⏳Time Management & ADHD
Where does all the time go???
Hi friend. I wanna chat about time management for a minute. 👀
Before being diagnosed with ADHD in my 30s, I had no idea how much my poor time management was impacting my life. It’s so obvious now. It shows up in every aspect of my day - included (but not limited to) the writing of this very newsletter. I thought I had more time. I always think that I have more time. Poor time management is one of those things that “just makes sense” - like most of the symptoms of ADHD.
So, what’s the deal with time?
Knowing the time, how much is left, and the passage of time are crucial for good executive function - and also something you might struggle with if you have ADHD. US-based ADHD expert, Dr Russell Barkley explains: “ADHD creates a blindness to time, or more accurately, a nearsightedness to the future. The further out the event lies, the less capable they are of dealing with it.”
As reported in Psych Central, there are two factors that affect time perception:
1. The brain, which uses memory, attention, and dopamine to accurately predict time, and
2. The body’s circadian rhythm, or internal body clock, which is based on the earth’s rotation.
Research suggests that there are differences in the ADHD brain that could impact our relationship with time, including:
• blocked brain connection throughout the central nervous system, which controls how time is perceived
• altered frontal lobe activity, which affects the ability to estimate time
• differences in the prefrontal cortex and the pathways that control dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps signal pleasure and sustain motivation.
That’s a bit of the science… but how does it show up in real life?
Time management struggles can look like: putting waayyy too many tasks on your to-do list because you can’t quite estimate how long those tasks will take… or, birthdays and holidays sneaking up on you… or, THIS:
What can we do about it?
Here are a few quick tips to help with time management:
Use visual aids: Visual reminders like clocks, timers, or calendars can help you stay on track and better manage your time. (I’m a big fan of Time Timer)
Create a routine: Establishing a daily routine can help you better gauge the passage of time and stay on task. (easier said than done, I know)
Break tasks into smaller chunks: Breaking larger tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks can help make them feel less overwhelming and more doable.
Use alarms: Setting reminders or alarms can help keep you on track and ensure you don't lose track of time. (timers/reminders are my BFF)
Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness exercises can help you stay present and in the moment, which can help you better understand the passage of time.
What's working for you??
I think this is the perfect time to share this podcast episode featuring my incredible friend and founder of LlamaLife, Marie NG. Llama life is one of the tools I recommend most for ADHDers who need help managing to-do lists.
One of the most relatable episodes to date - hope you enjoy!
As always, your support means the world to me and I’m so grateful for this community. If you are interested in 1:1 Coaching with me, I will have 2 brand new spots available beginning in April! I’m so excited to connect with even more ADHDers this year. Schedule an intro call with me here 👇
Much love,
Trina
I use a timer. Even when the thing I have to do is 4 hours in the future. I set 40min, then 30 min, then 20, 15, 10… as it gets closer.
If I don’t, blocks of time will fly by and I will have zero awareness of it. If I’m hyper focused on something, I won’t eat, drink, go to the bathroom, even breathe sometimes.
The timer forces me to wake up for a sec and check in with reality.
And the smaller increments of time as the event gets closer, are so I don’t rebel against it. Like, “I don’t wanna stop what I’m doing yet.” I can have 20 min left but I’ll say, just 10 min before we leave. When that timer goes off, I say, ok 5 more minutes. It’s like giving myself built in snooze time.
I know it’s happening but somehow it kind of works.
I live by my timers and alarms and have learned not to mark a task complete until I have actually done it. Sometimes I’ll mark it complete because I’m on my way to do it and get distracted somewhere between my bedroom and the kitchen or whatever - doesn’t matter how short the distance between point A to point B. Then without that reminder popping up on my phone the next time I pick it up,I completely forget the task. Also, I have this weird aversion to getting ready to go somewhere early. Like, my brain thinks I have to time things perfectly so I’m done getting ready when it’s time to walk out the door and not a minute earlier. So weird.