About Us
We're a global community of neurodivergent folks who've come together to create a safe and supportive space where we can co-work virtually.
Our Values
We strive to create an environment that is inclusive, accessible, supportive, and transparent. We understand that everyone's capacity to engage can vary over time, and everyone should feel comfortable participating as much or as little as they’d like. Members are not obligated to co-work, host, or engage with others.
Our community space
We are primarily focused on co-working, but we also have spaces where you can connect with others, chat, and share resources, advice, and support. This space is constantly evolving and adapting to meet our needs as we get things done. It all started with a shared goal and a drive to make it happen, so we put together a functional model as quickly as possible. As we learn and grow, we'll be sure to keep you updated!
What is co-working?
Co-working, also known as body doubling, is a peer accountability method in which two or more people work in parallel on their separate tasks. We regularly host online co-working sessions to help keep each other accountable for tasks we need or want to do. Tasks can be anything from writing your assignments/thesis, sending emails, doing laundry and/or other housework, washing the dog, and even downtime!
How do sessions work?
During each co-working session, we alternate between work periods and check-in breaks using a shared timer.
- Check-in breaks:
- Participants are welcome to engage in any form they prefer (e.g., via video, audio, and/or text).
- Typical Duration: approx. 3-10 min.
- Work periods:
- Participants switch their microphones off, and most turn off their video (if you prefer to keep your camera on, that’s fine too!).
- Typical Duration: approx. 25-35 min.
Session Logistics: We use a variety of video platforms, the two most popular being Zoom and Gather.Town. You’re welcome to host your sessions on other platforms, such as GoogleMeet and Jitsi meet.
Our three types of sessions
Session announcements
Automated session announcements are posted in two co-working channels:
- Reminders of upcoming sessions in chronological order*: posted on #cowork-calendar in the following forms.
- Biweekly summary: posted on Mondays and Thursdays @ 12am PT/ 8am GMT.
- Daily schedule: posted every day @ ~ 12am PT/8am GMT.
- Just Added posts: sessions created for the current day are posted when scheduled.
- Announcements of new sessions: posted on #cowork-new_sessions as they are scheduled.
* Sessions added on the day-of may be posted out of chronological order.
Our co-working calendar
All of our co-working sessions can be found on our shared calendar!
When you join our workspace, we'll add you to our shared Google calendar. To access the calendar, simply use the email address you used to sign up for Slack. If you prefer to use a different email address, please reach out to one of our workspace admins.
Community Guidelines
We believe that maintaining a positive and safe environment is essential to working together and building a supportive community. That’s why we have Community Guidelines that outline our expectations for how we treat each other. We want to ensure that everyone feels respected, valued, and safe while interacting with one another, and we appreciate your help in making that happen.
About the channels
In our Slack workspace, we use Channels for topic-specific discussions — it's where all the action happens! We've grouped our channels into categories like Community, Co-working, ADHD-related, and Special Interests, so you can easily find what you're looking for. You're welcome to join any channel that interests you and customize your notification settings for each.
Getting started with Slack
Introduction to Slack:
- Getting started: how to set up your profile and notifications.
- A Quick Start Guide: a 1-minute video to get up and running.
- What happens when I…: the basics summarized in a table!
Settings worth configuring:
Additional resources:
Can I help out?
Yes! If you have the spoons and are interested in contributing, we encourage you to do so! This is a community space — we want you to feel comfortable shaping it to better meet your needs. To start, you can help by:
- Adjust your notification settings — if you don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. (That’s at least how my brain works!)
- Browse the available channels and join any you find interesting.
- Posting directly on the #proj-ideas channel.
- Directing an existing message to #proj-ideas by reacting to it with the
:idea:emoji.
You can share your idea by either:
We know and understand our capacity/capability can vary over time, so if you offer to get involved but later can’t - it’s ok! Just let us know!
Additional information
You can find more information about co-working and our community on our members-only pages (login is required to access Member Menu). You’ll receive an invitation to create an account to access member pages upon joining the ADHD Friends community. If you ever find something confusing or not quite working, please don't hesitate to let one of our admins know. They can also help with navigating our Slack workspace or this site.
- @Janita (pronouns: they/she; timezone: South Africa)
- @Tara (pronouns: she/her; timezone: US Eastern)
