ADHD Time Management Strategies You Can Start Practicing Now

Have you ever gotten so wrapped up in a task that you forgot about your other responsibilities? Or perhaps you’ve had trouble completing other tasks while waiting for an upcoming event? Maybe you’ve fallen behind at work because you couldn’t accurately estimate how long your projects would take. These can serve as just a few examples of the ways in which ADHD may affect your relationship with time. Challenges like these can be frustrating. You might even find that they get in the way of your personal or professional life. However, managing them can be possible with the right time management strategies. Methods like making to-do lists, using scheduling apps, utilizing timers, and working with a therapist may help you manage time more effectively.

Learn ADHD time management skills from an expert

Get matched with a licensed therapist online

An overview of ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a condition that can make it harder to do things like concentrate, make decisions, multitask, manage emotions, and more. 

ADHD is usually classified as a type of neurodevelopmental disorder. This generally means it’s a disorder that affects the way people’s brains develop, with research having found structural differences in the brains of people with ADHD. ADHD may also cause differences in the way people’s brains process chemicals like dopamine, which typically plays a role in pleasure and motivation. 

Symptoms of ADHD may include the following:

• Inattentiveness: Inattentiveness usually means having trouble focusing, self-motivating, and sustaining attention. People with ADHD who experience inattentiveness may find it hard to start and finish tasks, pay attention to small details, or stay organized. They might frequently lose or misplace things or make frequent “careless” mistakes on work or school assignments. 
• Hyperactivity: Hyperactivity can mean having trouble controlling movement and energy levels. In people with ADHD, this may mean fidgeting, struggling to relax, talking excessively, or moving around when it’s not appropriate. Hyperactivity may also make it difficult to stay quiet or wait for things. 
• Impulsiveness: Impulsiveness generally means having trouble controlling urges. For those with ADHD, impulsive behavior can range from shopping binges to reckless driving, unsafe sex, and more. In social situations, impulsiveness might make someone more likely to interrupt others, argue, or blurt things out without thinking first. 

It may be important to remember that not everyone with ADHD may experience all these symptoms. Some people may mainly have signs of inattentiveness. Others may have mainly hyperactivity and impulsiveness symptoms, while still others may experience all three. 

Time blindness and other challenges

One of the areas of ADHD that tends to be discussed less frequently is how it can affect people’s relationship with time. 

Let’s look at a few time-related challenges a person with ADHD may encounter. 

Time blindness

It can be natural to sense that time is passing quickly when you’re doing something fun or slowly when you’re doing something boring. For people with ADHD, however, this is often a chronic problem, regardless of whether they’re enjoying what they’re doing. This can be called “ADHD time blindness” and generally refers to difficulty with accurately perceiving and gauging time. People with ADHD often struggle to recognize how much time has passed or estimate how long tasks will take. 

Hyperfocus

Similarly, people with ADHD may also experience something called “hyperfocus,” which can happen when they become engaged in specific tasks. Hyperfocus is usually defined as a state of deep, all-consuming concentration, which can be helpful for getting things done. However, people who hyperfocus on tasks tend to lose track of time, which can be an issue if they have other things they need to get done. 

Waiting mode

When someone with ADHD knows they have something to do later, like go to an appointment, they may switch into “waiting mode.” In waiting mode, awareness of the upcoming event can make it hard to get other things done, even if there’s plenty of time to do them. While not specifically related to time perception, waiting mode can still be a challenge, potentially leading to anxiety, frustration, and restlessness. 

ADHD time management tips to try today

Time-related challenges like these may contribute to other ADHD symptoms, such as difficulty choosing and completing tasks, procrastination, and more. As frustrating as this can be, it may be possible to counteract these effects with the strategies listed below.

Make a to-do list

As cliche as it may sound, to-do lists can be a valuable tool for prioritizing tasks and avoiding procrastination. Consider starting with only the things you absolutely must get done each day. If you finish them all, you can use your leftover time to work on other things. This may keep you from getting sidetracked by lower-priority tasks. 

Give yourself a buffer

Consider building an extra five to 10 minutes into your schedule when you know you must do something or go somewhere at a specific time. Giving yourself extra time when scheduling tasks gives you wiggle room in case things take longer than you’re expecting. 

Take advantage of external tools

Scheduling apps, planners, and calendars can be helpful if you have ADHD. To avoid forgetting anything, try to add every event and task to your calendar the moment you schedule it. For added support, consider looking for a digital planner that sends you notifications whenever you have something coming up. (You may want to avoid using this function for low-priority alerts, which may make it less effective, and save it for things like appointments and deadlines.)

Use timers

When it comes to time perception and measurement, timers can often supplement internal abilities. Consider tracking the time it takes you to do tasks you complete regularly. This may give you a better sense of how long they take you on average. You can also use timers to notify you when it’s time to change tasks, so you don’t spend too much time on any one thing. 

Get ahead of waiting mode

Having tasks lined up that you can do while you’re waiting for an event may help you avoid falling into waiting mode. Consider filling the waiting period with to-dos that are relatively easy to get done, like answering emails or taking out the trash. Alternatively, you could try doing something that’s both productive and mentally stimulating, like planning out a project or doing some meal prep. (Just remember to set an alarm to remind yourself when it’s time to leave.)

Learn ADHD time management skills from an expert

Get matched with a licensed therapist online

Seek professional support

As helpful as these strategies may be, they may not always be enough. If you’re living with ADHD, you may find that you need extra support to manage time effectively. This is where therapy can come in. A licensed therapist may be able to recommend strategies tailored to you and your routines. They may also be able to help you manage other ADHD symptoms. 

If time perception challenges make it hard for you to get to appointments on time, going to in-person therapy may be difficult. Seeing a therapist from home can eliminate the need to plan around your commute and traffic. This may make online therapy a more convenient option than in-person therapy. 

A growing body of research shows that online treatments can effectively reduce ADHD symptoms. In 2022, researchers looked at data on 261 people with ADHD from six different studies. They found that online interventions often led to improvements in attention and social function.