Ways to Boost Your Productivity when you have ADHD

Trouble concentrating, inability to focus and difficulty sustaining attention are symptoms of ADHD. Living with ADHD can be challenging. There are endless distractions that keep you from doing what needs to be done. If you start your day off with a to-do list, does anything get crossed off?  

Research shows that people with ADHD have trouble maintaining sustained attention for long, uninterrupted periods. This same research found that people with ADHD also have trouble with selective attention (focusing on one task for some time) and divided attention (focusing on more than one task) when compared to people who don’t have ADHD.

Whether you have ADHD or not, the strategies below will help you stay productive and engaged. Give one or more of these a try, you may find one more helpful than the others. 

Tips to boost your productivity:

  • Make a plan: 

    • Use a planner 

    • Create daily to-do and weekly to-dos 

    • Code tasks with 1-3; 1- Easy, 2- Moderate, 3- Difficult. Based on the time you have, you can decide what to work on.

  • Eliminate what distracts you: 

    • Turn off notifications 

    • Keep your phone on silent while you’re working

  • Pace yourself:

    • Focus on 1 task at a time

    • Set a timer on your phone for 45 minutes or let Siri or Alexa set one for you. During those 45 minutes, work hard and stay focused on the single task, without checking your emails, social media, or anything else. When the timer goes off, take 15 minutes to relax. 

    • Repeat as needed

    • 45 is too much to start, try 15 minutes on and 5 minutes off. Over time, you’ll build up your concentration and stamina.

  • The Pomodoro Technique is a time management system that encourages people to work with the time they have—rather than against it. Using this method, you break your workday into 25-minute chunks separated by five-minute breaks. These intervals are referred to as pomodoros. After about four pomodoros, you take a longer break of about 15 to 20 minutes.

You know the saying, to each their own, use these tools and strategies and adapt them to suit your needs.

We’d love to know what helps you stay motivated and focused. Please let us know what apps, hacks, or tools you use to boost your productivity in the comments below.  

List of resources:

https://psychcentral.com/adhd/adhd-productivity-strategies-for-getting-things-done#tips

https://www.themuse.com/advice/take-it-from-someone-who-hates-productivity-hacksthe-pomodoro-technique-actually-works

https://www.theminiadhdcoach.com/articles/adhd-tools

 

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