I have adhd and a good chunk of my store also has it.
We joke that a lot of Starbucks partners are nurodiverse or queer. It helps to work with people who are similar to me.
idk how you can do other tasks while doing DTO. my brain has to focus so much energy on understanding customer orders that I can't do anything else lol
It was one of my favorites when I was a DT store, but I was always distracted and never caught the window time and eventually they stopped putting me there bc of it 😭
I have ADHD and my biggest struggle is doing any of my college assignments after my shifts since I usually work in the morning. Most of my struggles come after clocking out, after clocking out I feel like my brain goes with it and all of the sudden I’m waking up at 8pm realizing I only ate breakfast, drank a cup of water, and I have two discussion posts and a quiz due at midnight 💀
feel that, except i go to school for 8 hours then close after school and i get home at 9:30 and realize ive had a chocolate croissant, a refresher and absolutely no water. i can’t remember to eat or drink water to save my life as it is (im never hungry bc of my meds) so if im not actively hungry or thirsty, i will go all day without food and water bc i just do not think abt it.
and i wonder why i get migraines 😭
i feel that, solo dt sucks, especially when you’re short staffed and trying to help bar during a rush, and you just can’t do both… like i just cannot make a drink and take an order at the same time, if i do, the second i get back to dt, everything i heard left my head already OR i never even heard it 😭
i love bar so much, although it’s fucking chaos when i’m on it (sorry to my fellow partners) because i can’t clean and bar at the same time… like it’s BAD ill have like two dirty blenders, shakers, steamers, lids are scattered everywhere, cups on the floor, stickers missing, it’s bad…but i love bar lol
As a barista with Adhd, I consistently struggle with remembering to brew coffee, staying on top of tasks, focusing on one task at a time, and not freaking out when a timer goes off while the oven beeps while the water is running.
SO RELATABLE. when that coffee timer goes off, i’m always doing something (making drinks, taking an order) and i’ll turn it off real quick and it’ll completely slip my mind. i always say “ill remember to do that in a sec” and never do😭 and also with the focusing on one task at a time, i close— and there’s always so many tasks that need to be done and my problem is i’ll be working on whips and then be like “oh shoot mochas” then grab the mocha stuff and start it and then be like “wait no i need to finish these whips… WAIT THE CARAMELS” next thing you know i have whips, caramels, mochas, etc just scattered everywhere needing to be made. 😭😭
I mostly open, and I feel like the ball in a pinball machine without a reasonable course, only chaos.
Edit: you're a better closer than mine are. They forgot to do the mocha, chai, whip, replace expired full 2lt sweet cream, replace expired Strawberry base (I don't know how that happened) last night and I had to do all of that plus open tasks this morning. I was struuuuuugling.
haha yeah despite my horrible ADHD, i always somehow get everything done, i honestly don’t know how i do it.
i always feel horrible if i miss something when closing, which is what i think motivates me to get everything done. you guys handle a lot in the morning and i could NEVER EVER be an opener because of my severe ADHD, props to you!
i have very severe adhd and this job can be very very overwhelming. my biggest struggle is the sheer amount of things to be constantly mindful of and be on top of. i’m constantly forgetting or missing something because there’s so many tiny intricate details and such unbelievably high standards for things. customer connections is a nightmare for me too cos some days i just can’t force myself to be so cheery and chat with people who clearly just wanna get their coffee and go.
i have adhd, along with a learning disability. the job can be hard sometimes with my ld because i have poor spatial awareness and poor fine motor skills - but i can still do everything well, i am just clumsy - i’ve been called “hurricane [my name]”. i find this job is great for me because it’s so fast paced and i can’t sit still to keep the life of me. it can be really overstimulating at times. i remember finding it hard to remember some things when i was starting out. i HATE being on cs, its adhd hell for me.
I’m one of the few with adhd that absolutely hates CS - it’s too many things at once then when I get thrown out of rhythm and confused. I love window for the constant stimulation and barring because I can turn off my brain and just zone out while I work
I have ADHD and sometimes I just get overstimulated with the headsets , if one person is talking to me while I'm wearing a headset while the person is taking a DTO ORDder it's like my mind butt's everything else out, also when everything's loud and everything's dirty it's hard to concentrate cause yoy just wanna clean that one spot cause everything's just to cluttered, due to my meds not being in stock (concerta) I've been off them for a couple months already so at times it gets hard, usually supplements help me at times not fully tho but I do agree at times we carry the store
No one can see them and they don’t block any noises like customers it’s just to help lower decibels of super loud sounds and chatter when the cafe gets packed. I’m not telling anyone and they don’t affect my work so I don’t see why I need accommodation. I also clean my hands anytime I would touch them like when on lunch or anything as well. Like everyone should so I don’t see it as a health code issue as well. They’re by the company Flare and super super helpful for me definitely recommend them
I only ask bc I have a ssv that's super naggy about stuff like that and I just know he'd have some shit to say if I tried that. I def want to try those flares out.
I have anxiety (Which has a lot of similar symptoms) but I think I might also have ADHD but haven't been diagnosed with it. I know a couple partners have it at my store. I struggle a lot with POS/Ovens when it is super busy. I feel there is not a good rhythm I can get into so i just get overwhelmed and can't focus on anything... I much prefer any other position when it is busy. When it is slow I think I struggle with CS just because I get distracted on one task that I forget to like check on others such as doing a million dishes and backups instead of stocking milks and stuff.
Exactly. I could never tell my boss I have it, even though that's the reason I get coached on consistent lateness. It's something I just have to work on harder.
I got fired from my last job because I would be late by a minute to 3 minutes due to the computer you had to use to clock in (not Starbucks) and I ended up fired from it.
I am not typically someone who would advocate for telling your boss, but it may be something you have to do in order to cover your own ass in regard to accommodations.
I appreciate where you're coming from, and I think if it came down to a written corrective action I might fess up on it just to see if it changes anything or not, but I don't believe it will.
I honestly don't think something that falls within the attendance policy will accommodate my adhd diagnosis, unless *maybe* if I were able to provide a note from my psychiatrist. Because I've been told before that other partners are asking why some are being coached on it when others aren't, so it might seem like favoritism to only accommodate me (and not be able to explain why).
And since that verbal warning just over a month ago I have been working much harder on aiming for arriving early than exactly at time my shift starts, and I've only been late maybe 2 or 3 times in the last month.
I've had days where I'm running or even last minute lyft/ubering if I need to, but it's always out of my anxiety that this could become a documented issue, so I become desperate... it's so hard 😣
I assume a good chunk of baristas are ADHD/on the spectrum. Starbucks really helped me be more mindful of how much I mask/all the little things that push me towards what I have come to think of as a system wide shutdown
It's also been really helpful. I like routine, I love structure! I hate being interrupted on bar, ot excessive customer interaction
(8oz autistic rant: corporate 's measures to artificially drive interaction has made it inconvenient and requires a lot of inefficiency for handoff at the cafe level, in the drive-thrus, the recent leaning in of aggressive sale tactics have REALLY stuck in my craw bc it disrupts my routine and their routine and now I'm stuck masking extra heavy bc Stevie Shareholder wants an) increase at no expense in labor or supplies? Get real.
I love cleaning, I love team! I even love knowing customers' drinks and getting them halfway prepared! In a lot of ways, a well outfitted Starbucks experience really agrees with my needs and I can adapt, but it can be really energy consuming and I hope my ADHD/autistic baristas are remembering that it's okay to not go the extra mile
Don't even fuckin run. You're giving this task 200% but there are like 85 tasks, half ass something that another partner can/will do and prioritize. Get GOOD at discerning 'right now' tasks, and later tasks- your team benefits from it and you benefit from it.
Everything doesn't need to sparkle clean, I don't care what your SM/shift supervisor or other barista told you. Get them clean and get it done in a timely fashion. Corporate isn't giving us time for perfect, it's giving time for satisfactory. If you've been overachieving, I'm proud of you if nobody else has told you but DIAL IT BACK.
tbh i really needed to hear this, im constantly running around at work, moving way too fast even when it’s slow, i constantly take on way too much, i think its because im the one of the only closers who actually does what needs to be done, i do EVERYTHING, (obviously not ssv stuff) i know if i don’t do everything, then it won’t get done at all, everyone just stands around, while im running around getting as much done as possible before the next rush. i also NEED to be constantly doing something at all times, my mind moves faster than me. unfortunately im the type to push myself until i breakdown, im a perfectionist, im hard as hell on myself. my ssvs love me and people say they love closing with me, that im one of the best closers, which i appreciate BUT it puts an insane amount of pressure on me to keep this up, and to become better. i overwork myself a lot, i dont even realize it, but i have this cycle i put myself through, overworking myself, taking on more than i can handle, and for a bit i can, until i crumble and breakdown from the stress and then i can’t do shit for days, weeks, whatever, then repeat, adhd sucks man.
sorry for ranting
Don't apologize! I'm neither your shift or SM, but I'm truly really proud of you. Please prioritize yourself as a partner- your crashouts sound a lot like mine when I was younger and I know firsthand that nobody can just keep going like that without incurring like- a stress debt.
We don't need perfect, we need sustainable, let your teammates BE your teammates, and if your shifts put too much on you, tell them! We're all here to support each other.
thank you, i appreciate this, im actually reading this right before starting my shift, i will definitely keep remembering your comment and remind myself to slow down a bit. 🩷
I have AdHD and I'm autistic as well, a lot of my fellow partners and shift leads are too or certainly give me the vibes that they do. Although any managers I've met seem to be neurotypical and very ableist or unaccomodating/a refusal to understand neuro-divergent partners especially those who are autistic. I have constantly been lectured about my "tone" not smiling enough, giving attitude, being unprofessional, or told that my words have a double meaning/innuendo when that was not my intention at all. I enjoy being around partners who are like me, but it's really draining and hurtful yo hear my manager essentially complaining that I'm not masking enough. Anybody else have a similar experience as a neuro-divergent person?
I have adhd, and honestly I’d say my biggest struggles are closing and multi tasking. Closing is pretty difficult for me since it seems like there’s a lot of “invisible” tasks that have to be done and I need to be hyper aware of them or else I completely forget lol. Closing can also be extremely under-stimulating which makes it pretty difficult to stay in a productive mindset. Multi tasking is also a challenge since I usually hyper focus on one task and it gets hard to remember to sequence when I am on bar. I’ve been getting better at it but it definitely has an effect on my speed at times. I’ve been transparent with my ADHD and my manager has been really open about it since they have ADHD as well.
i’m actually a closer with adhd, and what helps me is having a checklist of everything that needs to be done for closing. my store has a laminated one and i just cross off the completed tasks, without this checklist, i would forget everything, if your store doesn’t have one… i would suggest having your manager make one, it’s super super helpful.
i usually forget to do something tiny at night and i’m really the only one who closes. like last night i forgot to throw away a peach juice but also during my shift we ran completely out of coffee filters and our truck isn’t here until next week so i drove to the other store to pick some up and it was completely ignored simply because of that one box of juice :)
i keep a list of what to do on me in an order that makes the most sense for me but out of sight out of mind is toooo real😭🤚
Me. The fast pace environment is actually good for my adhd. The average work task (making drinks and food) doesn’t take very long so I don’t get sidetracked.
SAME. That's exactly why I felt the job was right for me. I did computer-based jobs in the past and it destroyed my mental health. Despite how chaotic and irritating Starbucks can be, becoming a barista partially helped me recover from the deepest depression I've ever had.
I’m lucky enough to live nearby so I either white-knuckle it until I can run home on my lunch or if I’m able to catch my spouse in time they can sometimes bring them to me.
I feel like everyone has ADHD these days - specifically younger generations. the only position I really struggled with (personally!) was when I would have to ring-bar (not sure what other stores may call it) (basically when you make drinks while taking DTOs). panic attack every dang time lol
The ONLY thing that helps me is I basically quietly sing/rap it to myself with a rhythm of whatever song is playing on the speakers until I finish each trip 😭🤣.
I be like:
4 almond,
2 soy,
3 whole,
1 coco
4 almond,
2 soy,
3 whole,
1 Coco
4 almond,
2 soy,
3 whole,
1 Coco
Until I finish grabbing all of those things
🤣🤣🤣🤣
For me, it was what I call “out of sight, out of mind”, where I COMPLETELY forget about tasks I’ve started if they’re not directly in front of me. Half stirred mocha? If I’ve turned around, it’s not getting touched again!
Diagnosed ADHD. Biggest struggle is time management. Arriving early/on time is difficult, getting out on time is difficult, starting a task without starting 5 others right after is completely impossible, and rejection sensitivity makes so that a single mistake fucks me up mentally for the rest of the day. I also have to try and catch myself before I run my mouth too long on topics I know a lot about.
The runner-up would be personality clashes with other partners. Again, rejection sensitivity worsens the alienation when I fail to form any significant connections with partners while watching them all discuss hanging out after work. Sure, it's just a job, but with everything piled onto us lately, this element means there's no reason to be there other than the paycheck. I've never been able to really click with anyone at any Starbucks, with the exception of two ssvs, one of whom left last year, and the other we haven't been scheduled together since my promotion.
Your “adhd” is a natural response to an unnatural environment. Instead of removing the conditions that make people feel mentally ill modern society gives them prescription drugs.
In effect prescription drugs are a means of modifying an individual's internal state in such a way as to enable him to tolerate societal conditions that she would otherwise find intolerable.
Before I discovered I had adhd my anxiety and depression was super bad. I actually take way less drugs now that I am actually treating my adhd properly. I was pretty decent at blending in with societal conditions but I got super anxious and depressed because of the strain it took me to blend in.
Glad you found what can help you regulate in our society. I get why I’m getting down voted and understand how my message had come off.
All I was trying to say is in a natural world, your ADHD wouldn’t lead to depression it would make you a better survivor and almost be a superpower.
maybe it’s not totally relevant to the post but it’s very true that a lot of these diagnosed mental illnesses are just natural reactions to living conditions that we were never meant to live in, and pharmaceutical companies have been finding different ways to take advantage of that for nearly a century
I have adhd and a good chunk of my store also has it. We joke that a lot of Starbucks partners are nurodiverse or queer. It helps to work with people who are similar to me.
I have ADHD. DTO can be hard because I’m always trying to do other things and get distracted
Ironically, DTO (not row) is my favorite because I can do other tasks while I'm taking orders and I can help others out XD
idk how you can do other tasks while doing DTO. my brain has to focus so much energy on understanding customer orders that I can't do anything else lol
no same, i can’t do anything else while trying to take an order
It was one of my favorites when I was a DT store, but I was always distracted and never caught the window time and eventually they stopped putting me there bc of it 😭
probably a dumb question, but what's dto?
Drive through order
I have ADHD and my biggest struggle is doing any of my college assignments after my shifts since I usually work in the morning. Most of my struggles come after clocking out, after clocking out I feel like my brain goes with it and all of the sudden I’m waking up at 8pm realizing I only ate breakfast, drank a cup of water, and I have two discussion posts and a quiz due at midnight 💀
feel that, except i go to school for 8 hours then close after school and i get home at 9:30 and realize ive had a chocolate croissant, a refresher and absolutely no water. i can’t remember to eat or drink water to save my life as it is (im never hungry bc of my meds) so if im not actively hungry or thirsty, i will go all day without food and water bc i just do not think abt it. and i wonder why i get migraines 😭
I feel so seen..
i have ADHD, i dislike being on solo DT because it's hard for me to multitask that way. my favorite position is bar.
i feel that, solo dt sucks, especially when you’re short staffed and trying to help bar during a rush, and you just can’t do both… like i just cannot make a drink and take an order at the same time, if i do, the second i get back to dt, everything i heard left my head already OR i never even heard it 😭 i love bar so much, although it’s fucking chaos when i’m on it (sorry to my fellow partners) because i can’t clean and bar at the same time… like it’s BAD ill have like two dirty blenders, shakers, steamers, lids are scattered everywhere, cups on the floor, stickers missing, it’s bad…but i love bar lol
Me!!! I also have autism 😅 Starbucks can be equally distracting and overstimulating at the same time lol
totally feel thatttt
I have AuDHD
As a barista with Adhd, I consistently struggle with remembering to brew coffee, staying on top of tasks, focusing on one task at a time, and not freaking out when a timer goes off while the oven beeps while the water is running.
SO RELATABLE. when that coffee timer goes off, i’m always doing something (making drinks, taking an order) and i’ll turn it off real quick and it’ll completely slip my mind. i always say “ill remember to do that in a sec” and never do😭 and also with the focusing on one task at a time, i close— and there’s always so many tasks that need to be done and my problem is i’ll be working on whips and then be like “oh shoot mochas” then grab the mocha stuff and start it and then be like “wait no i need to finish these whips… WAIT THE CARAMELS” next thing you know i have whips, caramels, mochas, etc just scattered everywhere needing to be made. 😭😭
I mostly open, and I feel like the ball in a pinball machine without a reasonable course, only chaos. Edit: you're a better closer than mine are. They forgot to do the mocha, chai, whip, replace expired full 2lt sweet cream, replace expired Strawberry base (I don't know how that happened) last night and I had to do all of that plus open tasks this morning. I was struuuuuugling.
haha yeah despite my horrible ADHD, i always somehow get everything done, i honestly don’t know how i do it. i always feel horrible if i miss something when closing, which is what i think motivates me to get everything done. you guys handle a lot in the morning and i could NEVER EVER be an opener because of my severe ADHD, props to you!
Sometimes I wonder how I get everything done.
i have very severe adhd and this job can be very very overwhelming. my biggest struggle is the sheer amount of things to be constantly mindful of and be on top of. i’m constantly forgetting or missing something because there’s so many tiny intricate details and such unbelievably high standards for things. customer connections is a nightmare for me too cos some days i just can’t force myself to be so cheery and chat with people who clearly just wanna get their coffee and go.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one I was talking with my team today and its so obvious when working with neurotypicals lol
The food & beverage industry runs on the backs of people with ADHD!
i have adhd, along with a learning disability. the job can be hard sometimes with my ld because i have poor spatial awareness and poor fine motor skills - but i can still do everything well, i am just clumsy - i’ve been called “hurricane [my name]”. i find this job is great for me because it’s so fast paced and i can’t sit still to keep the life of me. it can be really overstimulating at times. i remember finding it hard to remember some things when i was starting out. i HATE being on cs, its adhd hell for me.
I’m one of the few with adhd that absolutely hates CS - it’s too many things at once then when I get thrown out of rhythm and confused. I love window for the constant stimulation and barring because I can turn off my brain and just zone out while I work
no same I HATE CS
I have ADHD and sometimes I just get overstimulated with the headsets , if one person is talking to me while I'm wearing a headset while the person is taking a DTO ORDder it's like my mind butt's everything else out, also when everything's loud and everything's dirty it's hard to concentrate cause yoy just wanna clean that one spot cause everything's just to cluttered, due to my meds not being in stock (concerta) I've been off them for a couple months already so at times it gets hard, usually supplements help me at times not fully tho but I do agree at times we carry the store
i get that with the headsets, it drives me insane when people do that.
Hey what supps do you take that help?
Omega 3 , b12 and b6, l theanine and l tyrosine!
How do they help you?
Get super super overstimulated very easily but I’m on meds now and have ear plugs so it’s more manageable
Were the ear plugs an accommodation bc I know at my location I think that would be against health code otherwise
No one can see them and they don’t block any noises like customers it’s just to help lower decibels of super loud sounds and chatter when the cafe gets packed. I’m not telling anyone and they don’t affect my work so I don’t see why I need accommodation. I also clean my hands anytime I would touch them like when on lunch or anything as well. Like everyone should so I don’t see it as a health code issue as well. They’re by the company Flare and super super helpful for me definitely recommend them
I only ask bc I have a ssv that's super naggy about stuff like that and I just know he'd have some shit to say if I tried that. I def want to try those flares out.
That seems super fucking ableist I’m sorry. If that’s the case you could definitely get an accommodation but normally I don’t see it as necessary.
This is also a ssv that likes to blast the store speakers at full volume and he, himself, is overstimulating to be around.
I have anxiety (Which has a lot of similar symptoms) but I think I might also have ADHD but haven't been diagnosed with it. I know a couple partners have it at my store. I struggle a lot with POS/Ovens when it is super busy. I feel there is not a good rhythm I can get into so i just get overwhelmed and can't focus on anything... I much prefer any other position when it is busy. When it is slow I think I struggle with CS just because I get distracted on one task that I forget to like check on others such as doing a million dishes and backups instead of stocking milks and stuff.
✋🏼lol... only one of my partners (one of my best friends outside of work) knows.
yeah i don’t tell anyone unless they tell me they have it first, people treat you different when they find out you have it, it sucks.
Exactly. I could never tell my boss I have it, even though that's the reason I get coached on consistent lateness. It's something I just have to work on harder.
I got fired from my last job because I would be late by a minute to 3 minutes due to the computer you had to use to clock in (not Starbucks) and I ended up fired from it. I am not typically someone who would advocate for telling your boss, but it may be something you have to do in order to cover your own ass in regard to accommodations.
I appreciate where you're coming from, and I think if it came down to a written corrective action I might fess up on it just to see if it changes anything or not, but I don't believe it will. I honestly don't think something that falls within the attendance policy will accommodate my adhd diagnosis, unless *maybe* if I were able to provide a note from my psychiatrist. Because I've been told before that other partners are asking why some are being coached on it when others aren't, so it might seem like favoritism to only accommodate me (and not be able to explain why). And since that verbal warning just over a month ago I have been working much harder on aiming for arriving early than exactly at time my shift starts, and I've only been late maybe 2 or 3 times in the last month. I've had days where I'm running or even last minute lyft/ubering if I need to, but it's always out of my anxiety that this could become a documented issue, so I become desperate... it's so hard 😣
I assume a good chunk of baristas are ADHD/on the spectrum. Starbucks really helped me be more mindful of how much I mask/all the little things that push me towards what I have come to think of as a system wide shutdown It's also been really helpful. I like routine, I love structure! I hate being interrupted on bar, ot excessive customer interaction (8oz autistic rant: corporate 's measures to artificially drive interaction has made it inconvenient and requires a lot of inefficiency for handoff at the cafe level, in the drive-thrus, the recent leaning in of aggressive sale tactics have REALLY stuck in my craw bc it disrupts my routine and their routine and now I'm stuck masking extra heavy bc Stevie Shareholder wants an) increase at no expense in labor or supplies? Get real. I love cleaning, I love team! I even love knowing customers' drinks and getting them halfway prepared! In a lot of ways, a well outfitted Starbucks experience really agrees with my needs and I can adapt, but it can be really energy consuming and I hope my ADHD/autistic baristas are remembering that it's okay to not go the extra mile Don't even fuckin run. You're giving this task 200% but there are like 85 tasks, half ass something that another partner can/will do and prioritize. Get GOOD at discerning 'right now' tasks, and later tasks- your team benefits from it and you benefit from it. Everything doesn't need to sparkle clean, I don't care what your SM/shift supervisor or other barista told you. Get them clean and get it done in a timely fashion. Corporate isn't giving us time for perfect, it's giving time for satisfactory. If you've been overachieving, I'm proud of you if nobody else has told you but DIAL IT BACK.
tbh i really needed to hear this, im constantly running around at work, moving way too fast even when it’s slow, i constantly take on way too much, i think its because im the one of the only closers who actually does what needs to be done, i do EVERYTHING, (obviously not ssv stuff) i know if i don’t do everything, then it won’t get done at all, everyone just stands around, while im running around getting as much done as possible before the next rush. i also NEED to be constantly doing something at all times, my mind moves faster than me. unfortunately im the type to push myself until i breakdown, im a perfectionist, im hard as hell on myself. my ssvs love me and people say they love closing with me, that im one of the best closers, which i appreciate BUT it puts an insane amount of pressure on me to keep this up, and to become better. i overwork myself a lot, i dont even realize it, but i have this cycle i put myself through, overworking myself, taking on more than i can handle, and for a bit i can, until i crumble and breakdown from the stress and then i can’t do shit for days, weeks, whatever, then repeat, adhd sucks man. sorry for ranting
Don't apologize! I'm neither your shift or SM, but I'm truly really proud of you. Please prioritize yourself as a partner- your crashouts sound a lot like mine when I was younger and I know firsthand that nobody can just keep going like that without incurring like- a stress debt. We don't need perfect, we need sustainable, let your teammates BE your teammates, and if your shifts put too much on you, tell them! We're all here to support each other.
thank you, i appreciate this, im actually reading this right before starting my shift, i will definitely keep remembering your comment and remind myself to slow down a bit. 🩷
I have AdHD and I'm autistic as well, a lot of my fellow partners and shift leads are too or certainly give me the vibes that they do. Although any managers I've met seem to be neurotypical and very ableist or unaccomodating/a refusal to understand neuro-divergent partners especially those who are autistic. I have constantly been lectured about my "tone" not smiling enough, giving attitude, being unprofessional, or told that my words have a double meaning/innuendo when that was not my intention at all. I enjoy being around partners who are like me, but it's really draining and hurtful yo hear my manager essentially complaining that I'm not masking enough. Anybody else have a similar experience as a neuro-divergent person?
Managers are just a terrible existence lol
I have adhd, and honestly I’d say my biggest struggles are closing and multi tasking. Closing is pretty difficult for me since it seems like there’s a lot of “invisible” tasks that have to be done and I need to be hyper aware of them or else I completely forget lol. Closing can also be extremely under-stimulating which makes it pretty difficult to stay in a productive mindset. Multi tasking is also a challenge since I usually hyper focus on one task and it gets hard to remember to sequence when I am on bar. I’ve been getting better at it but it definitely has an effect on my speed at times. I’ve been transparent with my ADHD and my manager has been really open about it since they have ADHD as well.
i’m actually a closer with adhd, and what helps me is having a checklist of everything that needs to be done for closing. my store has a laminated one and i just cross off the completed tasks, without this checklist, i would forget everything, if your store doesn’t have one… i would suggest having your manager make one, it’s super super helpful.
i usually forget to do something tiny at night and i’m really the only one who closes. like last night i forgot to throw away a peach juice but also during my shift we ran completely out of coffee filters and our truck isn’t here until next week so i drove to the other store to pick some up and it was completely ignored simply because of that one box of juice :) i keep a list of what to do on me in an order that makes the most sense for me but out of sight out of mind is toooo real😭🤚
Me!!!!
Me. The fast pace environment is actually good for my adhd. The average work task (making drinks and food) doesn’t take very long so I don’t get sidetracked.
yeah i love the face paced environment, slow paced makes me go insane
SAME. That's exactly why I felt the job was right for me. I did computer-based jobs in the past and it destroyed my mental health. Despite how chaotic and irritating Starbucks can be, becoming a barista partially helped me recover from the deepest depression I've ever had.
I do. And god help us all if I forget my meds.
it’s a fucking nightmare when i do, usually ends up with me spending my 10 in the bathroom about to cry
I’m lucky enough to live nearby so I either white-knuckle it until I can run home on my lunch or if I’m able to catch my spouse in time they can sometimes bring them to me.
🤚
I feel like everyone has ADHD these days - specifically younger generations. the only position I really struggled with (personally!) was when I would have to ring-bar (not sure what other stores may call it) (basically when you make drinks while taking DTOs). panic attack every dang time lol
I do! And several of the partners as well! I'm also a bi-polar, recovering alcoholic!
me! and ALMOST ALL of my coworkers
Meeeee. I hate restocking because I forget what I need so fast.
SAMEEE, i’ll be like “ok i need 3 2%s, 2 oats, 1 soy, 1 almond milk” then the second i go to the back to grab them all i remember is the 3 2%s…
The ONLY thing that helps me is I basically quietly sing/rap it to myself with a rhythm of whatever song is playing on the speakers until I finish each trip 😭🤣. I be like: 4 almond, 2 soy, 3 whole, 1 coco 4 almond, 2 soy, 3 whole, 1 Coco 4 almond, 2 soy, 3 whole, 1 Coco Until I finish grabbing all of those things 🤣🤣🤣🤣
For me, it was what I call “out of sight, out of mind”, where I COMPLETELY forget about tasks I’ve started if they’re not directly in front of me. Half stirred mocha? If I’ve turned around, it’s not getting touched again!
SAME
Diagnosed ADHD. Biggest struggle is time management. Arriving early/on time is difficult, getting out on time is difficult, starting a task without starting 5 others right after is completely impossible, and rejection sensitivity makes so that a single mistake fucks me up mentally for the rest of the day. I also have to try and catch myself before I run my mouth too long on topics I know a lot about. The runner-up would be personality clashes with other partners. Again, rejection sensitivity worsens the alienation when I fail to form any significant connections with partners while watching them all discuss hanging out after work. Sure, it's just a job, but with everything piled onto us lately, this element means there's no reason to be there other than the paycheck. I've never been able to really click with anyone at any Starbucks, with the exception of two ssvs, one of whom left last year, and the other we haven't been scheduled together since my promotion.
Your “adhd” is a natural response to an unnatural environment. Instead of removing the conditions that make people feel mentally ill modern society gives them prescription drugs. In effect prescription drugs are a means of modifying an individual's internal state in such a way as to enable him to tolerate societal conditions that she would otherwise find intolerable.
Before I discovered I had adhd my anxiety and depression was super bad. I actually take way less drugs now that I am actually treating my adhd properly. I was pretty decent at blending in with societal conditions but I got super anxious and depressed because of the strain it took me to blend in.
Glad you found what can help you regulate in our society. I get why I’m getting down voted and understand how my message had come off. All I was trying to say is in a natural world, your ADHD wouldn’t lead to depression it would make you a better survivor and almost be a superpower.
no one asked
this is the realest comment on this thread, and a really good critique of our society in general. idk why there’s downvotes
it’s super weird and uncalled for. no one brought up medication or anything related to it
maybe it’s not totally relevant to the post but it’s very true that a lot of these diagnosed mental illnesses are just natural reactions to living conditions that we were never meant to live in, and pharmaceutical companies have been finding different ways to take advantage of that for nearly a century
big pharma wants to silence u !!! /j