As a college student with ADHD, I’ve had to learn how to manage my own executive functioning. That includes time management, short and long-term planning, prioritization, and money management. Here are some tips and tricks I’ve found that anyone with or without ADHD can benefit from.
1. The Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro technique is a productivity system where you set a series of sprints where you get as much work done as you can followed by a short break. Their recommended time is 25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes of rest, then a twenty-minute break after four completed cycles.
2. Time Timer
People with ADHD typically have huge problems accurately gauging the passage of time. This timer allows you to spin the dial to the amount of time you need, then actually watch as your time slips away. Visually being able to see how much time you have left really helps a lot of people stay on-task. Long-term use may even help people better estimate how long certain tasks take to accomplish. I have one that I use for everything, from doing school work to household chores
3. EZ-PDF reader/ Text-to-speech
I'm a slow reader. Super slow. On top of that, people with ADHD tend to have lower rates of reading comprehension. I use a text-to-speech app on my phone to read PDF files out loud. Depending on the material, I either read along with the text, or walk around.
Neurotypicals can reap the benefits of this technology as well! You can save listen to articles and readings while you drive, go to the gym, walk to class, or even tidy up!
My favorite mobile app is EZ-PDF reader. They have a great easy to use interface and are available across all mobile platforms. In the past I've used, even payed for, desktop text-to-speech programs, but I've found them to be less reliable than their mobile counter parts.
4. Bullet Journal
The bullet journal is a planner system where you use a notebook of your choice to keep track of your to-do's. The very first page of your notebook is dedicated as an index. You number all the pages of your book and record what is on each page in your index. This can be anything you want it to be! Long term planning, monthly planning, a page dedicated to the information you need for class registration, an action plan for the day.
All over the internet there is a bullet journal sub-culture that uses stickers and washi tape to make their planners as fun and eye pleasing as possible! That being said, don't feel pressured to need to have a gorgeous journal if that's not what you want. The real power of this system is its endless potential for customization.
5. Time Blocking
6. Sunrise calendar
7. Weighted Blanket
A weighted blanket is a blanket that typically weighs upwards of 10 pounds. While it seems kind of odd, the weight provided by the blanket provides deep pressure stimulation. This causes the body to release serotonin helping us to relax.
Weighted blankets are widely used, to great benefit,by people with insomnia, PTSD, anxiety disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, non-verbal learning disability, and restless leg syndrome. Even if you aren't in one of these groups, a weighted banket could likely improve your quality of sleep.
8. Sleep as Android/ Sleep Cycle
If you aren't currently using a sleep tracking app, consider trying one! These apps use your phone's accelerometer to gauge how much you move while you are sleeping. They can show you exactly how much sleep you got, how much deep sleep you got, and your accumulated sleep deficit. These apps also provide a "smart alarm" function that wakes you up when you are at your lightest phase of sleep.
My all time favorite sleep tracking app for android is Sleep as Android. This one has all kinds of add-ons and captchas to prove you are really awake for your alarm. Some options include: smiling for a selfie, playing a quick game, scanning a barcode or NFC chip, or doing some math problems.
Sleep Cycle is also a great sleep tracking app. This one is available for both IOS and Android. In my opinion, its best feature is that it gives you a sleep quality percentage. This makes it easy to see what affected your sleep quality each night and how you can improve your sleep in the long term.
