How to Use a Planner With ADHD

Daily planners can be a helpful time management tool, particularly for people who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Common characteristics of ADHD include poor organizational skills, time management problems, and issues with working memory.

Such traits make it difficult for people with this condition to stay on task and finish projects at school, at work, and home. However, using a daily planner can help. Using a planner for ADHD can be a great way to keep track of projects, manage your time, and combat forgetfulness.

Why Use a Daily Planner If You Have ADHD

Evidence suggests that learning to use a daily planner is an effective way to improve time management skills in people who have ADHD.

Mastering the art of using a daily time planner is a simple yet powerful skill when you have ADHD. It can often be an important tool for managing your life and your ADHD.

A daily planner is a calendar that is divided into days and each day is divided into sections, usually in hourly increments. You can write down your appointments in the appropriate time slots.

Planners have a variety of names, such as an agenda, diary, or daytime planner. However, the function is always the same. They help you record your commitments to yourself and other people so you remember them.

How to Choose a Daily Planner for ADHD

It is important to choose the type of planner that will work best for you. There can be heated debates about whether paper or electronic planners are best. Both are good, so the key to success is to pick the one that you feel most comfortable using every day.

Pen-and-Paper Planners

If you love paper and pen and find writing on paper helps to solidify things in your mind, then a paper planner would be a good choice. A daily calendar planner can be useful, or you might want to try something like a bullet journal.

Electronic Apps, Websites, or Software

If, on the other hand, you love gadgets and all things electronic, then a digital planner would be good for you. The benefit of digital planners is they can usually be accessed from multiple devices, such as your phone, tablet, and computer. This is a helpful feature when you have ADHD because if you misplace one, you are still able to access your schedule.

What to Write in Your Planner

The first step in learning how to use your daily planner effectively is determining what you should include in it. Keeping it organized is important, so it can be helpful to focus on devoting it to tasks you need to do for other people and tasks you need to do for yourself.

One study found that young people with ADHD often use planners to keep track of assignments, meetings, and social activities. Many also scheduled their daily living tasks in their planners to help ensure that they meet their personal goals.

Appointments With Other People

These could be meetings for work, personal appointments like visiting the dentist, as well as time with family and friends. Before confirming an appointment, reach for your planner and check if you are available on that day at that time before confirming. Then write it down immediately before you forget.

Appointments With Yourself

These are times you block out in your agenda so you can perform a particular task. For example, it might be an item from your to-do list. Making appointments with yourself means you become more productive, and time doesn't just slip away. 

Tips for Using Your Daily Planner With ADHD

While planners can be super helpful, getting started isn't always easy to keep a planner for ADHD. If you've tried using one in the past and have given up, don't be afraid to start fresh. 

You may find it helpful to start gradually and build up to using your planner daily. Perhaps begin by using it once a week to plan out the most important events of the week, and then work your way up to using it daily.

Do a Planning Session Each Day

Take some time each day to plan out what you need to do the next day. Write down any tasks that need to be accomplished or any progress that needs to be made on larger projects that you are working on.

Inattention can make it difficult to stay focused, particularly on tasks that seem difficult or uninteresting. Since it takes a lot of mental energy to stay on task, it is common for people with ADHD to procrastinate. Using a daily planner can help fight this tendency by making large projects much more manageable.

Also, be sure to start each morning by checking what is already on the agenda. Checking your planner and writing in it regularly can help you build stronger organizational habits.

Include Transition Times

When you are writing appointments down in your planner, write down the time of the appointment and the time it will take you to travel there. This helps you to arrive on time for all your appointments. The more you use your planner, the better you will get at estimating travel time.

Also, schedule transition time between the appointments you book with yourself. This is important when you have ADHD as you need time to disconnect from one task before starting on the next. When you do this, you will avoid feeling irritable, anxious, or angry.

Look At It Often

In order for planners to be effective, you need to use them regularly. Always look at your planner first thing in the morning to have a clear and up-to-date image of what your day looks like. Throughout the day, check your planner to remind you of your activities and update it with new appointments as they are arranged.

Researchers suggest that finding ways to help burn off excess energy (such as exercising regularly) may make it easier to self-regulate and focus on these organizational strategies. Making the practice of using your planner a habit may also be helpful.

Keep Your Planner With You

It's a good idea to get in the habit of carrying your planner with you at all times. When something comes up that you'll need to remember, you can simply jot it down so you can reference it later. It also allows you to refer to it frequently so you don't forget important tasks or appointments.