How To Be Productive Even With An ADHD Mind (14 Ways)

Let’s face it, people with ADHD aren’t always the most efficient. When you don’t plan, you have a weakness. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t get things done. It just takes a different way on how to be productive even with an ADHD mind.

Focus on what you need to do. Delegate the tasks that are important to you. These are the rules of being productive. If you have ADHD, they don’t work at all Those who have ADHD do things in a different way than those who do not.

People with ADHD need incentives, positive words, and clear deadlines to help them get the job done quickly and well.

Continue reading this article if you have ADHD or support someone who has to keep you or them on track of their daily lives. Below are the 10 ways how to be productive even though you have ADHD or support someone close to you.

Here are the 14 Ways To Be Productive Even With An ADHD mind

Every day, we are bombarded with so much information, disruptions, obstructions, work, and social media updates that it’s hard not to pay attention to them all.

A lot of things can make it hard to stay focused and get things done. Instead, you might feel disorganized and spread out.

If you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it can be hard or even impossible to finish a task. The following productivity tips might not be in a book, but they work well for people with ADHD because they help them stay on track.

1. Make a relaxing and pleasurable activity your priority each day.

It can be hard for people with ADHD to get started on work or a project because they’re afraid. Dr. Hallowell calls this “colossal boulder of negative thought.” As long as you use some smart strategies, you can turn that boulder into a pebble and break the cycle of negative thought.

If you don’t already, start your day with something fun to lessen the dread. You could do some exercise in the morning, have a video chat with someone you know to help you get excited about your project or task.

2. Break down your tasks into small tasks.

When you’re ready to start, start small. Very small. The best way to make almost any project easier to do is to break it down into smaller parts and set deadlines for each of those parts. You can also use apps to help you keep your tasks and projects in order.

3. Be Realistic

Be honest with yourself about how long it will take you to do something. Everything will take a lot longer than you think. Plan for that, so you don’t go on a rampage and start karate-chopping everyone near you because you didn’t meet your deadline.

When you see a good job magnet, it tells you that you needn’t be perfect to get things done.

4. Make sure your first task is something you 100% complete

You should plan your day’s tasks carefully so that when you need a victory, there’s one right there. When you’re at work, try to organize your day so that you do the least difficult things first. Since you’ve done something, you don’t feel as overwhelmed by the big thing in front of you.

When you cross something off my to-do list, you get a little excited and move on to the next thing.

5. For each thing on your to-do list, write down why it’s important.

Some things don’t work for people with ADHD. The doctor says that motivation can be hard to come by, especially for tasks that are tedious or uninteresting. Having to do something does not mean that you will be able to do it, even if you know that you have to.

You might want to set up a quick meeting with a coworker or supervisor to remind yourself why something needs to be done.

When you don’t know what to do with a project, you often cut an email or project brief into bullet points and paste them at the top of a piece of paper so you don’t forget important tasks or priorities.

6. Forget about being perfect.

Keep in mind that you can’t do everything right. Sometimes, when you’re trying to be more productive at work, you order takeout for dinner or the laundry gets a lot more done.

There is nothing wrong with you being a human, so don’t be too hard on yourself

7. Overestimate the time it will take to complete tasks.

Many people with ADHD have a fundamentally different sense of time, which means they can’t estimate or keep track of how long things have been going on.

When their sense of time isn’t in line with the neurotypical deadlines and timelines that most people have to follow, people with ADHD can have a hard time. 

There are two kinds of time: “now” and “not now.” It might be hard for people who have ADHD to keep track of things. For example, if a paper is due next Thursday, you might not do it, and when the “now” come you panic and get scared because you forgot about it.

The best way to deal with this is to overestimate how long things will take. If you think each of these jobs will take an hour, you would set aside two hours for each one. There are some things you can do to make sure you have some extra space in case things go over.

You can also set alarms on your phone to remind you about appointments and meetings before they start. Remember the big tasks you broke down into small parts? Set them up on your phone or calendar, too.

8. Find new and exciting ways to do boring tasks.

A task that isn’t intrinsically rewarding can make people with ADHD less likely to want to do it, which can make them less likely to get things done. It’s important to have a good mix of fun and work.

Combine situations that are well-structured and full of new things and excitement. Too much structure and it gets boring, too much novelty and it’s confusing.”

As a way to make the most of this need for stimulation, write down your to-do list with colorful pens and paper. Make a colorful Post-it note and put it on the door.

Write your task on the note. It will be right in front of you when you leave the house tomorrow. The key is to have a variety of those colors because if it’s always the same color, your eye isn’t going to see it.

9.  Leave Time for Transitions

To make it easier on your mind when you’re switching between tasks, give yourself a break. Then, set a timer for 10 minutes and go for a walk or do some yoga. Sip your favorite tea, too. It’s time to get excited for the next thing on your list.

10.  Make a plan to cut down on distractions.

Having ADHD already means that you have a hard time focusing, so even more distractions can be very bad for people who have ADHD. People with ADHD may have to come back and start over again three or four or five times to finish a task.

That’s multiple times of going through the stress of beginning the task, so the task itself becomes incredibly difficult to complete.

11.  Find someone who will help you stay on track with your goals.

After you remove all the distractions and maybe even leave places where there are a lot of people or chitchat, you might start to feel lonely. It’s still important to stay in touch. You need to work with a team, you have to get encouragement, don’t isolate yourself. 

It can be anybody, a teacher, a spouse, a dog, any form of positive connection. The good news is that you can do all this using the internet so you don’t even have to worry about compromising your social distancing just to get some time with someone.

 12. Go on a Scavenger Hunt

Set yourself up for a good day. Find everything that needs to be within arm’s reach before you sit down. This way, you won’t have to stop what you’re doing to go and get it later on. Sure, you’ll be happy to get out of the way. To start, don’t give that option to anyone at all.

13.  Make a habit of having a free day.

It can be hard to live with ADHD at times. It’s great to strategize and maximize your productivity, but you also want to avoid burnout.

Check to see if you can set aside some time, maybe on a weekend, where you don’t have to do anything and can just follow your desires and energy level.

Free days are good for you because they give you a chance to recharge. It doesn’t mean you don’t do anything, but it removes the stress of having anything hanging over you. On that day, you don’t plan a thing.

Let your instincts guide you throughout the day. Read a book, sleep, cook something for yourself, or do something that doesn’t you tired. 

14.  Do a Brain Dump

For most adults with ADHD, the only way to keep track of what you need to remember is to write them down in a planner. Every single task should be written down as soon as it’s given.

If you don’t, new ideas, facts, requests, or gossip will take it away from what you already have. Get a planner that has a lot of space for you to “dump” your ideas and for you to write down your plans. 

Final Thoughts

As someone who has ADHD, it can be hard to stay focused and finish a task. It’s not easy, but with the right tools and resources, you can get things done, though.

There are many resources and ways to keep track of your work and organize your tasks. If you get used to it, you can take your productivity to a whole new level.

The next time you can’t focus at work, school, or anywhere else, try some of these tips. In the end, do what works best for you, and don’t be afraid to mix and match hacks, or come up with your tricks.