WellnessPersonal Growth

The ADHD Guide to Managing Stress and Emotions at Work (with Diann Wingert)

ADDitude Magazine
ADDitude Magazine•Jun 10, 2026

Why It Matters

By providing a neuroscience‑backed, actionable framework, the guide empowers ADHD professionals to protect their careers and mental health while helping employers create more inclusive, high‑performing teams.

Key Takeaways

  • •ADHD brains experience emotions ~30% more intensely, causing workplace spillover.
  • •Identify personal triggers and physiological cues before escalation occurs.
  • •Use the SPACE framework: Spot, Pause, Act, Clear, Evolve.
  • •Employ professional “stall tactics” to buy time and reset emotional state.
  • •Adjust environment and schedule to reduce sensory and social stressors.

Summary

The webinar, led by ADHD coach Diann Wingert, tackled the unique challenges neurodivergent professionals face when stress and emotions collide at work. Wingert highlighted that ADHD brains process emotions roughly 30% more intensely, making routine workplace interactions—meetings, criticism, tight deadlines—potential flashpoints for dysregulation. Key insights included the neuroscience behind the “short fuse”: the amygdala hijacks attention while the prefrontal cortex shuts down, rendering typical calming advice ineffective. Wingert introduced the SPACE acronym—Spot patterns, Pause escalation, Act in the moment, Clear the air, Evolve systems—as a practical, step‑by‑step toolkit for recognizing triggers, buying time, and restoring composure. She illustrated the framework with concrete examples: noticing shoulder tension or a higher‑pitched voice as early warning signs, using professional stall tactics like “I’ll follow up by 2 p.m.” to interrupt escalation, and reshaping physical workspaces to mitigate sensory overload. Wingert also emphasized that emotional incidents ripple into career trajectories, fueling shame spirals, masking, and missed advancement opportunities. The broader implication is clear: organizations that understand and accommodate ADHD‑related emotional regulation can retain talent, improve productivity, and foster healthier workplace cultures. Individuals equipped with the SPACE method can transform reactive moments into opportunities for growth, reducing burnout and enhancing professional relationships.

Original Description

In this hour-long webinar with ADDitude, Diann Wingert, discussed how adults with ADHD and their colleagues can identify predictable triggers at work and how to recover from emotional incidents without spiraling.
This ADHD Experts webinar was originally broadcast on September 24, 2025
Download the slides associated with this webinar here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/managing-stress-and-emotions-at-work/
4:00 "people with adhd experience 30% more emotions than others"
5:00 The. costs of emotional incidents at work
6:00 "We quite literally have a shorter fuse" - emotional dysregulation and emotional regulation are not separate. Our prefrontal cortex shuts down under stress."
7:00 SPACE: creating brain space, holding space,
8:00 SPACE acronym
9:00 In what situations are you most likely to be triggered?
11:00 buying time while acting professional: how to de-escalate so you don't have an incident.
12:00 "Your body is your early warning system. It knows you're upset before you are"
13:00 environmental triggers
16:00 emotional early warning signs, before anger is irritability etc.
17:00 "emotional overwhelm may seem sudden but it almost never happens all at once. there is always a runway."
18:00 neurochemical flood peaks and recedes in 90 seconds - if it goes on longer than 90 seconds its because we are re-triggering ourselves. we don't have to fix the feeling, we need to focus on not making it worse. For ADHD brains, multiple waves can occur at once
19 "your job is not to stop the storm, it's to take shelter until it passes. you've got 90 seconds to not make it worse."
20:00 taking notes gives you a few seconds to calm your brain down and pause
22:00 Things you can do physically during meeting stealthily
24:00 Once you're activated: acknowledge, don't apologize
25:00 Managing tears, anger, overwhelm in the moment
27:00 Take an immediate break - here's what to say.
28:00 Clearing the air - do it within the first 24 hours. Determining how quickly you respond?
31:00 Avoiding over apologizing/ shame spiral and focus on next steps
32:00 rebuilding professional relationships
36:00 evolve your system - build a toolkit. have enough time to get to work without running late.
38:00 workplace accommodations that actually work
43:00 what to do if you think your co workers don't like you? Don't try to hard to win them over.
45:00 What if our boss disrespects us? "I'm not sure what you mean by that?"
50:00 Managing deadlines - giving yourself systems and structures/ accountability vs getting clear expectations - ask for top priority
51:00 How do you move past shame at work? Radical self acceptance?
54:00 Should I disclose my ADHD at work?
55:00 let people know what you need without naming the ADHD. Treat it like it's no big deal.
56:00 how to handle a micromanaging boss?
58:00 what if you're being bullied at work?
Related Resources:
1. Resource Hub: ADHD at Work
2. Read: Why ADHD Masking Is a Form of Self-Sabotage
3. Read: How’s Your Emotional Resilience? Learning to Cope with Intense ADHD Feelings
How to Control Your Anger When ADHD Emotional Reactivity Kicks In
4. Read: How ADHD Warps Time Perception: Strategies to Stop Wasting and Start Managing Time
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