Executive Functioning: Time Management

What is it?

Time management is one of the biggest struggles with ADHD. Dr. Russell Barkley has been doing research on in the world of ADHD and has identified time management as one of the primary executive functioning deficits.

Time management is the ability to use time effectively, estimate time accurately, prioritize tasks and deadlines, and start and finish things according to a schedule. It is more than just being on time for an event or finishing a project on time, it is seeing time as something real and structured. Many people with ADHD struggle with time management in many different ways.

“Time blindness”has become a pretty popular term in recent years. This is where an individual may underestimate or overestimate how much time something is going to take. there are many examples of time blindness; maybe it is driving to a destination, how much time is needed to complete their homework, doing the dishes before leaving the house. This can also feel like there are two times “now” and “not now” and everything that needs to happen gets shoved into one of those times. Then relying on urgency when a deadline gets closer. When a deadline finally arrives the the “not now” project gets put into the “now” category. I have fallen victim to this so many times its crazy

As I mentioned earlier time management effects individuals with ADHD in many different ways. It could be always being late or early to everything. Forgetting appointments or important deadlines at work. Hyper focusing on one thing that distracts you causing you to miss your deadline. Struggling to find an effective pace to complete a project.

Tools to try

Timers: Create a visual timer to show a projects deadline

Chunking: Breaking big projects into multiple pieces over a long period of time

Alarms and reminders: Set reminders for appointments or daily tasks

Visual schedules/calendars: List tasks that need to be completed in order and mark them off as they need to be complete

Make it a game: Start a stop watch and race to complete a more mundane task, like folding the laundry. (I hate folding the laundry)