but BiH feels a bit more nurturing, a bit friendlier."
The numbers in economic terms
Economic savings for their employer could amount to £6,168, £2,804 from no extended 1- month absences and Tim being more productive at work (just a 10% increase in productivity could be valued at £3,364). This would reflect a Return on Investment of 2.3 in that first year (£1,860 through AtW) and 3.3 going forward for renewal price of £1,440.
This is based on average weekly earnings (AWE) to be £647 for regular earnings estimated by ONS in July 2024 (ref).
Tim could also benefit financially through reduced need to pay for talking therapies or CBT with a professional clinical psychologist (2-3 times a year could amount to at least £300) and progression through the company with expected incremental increases in their salary of at least 5% per year for average promotions.