42 Time-Management Apps and Hacks That Work for ADHD Brains
Some ADDitude readers set ‘pre-timers’ and multiple alarms; others create color-coded ‘to-do’ lists and ‘I-did-today-lists.” Here are more of the time-management and productivity strategies that you say keep you on task — and on time.
You never intend to miss deadlines, forget doctor’s appointments, or arrive late to dinner reservations. It’s just that the concept of time — and the skills needed to manage it — doesn’t come naturally to the ADHD brain. The result? Hyperfocus, time blindness, procrastination, and stress.
ADDitude recently surveyed 1,859 adults with ADHD, one-third of whom said that problems with time management and productivity contribute the greatest amount of stress to their lives. According to the survey, the most common problems include the following:
- Procrastinating and putting off important tasks: 56.59%
- Resisting distractions: 42.28%
- Tackling onerous or intimidating to-do list items: 35.96%
- Sticking with projects until they are done: 35.85%
- Accurately estimating how long a task will take: 31.35%
- Prioritizing tasks effectively: 26.15%
- Hyperfocusing on less important priorities: 25.88%
- Striving endlessly for perfection and/or avoiding tasks if perfection is impossible: 18.01%
“Figuring out how to break a big project or goal into small steps and believe that one day I’ll actually reach the end feels infinitely far away, so I always give up,” said one survey respondent.
“I struggle to get started, then hyperfocus when I do,” said another reader. “I hate being disturbed. It’s midnight, and I’ll still be working when the morning alarm goes off.”
Time Management Tips
ADHD medication helps 37.54% of survey respondents tackle productivity and time management issues, they said. A much smaller number finds the following strategies “extremely helpful” for getting things done:
- family member, spouse, friend: 5.6%
- personal organizer: 4.73%
- time management or productivity app or service: 3.53%
- ADHD coach: 2.70%
[Get This Free Download: Keep Track of Your Time]
The key to better managing time, tasks, and to-do lists is engaging in trial and error to see what approaches work best for your ADHD brain. Below, ADDitude readers share the solutions that keep them on task — and on time. Try one or all the recommendations to see which ones help you be more punctual and productive.
Your Favorite Time Management or Productivity Apps
“The Goblin app has time-management tools that break down tasks and estimate time.” (Mobile apps of the tools are offered on Android, $1.99, and iOS, $1.99)
“The todoist app is great because it doesn’t let me forget anything!” (Beginner level is free, Pro $4/monthly, Business $5/monthly)
“I use Dynalist for all sorts of notes and lists.” (Basic version, Free; Pro version, $7.99/monthly, and students get a 50% discount)
“After using multiple planner apps, I found FlowSavvy and love it. It lets you put in tasks and events, you can color code things, and it helps organize your day. You can also set tasks to be completed in a specific order. I find it extremely helpful, especially when taking so many college classes and balancing many assignments.” (Basic version, Free; Pro version is $7/monthly)
“AnyList has a very user-friendly layout when making lists for planning many different tasks.” (AnyList is a free download for iOS & Android, AnyList Complete, which unlocks premium features and supports, individual: $9.99/year; household: $14.99/year)
“I like co-working apps like Focusmate or Groove.” (Focusmate, 3X/week are free; unlimited sessions $6.99/month, billed yearly or $9.99 billed monthly; Groove, two-week free trial, membership costs $18/month or $120/year)
Write It Down
“I love using a whiteboard to write down small to-do lists.”
“Bullet journal. 100%. I’m not artsy. My journal is very minimal, but it has all my tasks, trackers, calendar, to-do lists, future needs, etc. I even put down my kids’ clothing sizes, vet visits, dates to replace furnace filters, and that one yearly event I keep missing!”
[Get This Free Download: How to Manage Your Time at Work]
“The only thing that works for me is putting my to-do list in a spiral binder. It must be on paper, and I must carry unfinished tasks from one page to the next or cross them off. A former boss taught me this, and I was successful. In my next position, I thought I could just use an online tool. I was laid off a few years later partially because I wasn’t effective with my time.”
“I bought a scrolling notepad that I hung upside down. I put the more important/urgent things at the top, with less important tasks below. I write to-do items on sticky notes; light-colored ones are ‘quick’ items that take less than 25 minutes, and dark-colored sticky notes are for more complex tasks that take longer. I look at what’s on top of the list and choose a light- or dark-colored task based on my available time. I tear off the top of the list as I complete tasks.”
Overestimate and Maximize Time
“Whatever time I think something will take, I multiply it by three, and that’s almost accurate.”
“Do something while you wait for the microwave to heat your coffee or for your eggs to cook. Just do a few minutes at a time, and you’ll finish the task!”
Get Creative with To-Do Lists
“In addition to a ‘to-do list,’ I make an ‘I-did today’ list because what we intend to do is not always what we do. But what we do has value, too.”
“I use colored Sharpies to make each task visually interesting and stand out on my to-do list.”
“Before leaving work, I write a to-do list for the next day.”
“I color coordinate my Outlook calendar so I can have a clear idea of how my day/week/month will look.”
Build Healthy Habits & Routines
“I choose my attire for the next day the night before, including undergarments, jewelry, shoes, and socks, so I am less likely to be late for work.”
“Set a consistent appointment for a routine task and stick to it. For instance, go through your tasks on Mondays and categorize which ones are important to finish or work on that week.”
“As a teacher, I build in routines and do similar tasks in batches to increase the likelihood of reaching flow. For example, when grading worksheet packets, I grade the same page for the entire stack, then the next. After a few repetitions, I can usually memorize the correct answers, and any anomalies interrupt the flow and get a closer look.”
“Plan to do a lot less each day. Learn to say, ‘no.’”
“Having things in the place where you use them. For example, I used to keep scissors in my office, but I moved them to the kitchen. There’s no point in keeping items in another room and bringing them back and forth.”
Use Multiple Timers & Alarms
“I use 10 highly annoying timers to keep me on my morning routine.”
“I love my timers. I always set a ‘pre-timer’ to go off 5 minutes before I need to stop doing something. It helps snap me out of hyperfocus.”
“I rely on my phone alarms for everything. In the morning, I set a timer for 15 minutes and plan my tasks for each interval that needs to get done before I leave for work. This approach has been a game changer and helps me avoid distractions from minor things. Additionally, I set my alarm 30 minutes early because I have a habit of hitting snooze three times. I use alarms instead of calendar events for weekly tasks that need to be done at specific times because I tend to become ‘time blind’ and forget routine tasks that aren’t particularly important to me.”
[Get This Free Download: The Daily Routine that Works for Adults with ADHD]
Create a Soundtrack
“When I can’t focus on work, I find background music (without lyrics) helpful, as long as it’s relaxing. I search for ‘ADHD relaxing music’ on music apps (e.g., Spotify or Apple Music). I’ve also got a playlist of nature sounds.”
“Create a music playlist for as long as the task is that you want to complete. It helps with guesstimating time and transitioning to the next task.”
“I listen to audiobooks when I do household tasks that I find mind-numbingly boring. It makes the tasks (i.e., folding laundry, washing dishes, cooking, cleaning, etc.) much more fun.”
Change Your Mindset
“I set time to work on something, start small, and remind myself, ‘progress, not perfection.’”
“Give yourself grace if you have a lot of other priorities, like family, and just keep striving to meet your goals. If you are late, you are late. If you can only get a few minutes of things done, at least you are making progress.”
“I have an attitude of gratitude. I finally accept myself and my limitations.”
Find a Body Double
“Body doubling is magic! Twice a week, I do a four-hour Zoom call with a FB group; it’s my most productive time.”
“Body-doubling (virtually and in-person) has been incredibly helpful for me. Accountability and sharing completed tasks and to-do lists with others keeps me motivated and on-task at work.”
Set Your Priorities
“Prioritizing people, mammals, other pets, then things helps me.”
“I do the task that brings me the most relief first. Even if I have a looming deadline or I’m told I should prioritize something, if what’s really bothering me is a messy desk, I do that first. Once the dreaded task is out of the way, the rest flows like water.”
[Free Webinar Replay: Why Is Time So Slippery? Understanding Time Blindness in People with ADHD]
“Put the most important things in front of your face. For example, I reorganized my inbox, so items flagged with to-dos are at the top, and the more exciting, new emails are below.”
“My spouse and I prioritize and schedule our tasks during a weekly planning/walk around.”
“My ADHD coach sent me a weekly planner pad where the day is broken down into half-hour chunks, and there’s space to list the day’s top priorities. This helps me make the most of my time when my son’s at school.”
“I take time each morning and evening to review my calendar and update my priorities. Then I assign a time frame and set an alert to remind me what I need to do.”
Accept Help
“Ask a friend for help. Sometimes, you need another person to support you and be with you to help get you started.”
“Setting deadlines for myself does not work, but a deadline set by someone else keeps me accountable.”
Punctuality and Time Blindness: Next Steps
- Free Download Better Time Management with Adult ADHD
- Read: ADHD Minds Are Trapped in Now (& Other Time Management Truths)
- Read: Why Deadlines Bounce and Long-Term Plans Never Happen
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