ADHD Tip 5: Design a Personalized Tracker

The Power of Tracking for Self-Awareness

Keeping track of specific behaviors, symptoms, or productivity metrics can be incredibly insightful for individuals with ADHD. Due to challenges with working memory and sometimes inconsistent self-awareness, it can be difficult to recall patterns or progress over time accurately. Tracking provides objective data, transforming vague feelings ("I feel unfocused lately") into concrete information ("My focus ratings were lower on days I slept poorly").

This increased self-awareness is fundamental for effective ADHD management. Tracking helps identify patterns related to symptoms, triggers, and productivity cycles; offers visible proof of progress, which boosts motivation; and provides valuable data to share with healthcare professionals or coaches. Essentially, personalized tracking serves as a form of meta-cognitive support, helping individuals observe their own functioning and make data-informed adjustments to their strategies.

What Can You Track To Manage Your ADHD Better?

The possibilities are broad and should be tailored to individual goals and challenges:

• Habits: Consistency with daily routines (morning/evening rituals), medication adherence, exercise frequency, water intake, sleep duration, and quality.

• Symptoms: Subjective ratings of focus levels, energy, impulsivity, emotional regulation, or the frequency/intensity of specific ADHD-related challenges throughout the day or week.

• Productivity: Number of tasks completed, Pomodoro sessions finished, time spent on specific projects, and meeting deadlines.

• Mood & Well-being: Daily mood ratings, energy levels, feelings of stress or overwhelm, identifying potential correlations with activities or events.

• Goal Progress: Monitoring steps taken towards specific personal, academic, or professional goals.

Choosing the Right Tracking Method

The "best" tracker is the one that an individual finds easy to use and can maintain consistently. Simplicity often trumps complexity. Options include:

• Dedicated Apps: Numerous apps are designed for tracking habits, tasks, mood, and more. Many offer ADHD-friendly features, such as visual progress charts, reminders, customizable interfaces, and gamification. Examples mentioned in research include

  • Notion templates

  • ClickUp templates

  • Focus To-Do

  • Timelog

  • Harvest

  • RoutineFlow

  • Finch

  • Monday

  • Habitica

• Look for features like clear design, visual organization, flexibility, and built-in reminders. Gamification elements can be particularly helpful for maintaining engagement by tapping into the ADHD brain's need for novelty and immediate feedback.

• Journals/Planners: A simple notebook, a bullet journal, or a planner with dedicated tracking sections can be highly effective and customizable. The physical act of writing can also aid reflection.

• Spreadsheets: Digital spreadsheets (like Google Sheets or Excel) allow for detailed data logging, customization, and potential analysis or charting.

• Whiteboards/Physical Charts: Placing a simple chart or whiteboard in a visible location can serve as a constant reminder and make tracking very straightforward, especially for 1-2 key habits.

Tips for Effective Tracking

• Start Simple: Avoid the temptation to track everything at once. Choose 1-3 key metrics that align with current goals. Overcomplicating the system makes it harder to maintain.

• Make it Easy: Integrate tracking into existing routines (e.g., track sleep upon waking, track tasks at the end of the workday). Choose a method with minimal friction.

• Be Consistent: Aim for daily tracking or tracking at the planned frequency. Set reminders if necessary. Consistency provides the most valuable data.

• Review Regularly: Schedule time (e.g., weekly) to look at the tracked data. What patterns emerge? What correlations are noticeable? Use these observations to adjust strategies.

• Adopt a Non-Judgmental Stance: The purpose of tracking is awareness and learning, not self-criticism. Focus on trends and understanding, rather than striving for perfect scores or streaks. If consistency slips, simply restart without shame.

• Consider Gamification: If using apps, explore those with built-in game-like elements (points, levels, rewards). Alternatively, create a simple personal reward for maintaining tracking consistency for a certain period.

Individuals with ADHD tend to enjoy novelty. You should not be surprised if using one of these tactics works in the short term, but loses its effectiveness over time. That is natural. Use a method as long as it is working, and then switch things up by trying something new. Commit to practicing more self-awareness, rather than over-obsessing about the tool that you use. The goal is to manage your ADHD more effectively, not to become an expert in any specific time-management or tracking tool.

---

If ADHD is hindering your productivity, working with an executive coach can help you develop the habits, routines, and skills necessary to focus and follow through more consistently. If you are interested in learning more, schedule a discovery call. We can discuss how we can help you better manage your ADHD.

Schedule a call

Schedule a Free Discovery call

ADHD Tip 4: Make Your Calendar Your Ally

The Challenge of Time Perception and Planning

Difficulties with time management are a hallmark challenge for many with ADHD. This can manifest as "time blindness" – an inability to accurately sense the passage of time or estimate how long tasks will take. Remembering appointments, deadlines, and multi-step plans can also be difficult due to working memory challenges. The common ADHD tendency towards "now or not now" thinking can make it hard to prioritize future tasks or prepare adequately for upcoming events. Relying on internal memory alone is often insufficient and stressful.

Why Calendars Are Essential Tools for Individuals with ADHD

Using a calendar consistently is crucial because it externalizes the abstract concepts of time and future commitments. It serves as an external memory aid, a planning tool, and a way to make time visible and tangible. Effective calendaring for ADHD isn't just about recording appointments; it's about actively externalizing time perception and future planning, translating abstract time into concrete visual representations and actionable steps.

Choosing Your Calendar Tool: Paper vs. Digital

There's no single "best" calendar format for everyone with ADHD. The ideal choice depends on individual needs, preferences, and the challenges that require the most support. Often, a hybrid approach combining the strengths of both paper and digital systems offers the most comprehensive support.

Feature	Paper Calendar Pros	Paper Calendar Cons	Digital Calendar Pros	Digital Calendar Cons
Visibility	Can be kept in constant sight (on a desk or wall); ideal for visual reminders.	Less portable; requires dedicated space.	Accessible anywhere via phone/ computer.	Can be "out of sight, out of mind" if app isn't open.
Portability	Less portable, especially larger planners.	Can be bulky.	Highly portable via smartphone/ tablet.	Requires a charged device.
Reminders/ Alerts	Relies on the user remembering to check it.	No automatic alerts.	Excellent for setting multiple pop-up/audio reminders (crucial for ADHD memory).	Potential for excessive notifications (requires management).
Ease of Editing	Can be messy with changes; requires rewriting.	Changes can look cluttered.	Very easy to reschedule, edit details, and change colors.	Less tangible sense of commitment sometimes.
Tangibility	Physical act of writing can aid memory/ engagement. Provides tangible record.	Can be lost or damaged.	Less tactile interaction.	Data loss possible if not backed up.
Big Picture Planning	Excellent for monthly/yearly "bird's-eye view"; helps make the future concrete.	Can be harder to see daily details on large views.	Can switch views, but small screens limit overview.	May feel less concrete for long-term planning.
Syncing	Manual process to coordinate with other calendars.	Requires manual updating.	Easily syncs across devices and platforms (work/home).	Requires internet connectivity for syncing.
Recurring Events	Requires manual entry for each occurrence.	Tedious for frequent recurring events.	Can automate recurring events indefinitely.	Easy to set up.

Effective Calendaring Strategies for ADHD

Regardless of the format chosen, how the calendar is used is paramount. Consistency is key.

• Schedule Everything: Go beyond appointments. Block out time for specific tasks (taken from the to-do list), travel time to and from events, preparation or transition time before meetings, breaks, meals, exercise, and even dedicated planning sessions. Use it as a "brain dump" space for future ideas if needed. Integrating to-do list items directly into time slots increases the likelihood of completion.

• Use Color-Coding: Visually differentiate types of activities (e.g., work = blue, personal = green, appointments = red, tasks = orange). This allows for quick scanning and understanding of the day's or week's structure.

• Set Multiple Reminders: Don't rely on a single alert. For important events or transitions, set several reminders (e.g., 1 day before, 1 hour before, 15 minutes before, time to leave). Use phone alarms liberally, including "pre-timers" to signal that the end of an activity is approaching.

• Include Generous Buffer Time: Always schedule extra time around appointments for travel, parking, finding the location, and transitioning mentally. When scheduling tasks, overestimate the time needed, especially initially (e.g., multiply initial estimate by 1.5 or 2).

• Conduct Regular Reviews: Make checking the calendar a routine. Look at it each morning to understand the day ahead, check in midday to stay on track, and review it each evening to see what was accomplished and plan for the next day. A weekly review session is also helpful for longer-term planning.

• Maximize Visibility: Keep paper calendars prominently displayed where they will be seen often. Use widgets to keep digital calendars visible on your phone's home screen or computer desktop.

• Be Realistic (Time Blocking): Use the calendar to visualize the actual amount of time available. Blocking out chunks of time for tasks helps prevent over-scheduling and provides a realistic picture of capacity.

• Complement with Analog Clocks: Having analog clocks visible in key locations (office, kitchen, bedroom) reinforces the visual passage of time throughout the day, supporting the time awareness function of the calendar.

Calendar Resources:

• ADDitude - Time Management Skills (incl. Calendars for Kids/Adults): https://www.additudemag.com/time-management-skills-organization-help-adhd/

• ADDitude - Time Management Apps & Hacks (Calendar/List Methods): https://www.additudemag.com/punctuality-time-blindness-adhd-apps-tips/

• ADDitude - Strategies for Seeing and Feeling Time: https://www.additudemag.com/time-management-skills-adhd-brain/

• CHADD - Choosing and Using Day Planners (Paper vs. Digital): https://chadd.org/for-adults/time-management-planner/

• CHADD - Why Paper Calendars Support Future Thinking: https://chadd.org/adhd-news/adhd-news-caregivers/support-your-future-thinking-skills/

• ClickUp - Calendar Planner Template: https://clickup.com/blog/adhd-templates/

---

If ADHD is hindering your productivity, working with an executive coach could help you build the habits, routines, and skills you need to focus and follow through more consistently. If you are interested in learning more, schedule a discovery call. We can discuss how we can help you better manage your ADHD.

Schedule a Free Discovery call

ADHD Tip 3: Find Focus with Body Doubling

What is Body Doubling

Body doubling is a productivity strategy where an individual works on tasks, particularly those they find challenging, boring, or difficult to initiate, while another person is simply present. This presence can be physical – someone sitting quietly in the same room – or virtual, such as staying connected via a video call or even just an open phone line. Crucially, the "body double" doesn't typically assist with the task or engage in conversation; their role is one of quiet companionship and support. The effectiveness lies not in active help, but in the power of presence.

This strategy leverages principles of social facilitation and implied accountability, acting as an external scaffold to support internal self-regulation challenges, such as maintaining focus, initiating tasks, and persisting through difficulties, which are common for individuals with ADHD.

Why Body Doubling Works for ADHD

The seemingly simple act of having someone nearby can have a profound impact on focus and productivity for the ADHD brain:

• Enhanced Accountability: The presence of another person, even passively, creates a subtle sense of social pressure and responsibility. This external accountability can make individuals more likely to start tasks, stay on track, and resist the urge to procrastinate, feeling they "can't waste this gift of time". Deepwrk notes accountability check-ins significantly increase goal completion odds.

• Focus Anchor: The body double can serve as a physical or virtual anchor point, helping to ground a mind prone to wandering. Their quiet presence serves as a gentle, external reminder to refocus on the task at hand.

• Reduced Distractibility: The focused (or at least calm) presence of the double can help create a more settled work environment, potentially buffering against both external interruptions and internal restlessness. The double’s passivity is key here; interaction could become another distraction.

• Calm Modeling (Potential): Some suggest the body double might unconsciously model a state of calm focus, which the person with ADHD may subtly mirror.

• Novelty and Energy: Introducing another person into a typically solitary (and perhaps tedious) task can add an element of novelty, which is often engaging for the ADHD brain. It can shift the energy of the workspace.

• Easier Task Initiation: Just knowing a body doubling session is scheduled can help overcome the initial inertia and difficulty in getting started on tasks that are often avoided.

How to Implement Body Doubling

1. Identify Suitable Tasks: Recognize which tasks consistently trigger procrastination, boredom, or difficulty focusing when attempted alone (e.g., paying bills, organizing paperwork, writing reports, doing homework, tackling chores).

2. Find a Body Double: This could be a friend, family member, roommate, colleague, or peer. It can even be someone hired for temporary support or found through dedicated online services (see resources). The double doesn't necessarily need to have ADHD themselves.

3. Set Clear Expectations: Before starting, agree on the time, duration, and the specific task(s) to be worked on. Crucially, clarify the body double's role: to be a quiet, supportive presence with minimal interaction or interruption. The double might work on their own quiet task, read, or simply be present.

4. Choose the Format: Decide whether the session will be in person or virtual (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime, a simple phone call with the line kept open).

5. Experiment: Try different session lengths and incorporate breaks as needed (perhaps using the Pomodoro technique in conjunction), and see what works best for maintaining focus and completing tasks.

Finding Body Doubles

• Personal Network: Ask friends, family members, or colleagues if they'd be willing to sit with someone (physically or virtually) while they work. Frame the request clearly, explaining it's a productivity strategy: "I heard this can help with focus. Would you mind just being on Zoom with me while I tackle this report? Maybe you have something quiet you could work on too?".

• Online Platforms & Communities: Several services cater specifically to body doubling needs:

• Deepwrk: Provides structured, facilitated group body doubling sessions via video call, specifically for adults with ADHD, along with a 24/7 silent focus space and community features.

• Focusmate / Groove: Co-working platforms (mentioned in ADDitude ) where individuals connect virtually for focused work sessions, essentially providing body-doubling partners on demand.

The increasing availability of virtual body doubling options reflects the effectiveness of the strategy and the need for accessible, flexible support, especially as remote work becomes more prevalent.

Body Doubling Resources:

• Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) - Explanation and Why It Works: https://add.org/the-body-double/

• Deepwrk - Structured Virtual Body Doubling: https://www.deepwrk.io/

---

If ADHD is hindering your productivity, working with an executive coach can help you develop the habits, routines, and skills necessary to focus and follow through more consistently. If you are interested in learning more, schedule a discovery call. We can discuss how we can help you better manage your ADHD.

Schedule a call

Schedule a Free Discovery call