adhd planiranje prokrastinacija
10 tricks for better planning and productivity with ADHD

Adults with ADHD often appear lost, slower, and make mistakes when completing tasks.

They miss deadlines, forget names and terms, have difficulty focusing, and get easily distracted while completing tasks. They may seem indecisive and as if they give up quickly at the first obstacle.

It’s not about a lack of intelligence, ability, or motivation to complete tasks, but rather impaired executive functions and slow sensory processing.

What does this mean?
They need a longer period of time to process stimuli from their surroundings and respond to them, while also

experiencing difficulties in maintaining attention and a weak ability to focus on the task at hand.

In addition, there are extra challenges such as being easily distracted by external stimuli or people around them, poor time perception, and the need for movement, which leads to frequent interruptions of activities, making it harder to refocus on the task.

Executive functions are a set of cognitive skills we need for
control, monitoring, and self-regulation of behavior.

These are:

  1. Focus (shifting) – concentrating on a task, maintaining and directing attention, adapting thoughts and behaviors to new and unexpected situations
  2. Inhibition (self-regulation of emotions) – controlling impulsive and automatic reactions or responses
  3. Effort (activation) – controls and monitors our behavior, regulating alertness, readiness, maintaining effort, and processing speed as a trigger for action
  4. Planning – thinking about future events and predicting the steps needed to achieve a goal
  5. Working memory – retaining information (e.g., a phone number until we write it down) in order to process and store it in long-term memory
  6. Decision-making – organizing and prioritizing
  7. Problem-solving – logical reasoning after considering the situation

Unfortunately, these are common consequences of impaired executive functions in ADHD:

  • difficulty with organization,
  • difficulty with initiation (starting work),
  • inability to perform multiple tasks one after another,
  • difficulty with planning,
  • difficulty with processing and storing information,
  • mood swings and irritability,
  • loss of interest in activities,
  • frequent interruptions of activities due to the need for movement,
  • difficulty recalling information.

The good news is that, due to the brain’s neuroplasticity, we can improve executive functions through practice.

Here are 10 exercises and tricks for starting and finishing tasks:

1. Write down the steps necessary to complete the goal

By writing down the steps, you clearly know what you need to do and direct your mental energy toward the goal.

The more tasks you can complete in the evening, such as preparing clothes for the next morning, the better.

2. Set a time limit for each step

If you create a schedule by the hour throughout the day and keep a journal of your activities for a week, you’ll become aware of where you overestimate the time needed for tasks and where time “slips away.”

3. Become aware of why planning is important

When you know your “why,” it will be easier to persist with the “how.”

What does planning bring you? What does it take away when you go without a plan? Do you maintain boundaries with yourself and others when you know your weekly and monthly priorities?

4. Recognize your learning style

There are several ways of processing information – visual, auditory, kinesthetic.

Younger children tend to prefer stories, while older children are expected to remember a lot of information, so mnemonic techniques are recommended for them.

5. Establish a routine

If you only rely on bursts of inspiration, you’re not teaching your brain discipline and strengthening executive functions.

Make it easier for yourself by setting specific times for important activities, always at the same time, so you don’t skip them, like workout time.

6. Reward yourself for effort, not just for achieving the goal

We often overlook small successes and steps, already setting the next milestone, which over time leads to frustration and dissatisfaction because “it’s never enough.”

Write a daily victory and success journal.

7. Put what’s important to you in plain sight

Make information visible (e.g., sticky notes, calendar, schedule, images, lists, phone screen, etc.).

8. Take short breaks

What I like to call a “happy break” could be listening to an uplifting song, stepping outside for some fresh air, doing a few squats, or quickly calling a friend… Breaks work best if they last 3 to 7 minutes. This will replenish your dopamine levels and provide a boost to continue.

9. Positive affirmations and visualizations

Visualizing success is what will keep you focused on your “why,” even when you don’t feel like it or fall out of your routine.

How will you feel when you achieve your goal? The clearer you imagine that picture, the easier it will be to persist.

10. Don’t forget regular exercise

Physical activity is an essential part of the routine for managing ADHD.

It can be dancing, running, yoga, weight training – as long as it’s fun and motivating so you can stick with it until it becomes a habit.

At first, developing new strategies for learning and work isn’t easy, just as creating new habits isn’t. It may seem boring or too rigid and feel like it’s not helping because “you’ve already tried all of this.”

But it’s worth the effort.
It’s worth spending 10 minutes planning for 100 minutes of free time.
If you get organized, you’ll have more time for hobbies and play.
More time for rest.
More time for your friends, partner, and family.
More time for your dreams.

If you want guidance in managing your ADHD, reach out for 1-on-1 therapy work here.

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