ADHD: How to Get Better with Time Management
Living with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often means struggling with time management. If you can relate to this, you might feel overwhelmed by deadlines, forgetful of appointments, or constantly running late. The good news is that with the right strategies, you can improve your relationship with time and have more control over the hours in your day. While you may be able to implement some of these strategies on your own, finding a therapist knowledgeable in ADHD who can offer support is recommended.
Understanding ADHD and Time Management
People with ADHD typically experience challenges with executive functioning skills like planning, prioritizing, and organizing tasks. Time blindness, or difficulty perceiving the passage of time and inaccurately assessing your own timing is also common among people with ADHD. Examples of this include underestimating how long tasks take or miscalculating the amount of time it will take you to get somewhere. Additionally, people with ADHD often lose track of time entirely, such as when they may be hyper-focused on certain tasks, a concept known as “tunnel vision.” Luckily time management is a skill you can build, and the remainder of this article will be devoted to explaining how.
Practical Strategies for Improving Time Management
1. Externalize Time
Place analog clocks where you can see them. Analog clocks make the passage of time more visible, helping you stay aware of time as you go through your day.
Use timers, alarms, and reminders for tasks. These can help you stay on track and prevent hyper-focus or distraction.
2. Create Routines and Structure
Develop consistent morning and evening routines, especially around sleep. Having predictability in your schedule and sticking to a routine helps you automate certain activities such as brushing your teeth or taking medication, which reduces decision fatigue and frees up mental energy for you to focus elsewhere.
Use calendars and planners to schedule and remember appointments or deadlines. Decide whether a tangible or digital format works best for you and integrate both work and personal entries so that you have all your important dates in one place. Get into the habit of adding something as soon as you find out about it and checking your schedule regularly, such as at the beginning of every day. Set a reminder to do this if necessary!
3. Break Down Goals
Start with long-term goals or larger projects and break these down into shorter term, more immediate, and smaller, more manageable steps. This makes starting less overwhelming and helps you see progress.
Try the “two-minute rule”: If a task takes less than two minutes, do it right away (for example, sending an email).
Use the “80% rule”: aim to do 80% of a task rather than 100% if that feels too daunting. Often people delay or avoid getting started if they worry they will not be able to finish the task, and it’s better to start and not finish than to not start at all.
4. Prioritize and Plan
Use prioritization tools like the Eisenhower Matrix (urgent vs. important) or the ABC method (A = must do, B = should do, C = nice to do) to decide what to tackle first.
At the start of each day, identify your top priorities and plan when you’ll work on them. Then actually schedule them into your calendar or planner, and set reminders or alarms to indicate when it is time to do each of them.
5. Build in Buffer Time
Always add extra time before and after tasks or appointments. People with ADHD often underestimate how long things will take, so doubling your estimated time is a good rule of thumb to reduce the likelihood of being late or rushed.
Make being early your default. Set your watch or tell yourself an event starts 15–30 minutes before it actually does; this way even if you are late you can still be on time.
6. Minimize Distractions
Set up specific work areas in your home or if possible, your office. A dedicated, tidy space for work or study can help you focus.
Wear headphones if you get distracted by ambient noise. If you are around other people, this can also signal to them that you are focusing and do not want to be interrupted.
Turn off notifications, close tabs, and keep your phone out of reach when working on important tasks. Some people find it helpful to use a phone lockbox such as K-Safe or apps such as ScreenZen to lock yourself out of certain websites when you are trying to focus. Many phones and the programs installed on them also have options to lock yourself out after a certain amount of time has passed.
7. Use Technology Wisely
Try task management apps such as Notion, Todoist, Trello, or Asana to organize tasks and set reminders.
Use time tracking apps such as Toggl or RescueTime to see where your time goes and make adjustments once you have a more accurate estimate of the time it takes you to do certain tasks.
8. Practice Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
Mindfulness can help you notice when you’re getting off track and gently bring your focus back to the task at hand. Apps such as Headspace and Calm offer free guided mindfulness exercises that range in length so you can find ones that fit into your schedule.
Remind yourself that improving time management is a process; like any other skill, it takes practice and you cannot expect to see changes overnight. Celebrate small wins by rewarding and acknowledging yourself and be kind and compassionate toward yourself even when things don’t go as planned.
9. Seek Support and Accountability
Consider working with a professional who specializes in ADHD such as a therapist. Professional support can help you develop personalized strategies, troubleshoot when things aren’t working, and stay accountable.
Having an accountability buddy or asking others for help is another effective way to get the structure, support and encouragement you need to succeed. You don’t have to do it alone!
Managing time with ADHD can be challenging, but it’s not impossible! By trying some of the strategies and tools listed above, you can figure out a system that works for your unique brain. Remember, progress takes practice and patience, and every step forward counts.