Because coffee isn’t therapy (but it’s a solid start).
Working in marketing with ADHD is a bit like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle through a brainstorm meeting.
You’re creative, driven, idea-rich, and occasionally forget to eat lunch or send the email that’s been sitting open on your screen for three hours.
Add in tight deadlines, shifting strategies, Slack chaos, and an inbox that reproduces faster than a pair of rabbits, and it’s no wonder your mental health sometimes looks like your desktop: cluttered, overwhelmed, and blinking red.
Let’s be real: your ADHD makes you a marketing powerhouse. But if you don’t take care of your brain, it can also make you the person who cries in the bathroom because they forgot their login for the sixth time this week.
So here it is: your semi-sarcastic, actually useful guide to protecting your mental health as a marketer with ADHD.
- Give Your Brain a Break (No, Scrolling Isn’t Rest)
We know. You’re “just checking Instagram real quick” and “getting inspired on TikTok.” But your brain is still on. Hyperstimulated. Chasing dopamine like it’s the last bottle of wine at a marketing conference.
You need real rest. The kind where your brain isn’t multitasking.
Try:
Staring at a tree like a Victorian ghost.
Taking a nap without guilt.
Walking without listening to five podcasts.
Sitting on the floor and disassociating on purpose.
Your nervous system will thank you. Eventually.
- Embrace the Power of the Micro Task
To-do lists are great… in theory. But if yours includes “launch client campaign, fix website, reply to 47 emails, become a better person,” then it’s less a productivity tool and more a slow-motion panic attack.
Break. It. Down.
Instead of “Write blog post,” try “Open Google Doc.”
Instead of “Update LinkedIn profile,” try “Log into LinkedIn without spiraling.”
Small wins count. Especially when ADHD says, “If it’s not perfect, don’t start.”
- Protect Your Dopamine Like It’s a VIP Client
ADHD brains are wired to chase novelty and stimulation. That’s not laziness, it’s chemistry. So if you keep expecting your brain to be excited about the 800th email subject line you’ve written this month… good luck.
Find ways to keep your day interesting without burning out:
Alternate boring tasks with fun ones.
Make your workspace weird and wonderful.
Create a reward system (yes, snacks count).
Ask yourself, “How can I make this mildly ridiculous?”.
Dopamine is your fuel. Treat it like gold dust.
- Build a “Bare Minimum” Toolkit for Bad Brain Days
You know the days. The “I forgot what I’m doing while doing it” days. The “every notification feels like an existential threat” days.
On those days, don’t aim for peak performance. Aim for survival.
Create a go-to list of low-effort, high-kindness actions like:
Move your body for 5 minutes.
Drink actual water, not just cold coffee.
Switch to a simple task you can complete.
Message a friend and say, “Talk me out of quitting everything”.
The bare minimum is still something. And sometimes, it’s everything.
- Set Boundaries (Yes, Even with Your Own Brain)
Your ADHD might tell you that “you work best at 2 a.m.” or “you can do just one more task before bed.” And look, we respect the chaos. But your mental health? It needs boundaries.
Start with the basics:
Set a stop time for work (and actually stop).
Turn off Slack after hours (no, really).
Don’t check email in bed (you’re not a stockbroker).
Say no to the 17th “quick tweak” that’s actually a full rebrand.
Boundaries aren’t boring, they’re self-care with teeth.
- Celebrate Small Wins Like They’re Cannes Lions
ADHD brains often forget what they’ve accomplished five minutes after doing it. That makes us feel behind, even when we’re not.
So when you do the thing? Celebrate. Out loud. With snacks, emojis, or dramatic fist pumps.
Finished a deck? Victory lap.
Scheduled a campaign? Confetti.
Cleaned your inbox? Nobel Peace Prize.
Validation fuels momentum. And you deserve every bit of it.
You’re Doing Great (Even If It Doesn’t Feel Like It)
Marketing is messy. ADHD is messy. Combine the two and you’ve got… well, you. A brilliant, wildly creative, occasionally overstimulated professional who brings magic to the madness.
Taking care of your mental health doesn’t mean becoming a productivity robot. It means giving yourself space, grace, and systems that actually work for your brain.
So take a break. Close a few tabs. Drink some water. You’re not behind—you’re just wired differently. And that’s not a flaw. That’s your edge.
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