You can search the internet high and low for how to be productive with ADHD, and sometimes, you’re not going to get the most helpful advice. After all, the world’s obsession with productivity and getting things done hasn’t really started making room for us yet. It’s why I started doing what I do. So let’s get into how to turn the things you hear nine bajillion times into something that works with your brain.
Of course, you can go watch the video on this here, or listen below or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
But first…what is productivity?
Let’s get clear, first, what we “productivity” is. It’s often sold as getting all of our to-dos done, or never stopping our movement from the moment we wake until the moment we sleep. In my opinion, none of that is accurate. I think that productivity depends on the person, and that for most of us, it’s more a matter of being satisfied with our overall progress throughout the day, even if it didn’t result in 100 finished tasks. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: productivity is satisfaction, not perfection. And while some of this has to do with mindset, some of it also has to do with how to approach your task list.
Which brings me to the things we hear all the time. Things like:
“Just eat the frog!”
This approach is often attributed to Bill Gates, though no one really knows who first said it. Put simply, the idea suggests that you should do the unpleasant/big tasks first. The idea makes sense for some, because it’s meant to leave the rest of your day feeling much easier without the hard thing looming over you, but for ADHD brains that’s…well, it’s a nice thought.
A huge reason why ADHD brains procrastinate has to do with our tendency to avoid unpleasant or difficult tasks. So, starting your day with something you don’t want to do, especially if there’s no deadline or urgency, is just asking to have a day of inertia and procrastination.
To make this more ADHD-friendly…
Start your day with either Easy Win tasks (that is, tasks that you know you can easily do and finish quickly), or short tasks that you actually want to do. This way, your brain will be riding the dopamine high and the momentum that comes with finishing something, and it’ll be more likely to ease into that Frog task that you’ve actually put second or third on your task list.
“Just Prioritize”
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, is that all? Problem solved!
Except for the fact that prioritization is quite often an ADHD Achilles Heel.
To make this more ADHD-friendly…
Prioritize LAST. Worry about figuring out order of importance only after you’ve brain dumped all that you need and figured out the actual due dates for all of your tasks. Also, don’t assume that your anxiety over a task is the same as urgency; sometimes, we feel like something is urgent because it’s hanging over us, making us feel guilty. That doesn’t mean that it’s more important than the other things on your list.
“Avoid multitasking”
So, yes, ADHD brains are super prone to distraction. But telling us to focus on one thing for a long period of time without distraction is also unrealistic. We have brains that thrive on feelings of busyness and success, and if we sit for too long without feeling that, we’re sure to wind up giving up pretty early in.
To make this more ADHD-friendly…
Accept that your brain needs a little more stimulation than one simple focus point. Studies have actually shown that background noise can improve cognitive performance for those of us with ADHD brains. So if you need a TV show playing in the background, or loud music, while you work. Let yourself have that.
You can also stagger your tasks, so that your brain gets to focus on different things at regular intervals. Say, working for 30 minutes and then doing a little housework for 30 minutes before going back to work. Giving your mind that variety will make it feel less understimulated, and more prepared to focus.
Of course, there’s a thin line between this and overstimulating or fully distracting yourself, so get comfortable with your particular boundaries, and work within those.
“Make a to-do list”
We’ve heard a lot about to-do list making, so I won’t go much into this, besides saying that to-do lists are good, but, like prioritization, they’re not the whole equation. Just throwing together a to-do list, nine times out of ten, will result in a list of things that may not actually be your true priorities for the day.
To make this more ADHD-friendly…
See what I said about prioritization? Do that. Your to-do list should only be complete after you’ve worked through your tasks to verify what really needs to be done today, and in what order.
And finally…
“Don’t procrastinate!”
Thanks, man, I’m cured.
In all seriousness, ADHD brains are going to procrastinate. In fact, ALL brains are going to procrastinate. The only difference is that ADHD brains tend to take that procrastination as a sign of failure, and then we feel shame.
To make this more ADHD-friendly…
First off, realize that procrastination doesn’t mean that your whole day is shot. If you procrastinate until 2 PM, sure it may be too late to do some things, but it’s may not be too late to get one or two things done, if you can bring yourself to move. A misstep isn’t the end, unless you decide it is.
Second off, stealing from the wonderful Niki, try to instead approach your procrastination with curiosity. Ask yourself why you’re procrastinating. Are you tired? Are you overwhelmed? Are you sad and in need of comforting? Finding these things out will help you to figure out what you need to get unstuck and going again.
