Lessons from a year of ADHD diagnosis and self-employment

One year on and my bullsh*t tolerance is close to zero. Why setting boundaries isn’t a luxury, it’s survival.

October marked one year since I was diagnosed with ADHD.

And, coincidentally, one year since I went 100% freelance (because why do things by halves, right? #ADHD).

It’s been a wild mix of growth, fear, and freedom…so I wanted to share a few reflections on what I’ve learned about ADHD, self-employment, and setting boundaries that actually work.

Getting my ADHD diagnosis felt a bit like one of those daytime adverts that tell you to “consolidate all your debt into one manageable monthly payment.”

For years, I’d thought there were so many things “wrong” (or, as I prefer to say, ludicrous) about me - quirks, weaknesses, challenges I couldn’t fix or explain. But the diagnosis connected the dots. Suddenly, all those scattered pieces made more sense.

I won’t claim that getting a diagnosis makes everything suddenly click into place - life isn’t that binary or simple, especially when you’re neurodivergent!

The challenges are still there, but understanding that they mostly stem from the same thing has brought me a lot more self-compassion. It’s also made me far less willing to tolerate things that don’t work for me.

So many late-diagnosed women say their bullsh*t tolerance drops sharply after diagnosis, and I completely get (and applaud) it. I now know what pushes me into overwhelm or neurodivergent burnout, and setting boundaries isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s survival.

It’s also reinforced something I’ve always believed: there’s no single “right” way to work.

Every brain has something brilliant to offer, whether we’re introverts, reflectors, or neurodivergent thinkers. Yet most workplaces still only cater to a small fraction of those ways of thinking. That’s a huge loss, both for inclusion and for innovation.

And as for going 100% freelance (with no financial safety net at all - eek!) it’s been exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure.

I love the variety, creativity, and autonomy. The freedom to work in rhythms that suit my ADHD brain. I love writing, travelling to deliver keynotes across Europe (makes me feel so fancy!), connecting, and sharing insights about leadership, wellbeing, and neurodiversity.

But it’s also relentless. You’re the marketing team, the delivery team, the finance team…and the one who still has to work when you’re sick, because no one else will.

The first six months were bum-squeakingly terrifying (I constantly questioned everything I was doing) but lately things have started to click. My brand feels stronger, my content’s resonating, and I’m getting more inbound leads than ever (I seem to have done some quality SEO without even realising!)

It’s been a year of huge learning curves, big and small wins, and plenty of (sometimes painful) self-discovery along the way.

I wouldn’t say it’s been easy, but it’s certainly been worth it.

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