Time Management and Anxiety for ADHDers: The Real Reasons You’re Stressed

Managing our time can be tough for anyone, but it’s especially challenging of us with ADHD. The constant struggle to stay organized and meet deadlines can lead to high levels of stress and anxiety. In this article, we will explore why time management can be so stressful for ADHDers and share some simple tips that helped us reduce our stress levels and allowed us to lead a healthier ADHD life!

Why Time Management is Hard for ADHDers:

• Difficulty Prioritizing Tasks: People with ADHD often find it hard to figure out which tasks are the most important. Everything can seem urgent, making it difficult to decide where to start. It’s especially true when the tasks are personal and we don’t have any external metric to estimate the importance (such as work deadlines, for example);
• Poor Sense of Time: Many ADHDers have a hard time estimating how long things will take. This can lead to tasks taking much longer than expected and feeling constantly behind. It gets even more complicated when we add time blindness to the mix. We ADHDers can easily forget to track time and end up taking too long to complete tasks;
• Impulsivity: Acting on impulse can mean starting many tasks but finishing few. This scattered approach makes it hard to complete important tasks on time. In real life, impulsivity translates to a long to-do list with half-completed tasks and a very frustrated ADHDer. Not good!
• Hyperfocus: Sometimes, ADHDers can get so engrossed in one task that they lose track of time and neglect other responsibilities. When we’re passionate about a subject or task, or sometimes just because it’s new to us, we can easily get lost in the execution process and ignore the outside world.

Lack of Management Is the Real Reason You're Stressed

When tasks pile up without a clear plan, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, creating constant stress and making it hard to focus. This disorganization often leads to missed deadlines and commitments, which in turn causes guilt, stress, and potentially lower self-esteem. Procrastination adds to the problem by resulting in last-minute rushes to complete tasks, causing unnecessary anxiety and mental tiredness. This constant feeling of falling behind adds to the stress even more and makes it difficult to enjoy any accomplishments. At that point, we’re just relieved the tasks is over instead of celebration its completion. Then onto the next task to repeat the same cycle all over again. If that sounds like a scenario you’ve lived through before, let’s get into a few tips that will allow you to thrive as an ADHDer. These will improve your productivity and better your mental health at the same time! 

Practical Tips to Manage Time and Reduce Anxiety

• Set Realistic Goals: Don’t aim for perfection. Set achievable goals to reduce pressure and build confidence. Small wins will compound and stack together and you’ll feel better about your approach which will motivate you to be even more disciplined;
• Break Tasks into Small Steps: Divide big tasks into smaller, manageable parts. This makes them feel less overwhelming and provides a sense of accomplishment as you complete each step;
• Use Timers and Alarms: Set timers for tasks to help stay on track and prevent hyperfocus from eating up too much time. Combine this with proven techniques like the Pomodoro technique which states that you should work in blocks of 25 minutes then take 5-minute breaks (experiment with the exact blocks of time for optimal results!);
• Use Website and Digital Planners: Digital tools can help streamline your tasks and reduce chaos.

*Apps like Sunsama bring all your tasks, emails, and calendars into one place, making it easier to prioritize and manage your day. This helps you see everything you need to do at a glance, making it easier to prioritize and tackle your day efficiently.

Features That Make Sunsama Stand Out & Why We Love it!

• Guided Daily Planning: Each morning, Sunsama prompts you to plan your day deliberately, focusing your attention on what needs to get done;
• Unified View: All your tasks, whether they’re from Asana, Trello, or your email, appear in one cohesive list. This centralization minimizes the chaos of juggling multiple apps and platforms;
• Timeboxing: Assign specific time slots to tasks within your planner. This not only helps with managing your day but also ensures you end at a reasonable time, respecting your personal limits;
• Seamless Task Integration: Easily integrate and manage tasks from various project management tools. Drag and drop these tasks directly into your daily queue;
• Efficient Communication Management: Convert important emails and messages into actionable tasks directly within Sunsama, ensuring that no critical information slips through the cracks;
• Focus and Dark Modes: Enhance your focus with interface options designed to minimize distractions and reduce eye strain during long hours.

Experience Sunsama for Yourself:

Curious to see how Sunsama can transform your productivity? They offer a 14-day free trial, without requiring a credit card. This trial allows you to explore all of Sunsama’s features and see how they can simplify your day. Start your trial today and experience firsthand how a structured approach can dramatically improve your focus and productivity, especially for those with ADHD.

Click here to start your free trial with Sunsama and take the first step towards a more organized and productive day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Sunsama and how can it help someone with ADHD?

Sunsama is a digital daily planner that integrates tasks, emails, and calendars into one platform, making it easier for those with ADHD to manage their day-to-day activities without feeling overwhelmed.

Q: Why is Sunsama particularly useful for individuals with ADHD?

Sunsama helps reduce the chaos of managing multiple platforms by centralizing tasks and appointments. Its features like timeboxing and focus mode are particularly helpful for managing ADHD symptoms like distractibility and time management challenges.

Q: Can Sunsama replace other productivity tools?

While Sunsama integrates with many popular productivity tools like Trello, Asana, and Slack, it enhances rather than replaces these applications by pulling tasks into a unified view for better daily management.

Q: Is there a trial available for Sunsama?

Yes, Sunsama offers a 14-day free trial that allows users to explore all its features without needing to provide a credit card, making it easy to test out its compatibility with your workflow.

Q: How does the focus mode feature work?

Focus mode in Sunsama helps users concentrate on their most important tasks by minimizing distractions and providing a timer to allocate specific periods for focused work, which can be very beneficial for users with ADHD.