Time blocking is a useful strategy for people with ADHD to help manage time, increase focus and boost productivity. While there’s no one size fits all technique to get more done with ADHD, time blocking is definitely worth a shot. It provides you with a clear schedule for your day, prioritizing what tasks you’ll be working on and when. Not only does this help with productivity, it also reduces decision fatigue. Want to know how to use time blocking for ADHD? Check out these tips and tools.
What Is Time Blocking?
Time blocking is a time management technique where you divide your day into specific blocks of time. Each time block is dedicated to a certain task or activity, limiting how much time you’ll dedicate to the task at hand. For example, you may block out 9 am to 10 am for checking emails, 10 am to 12 pm for planning and research, 12 pm to 1 pm for lunch and a walk, 12 pm to 2 pm for social media content creation, etc.
Time blocking helps boost productivity, increases focus, improves organization and strengthens time management. It provides a clear focus for the day, helping you get things done. Rather than working off an open-ended to-do list, you start each day knowing what you’re going to work on and when. Keep in mind that time blocks are guidelines. If you’re feeling the flow or a task takes longer than expected, you can easily rearrange the blocks that come next.
Why Does Time Blocking Work for ADHD?
Time blocking makes tasks more visible and time more tangible. This is helpful for those with ADHD who often have trouble with time management and time blindness. Time blocking allows you to focus on one thing at a time, minimizing distractions and boosting productivity. It also reduces decision fatigue. When you have a daily schedule, it tells you what to do in what order. You don’t have to worry about completing the task and deciding what to do next. This reduces anxiety and uncertainty and makes your workload seem less daunting. On top of this, many ADHDers are visual learners, so having a visual representation of how you’ll be spending your time is really helpful.
How to Use Time Blocking for ADHD
4 ADHD-Friendly Time Blocking Strategies
- Traditional time blocking- dedicating specific blocks of time each day to a certain task, activity or responsibility.
- Task batching- grouping similar tasks into dedicated time blocks. For example, setting aside a specific chunk of time to answer all your emails (rather than dealing with them as they come in). This minimizes the mental load of switching tasks.
- Day theming- assigning different themes to each day of the week; allocating entire days to focus on specific projects. For example, every Monday you focus on research, every Tuesday you focus on content creation, every Wednesday you focus on editing content, etc.
- Time boxing- setting a fixed time period for each task and aiming to complete as much as possible in that time period. For example, you allocate an hour to decluttering your office and stop immediately once your time box is up, no matter how much you’ve managed to declutter. This can help keep you focused and efficient.
3 Tips to Overcome Time Blocking Challenges
1. Unexpected Interruptions
Sometimes you get interrupted by calls, emails or urgent tasks. Time blocking is meant to be a guideline, so you don’t need to be too rigid with it, but you also don’t want to allow interruptions to overtake your day. If an interruption occurs, assess its urgency and consider whether it’s more important than what you’re working on. You can also include buffer time between tasks for potential interruptions. During your peak work/focus hours, consider putting your phone on ‘do not disturb’ and letting your colleagues know you’re not available for anything that’s not an emergency.
2. Difficulty Switching Between Different Types of Tasks
Switching between different types of tasks can be mentally taxing, especially for those with ADHD. Task switching can cause delays and reduce productivity and focus. To help with this, group similar tasks together. For example, use the morning for administrative tasks and the afternoon for creative tasks. You can also add a rest or buffer period in between to help you transition from one task type to another.
3. Over (or Under) Estimating Time Needed for a Task
You may get working on a task and realize you didn’t schedule enough time for it. If you’re feeling really focused and in the groove of things, keep going with it. You can always change your schedule around if you need to. Be flexible and use the information to make your future time blocks more accurate.
4 Best Tools and Apps for ADHD Time Blocking
1. Paper Planner with Time Slots
If you like to plan out your days on paper, choose a paper planner designed with time slots. These planners break up the day by hour, so you can easily organize your day into time blocks. Try colour coding each block of time to make the tasks even more visible.
2. Sunsama App
Sunsama is a super straight-forward digital daily planner that will help you organize your day. Once you sign on in the morning, you’ll be asked which tasks you have to work on, how long you think they’ll take, and when you want to do them. There’s a daily and weekly task list and it’s quick to drag tasks over to your calendar so you can plan out your day. This makes blocking your day super simple.
3. TickTick App
TickTick is a to-do list app that helps you manage your tasks. It’s equipped with a built-in calendar view, which allows for time blocking. You can drag and drop tasks from your to-do list onto your calendar, allocating specific time slots for each task or activity. You’re able to adjust the size of each time block and change the sequence of blocks as needed, so it’s not too rigid. You can also utilize the app’s Pomodoro timer or stopwatch to stay focused during each time block.
4. Morgen App
Morgen is a great option if you’re looking to time block your daily schedule. It allows you to add new tasks to the sidebar and schedule your day by dragging them into your weekly calendar. It integrates with a number of different task and project management apps including Notion, Todoist and Google Tasks, so you can pull tasks directly from tools you already use.
If you struggle with planning and organizing your day, try out these time blocking tips and tools!
This post contains affiliate links.
Did you enjoy this post on how to use time blocking for ADHD? We’d love it if you shared it on Pinterest!
Looking for more tips for living with ADHD? Make sure to follow our Mental Health Board on Pinterest!
