Ever wondered how some people are able to effortlessly produce meeting notes while staying focused on a call? With ADHD, note-taking can be a big challenge. In this blog, we find out why. Discover specific ADHD note-taking hurdles, the reasons why they occur, and how employers can provide support.
There’s a reason traditional note-taking feels especially tricky with ADHD. Far from being a simple, straightforward task that supports seamless information recall, note-taking uses up an awful lot of energy for a person with ADHD.
And that’s because, in reality, note-taking is multiple tasks in one. When you’re recording notes, you’re having to listen, make sense of the speaker’s words, interpret what’s been said, write those ideas down, filter out irrelevant bits, and prioritise information all while trying not to be thrown off by distractions in the room or the screen in front of you. That’s a lot of mental processes to juggle.
For people with ADHD, this scenario is especially tough due to difficulties with executive function. Executive function is the brain’s management system for planning, focus, and organisation. When these executive function capacities are pushed to their limits, a person with ADHD can feel like they’re playing a game of ping pong, where their attention is constantly bouncing back and forth between listening and writing. Eventually, the challenge becomes exhausting, and the individual might end up falling behind or feeling like they missed what was actually said.
When it comes to recording information, traditional note-taking methods can directly clash with ADHD in a number of ways:
Learning and memory differences: Many note-taking methods rely on someone being able to store information in their brain and then format it quickly. For people with ADHD, this is much harder to do because learning and working memory appear to be altered compared with neurotypical brains.
Non-linear thinking: One of the fantastic things people report about the ADHD experience is the ability to think laterally or “outside the box”. If you have ADHD, you might find creative connections between ideas or find yourself linking thoughts in unusual, non-linear ways. Traditional note-taking usually encourages the organisation of ideas in some sort of linear sequence. This can feel rigid and exhausting for an ADHD brain.
The need for novelty (and the trap of over-stimulation): Research tells us that ADHD brains are driven by a need for novelty and dopamine reward. Traditional note-taking (especially verbatim transcribing) can become repetitive and unstimulating, making it easy to tune out or give up entirely. Yet, trying to fix this by switching tasks or adopting complex, highly creative note-taking methods on the fly can trigger the opposite problem. With ADHD, juggling multiple dynamic techniques while trying to absorb new information can quickly lead to cognitive overload, leaving you feeling overwhelmed.
Transcription friction and motor load: Research suggests that higher ADHD symptoms can correlate with slower handwriting speed. When physical writing or typing feels sluggish, your brain spends its limited cognitive energy on the mechanics of writing instead of processing what’s being said.
If you have ADHD and find it hard to take notes, you might relate to the following:
So, how can you record meeting notes with ADHD in a way that won’t burn you out? It’s all about finding the right methods for your brain. Here are some top tips:
If you tire easily while note-taking, go for a method that gives you the least physical resistance. If you type faster than you handwrite, use a laptop to free up mental bandwidth. If typing introduces screen distractions, stick to a pen and paper.
If you know the agenda before the meeting begins, it can make a huge difference when it comes to reducing real-time executive load. Instead of trying to figure out the meeting structure on the fly, you’ll already know what to expect and can prepare a meeting minutes template beforehand.
Avoid trying to record everything word-for-word. Focus strictly on the most important points, like key decisions made, action items (who is doing what and deadlines), critical facts, and questions to follow up on later. If you find yourself struggling with this, be sure to ask clarifying questions. That way you can make sure you’ve properly understood.
If you have ADHD, you may be eligible for reasonable adjustments, and assistive tech is a great place to start. Rather than hand-typing or writing meeting notes manually, many people benefit from using a captioning tool that records meeting transcripts and allows you to format them afterwards. When you remove the stress of having to scribble everything down, it’s easier to actively listen and contribute ideas.
Workplace adjustments go beyond just tech. If you’re struggling to keep up, it might be worth having a discussion about how meetings are run and what would make them more accessible. This might mean structured meeting ground rules, such as preventing multiple people from speaking over one another, taking short buffer pauses between agenda topics, or getting dedicated time at the end of segments to finalise notes.
After the meeting has finished, you’ll want to review all the information recorded and make sure it’s in a clean, shareable format that others can understand. You can do this a few different ways depending on which note-taking method you choose:
If your notes are on paper: After recording everything by hand, why not use a dictation tool to cut back on time spent typing? Once you’re done transferring everything to the screen, tidy everything up into action points and goals, or get AI to summarise the most important bits for you.
If you’re typing in a digital doc: Notes in unstructured documents can quickly become messy. To filter out unimportant bits and keep everything focused, grab a digital meeting notes template and fill out the sections. Or, make use of AI to create helpful summaries.
If you’ve used Caption.Ed or a similar tool: If you’ve recorded your meeting with a captioning tool, you might choose to add timestamps or add simple headers to create clear, intuitive sections.
Once you have a polished, easy-to-skim document, share it with your colleagues or post it directly to your project workspace so it’s easy for everyone to reference later.
If you’re an employer wanting to support staff with ADHD, it’s important to recognise the difficulties your employees may be facing during meetings. From restlessness and irritability to difficulty holding back thoughts while others are speaking, there can be a lot going on beneath the surface that can quickly drain an employee’s energy and focus.
Here’s what you can do to help your staff:
It’s common for staff with ADHD to try to suppress natural impulses in order to appear professional or socially acceptable; this is known as “ADHD masking”. If an employee spends hours trying to sit still, keep quiet, or stay focused when their mind naturally wants to wander, it can quickly lead to fatigue and burnout. Try to space out meetings instead of booking them in back to back. This will give staff a chance to properly decompress.
Why not add in a few moments of pause and reflection between each speaker? This can be beneficial even if you’re using a digital tool to record notes, because it gives working memory time to catch up, allowing neurodivergent staff to process what was said before switching focus to the next topic.
There are many ways the meeting environment can impact staff with ADHD. From sensory sensitivities to restlessness while sitting for extended periods, being confined to one space or one type of environment can drain focus and make staying engaged much harder. Why not mix things up by holding meetings in different environments? You could host some meetings online, try casual meetups outdoors, or use quieter breakout spaces with options to sit or stand. When you offer environments that help neurodivergent staff feel comfortable, you give them the best chance to thrive.
If you have ADHD, there are lots of reasons why you might find note-taking difficult. People with ADHD commonly face issues with executive function. This means that holding information in your working memory while trying to write and listen simultaneously can quickly cause cognitive overload. Then there are additional factors like low engagement when topics lack novelty and possible hand fatigue from fast-paced writing.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for note-taking with ADHD. With that said, many people find it helpful to use note-taking or AI meeting tools that record ideas in real time. This allows individuals to focus more attention on the speaker and review notes in their own time.
No, it’s not a waste of time. In fact, some research suggests that note-taking may help with learning and memory in people with ADHD. The most important part is having a record of what’s been said. If someone with ADHD finds note-taking difficult, using AI-powered assistive tools can be just as, if not more, useful for capturing information.
Whether you record meetings with ADHD is a personal choice. If you find traditional note-taking methods aren’t working for you, hitting record during team calls may give you a valuable safety net, letting you stay fully engaged in the discussion without worrying about missing critical details.
To remember what was decided, focus on capturing key decisions and action items immediately after the call, or use automated meeting tools to generate quick summaries you can easily reference later.
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