If you have ADHD, you already know time doesn’t feel the same for you as it does for others. You’re either running late, hyper-focused on that one thing for hours, or procrastinating until the last minute. It’s not because you’re lazy. It’s not because you don’t care. It’s because your brain is wired differently.
You’ve probably tried planners, timers, and schedules, but nothing seems to stick. The advice out there tells you to “just focus” or “use a calendar,” but that doesn’t work when your brain struggles to keep track of time in the first place.
The Key Takeaway.
Time blindness is the feeling that time is either moving too fast or too slow and it is one of the biggest struggles for ADHDers. Don’t force yourself into regular routines, learn how to work with your brain instead, not against it. When you do that, you’ll be able to create something that works for you, instead of trying to fit into a world built for people who don’t have ADHD.
If I Had ADHD, Here’s 5 Ways I Would Manage My Time.
Most ADHD advice are generalized. Do this, try that. So, I picked out 5 strategies that would really work for me if I had ADHD.
I Would Treat Time Like a Physical Object.
For people with ADHD, time is invisible and that’s the problem. If you can’t see it, you can’t track it. Neurotypical people just sense time passing, but ADHDers need external time markers to make time feel real.
- Wear a watch – not a phone timer, but an actual watch you can glance at constantly.
- Use digital timers – you know those ones that show time disappearing in color so you can see time slipping away.
- You could put a bottle of water next to you and take a sip every 10 minutes so you can physically feel time moving.
I Would Up My Dopamine Levels Before Doing Tasks.
ADHD isn’t about a lack of discipline, it’s about dopamine. Your brain doesn’t produce enough of it, which makes boring tasks feel painful. That’s why you procrastinate. The trick here is to manipulate dopamine to your advantage.
- Add a reward to boring tasks. If you answer emails for 15 minutes, you get 5 minutes of your favorite game or snack.
- Start with something fun first. Do a high-energy task (dancing, jumping jacks, listening to music) for 2 minutes before a boring task to open up your brain.
I Would Make My Memories External.
ADHD brains don’t store short-term information well. You tell yourself you’ll remember something, and then—boom—it’s gone. Instead, I would get everything out of my head.
- Sticky notes everywhere. Put reminders where you need them, not just in a planner you never check.
- Write things down immediately. If you think of something important, don’t trust your brain to hold onto it.
- Use alarms for everything. Not just wake-up alarms, but alarms for starting and stopping tasks.
- I’d put my gym shoes next to my bed so I see them first thing in the morning. No mental effort needed.
I Would Use “Body Doubling” A Lot.
Have you noticed how it’s easier to clean your room when someone else is in the house? That’s body doubling, and it’s a game-changer for ADHD. Just having another person around can help keep you on track.
- Work in public spaces. A coffee shop, library, or coworking space can help you stay engaged.
- Try virtual body doubling. Websites like Focusmate pair you with a stranger to work alongside you virtually. I would also call a friend on Zoom while working. Even if we don’t talk, just knowing someone’s there would keep me focused.
I Would Stop Trying to “Fix” My Brain and Start Working With It.
Most time management advice assumes ADHD is something to be “fixed.” That’s why so many strategies fail because they force ADHDers into systems that don’t fit. The real thing to do is to design your life around your ADHD, not hate it.
- If mornings are hard, don’t plan for anything important before noon.
- If you work best at night, don’t force yourself to do the work during the day.
- If you hyperfocus, plan your day to take advantage of it.
…
Time will never feel the same to you as it does to neurotypical people. And that’s okay. You don’t need to fix your brain, you just need to work with it.
