Time Management and Productivity Tips for ADHD Minds

Written by lexi ruiz

Time management is essential for helping us navigate our daily life, but for those with ADHD, time management is especially challenging. October is ADHD Awareness month and we’d like to highlight some strategies for those that struggle with tendencies such as procrastination, punctuality, and planning. 

To-Do Lists

Lists are great for visualizing what needs to be done, but prioritizing from that list is key. Don’t know where to start? Start with urgent items such as time-sensitive projects. Other larger tasks that don’t have any upfront deadlines may be tough to manage. To combat procrastination with these types of tasks, you can create intermediate deadlines. For example, if I have an essay that is due by Sunday, I would create a first draft intermediate deadline by Wednesday. This can help you make consistent progress toward completion! When you meet your intermediate goal, reward yourself for positive reinforcement.

Time Blocking

Life coaches from the ADDitude ADHD magazine suggest setting aside a specific amount of time for your tasks. Creating a start time and end time for the tasks should maximize your motivation and reduce any over-commitment in your day. There are specific daily planners you can try that already have hourly or even 30 minute intervals worth of scheduling space. Another similar strategy is using the Pomodoro Technique. This includes setting a timer and focusing on a single task for 25 minutes. When that session is completed, celebrate with a five minute brain or movement break. Usually after four pomodoro sessions, take a longer 15-30 minute break. Here, we want to aim for steadiness and consistency. 

Time Awareness

Hyperfocusing on certain tasks can lead to becoming totally unaware of how much time has passed by. Try to incorporate reminders for yourself in your daily routine. Psychologist Ari Tuckman suggests leaving a post-it note on your bathroom mirror stating the time you need to finish that part of your morning routine. For your night routine, you can invest in a nightlight timer that turns off to queue a bedtime. Also, you can use the screen time app on your phone to limit your interruptions or try downloading an app that better suits your needs. There even are websites such as studytogether.com and focusmate.com that create a virtual workspace to keep you and others accountable for free!

Managing a schedule can be a challenge, but having set plans to tackle procrastination and punctuality is a step in the right direction! It takes practice to have the ability to manage your time smoothly. Take it one task at a time and celebrate when you’ve made progress. We hope that these suggestions resonate with you and support you in your journey!

If you would like support managing ADHD, reach out to get started!