Time Management
Analog Visual Timers
Section titled “Analog Visual Timers”What to do: Use a timer where a colored disk visibly shrinks as time passes (like the Time Timer brand).
Why it works: Digital numbers are abstract. Seeing the physical volume of time disappear creates a sense of urgency and reality that numbers can’t.
Time Padding
Section titled “Time Padding”What to do: Aggressively round up your time estimates. If GPS says 15 minutes, tell yourself 30.
Why it works: It accounts for the “transition tax” — finding keys, putting on shoes, walking to the car — which ADHD brains notoriously forget to add in.
The “Waiting Mode” Buffer
Section titled “The “Waiting Mode” Buffer”What to do: If you have an appointment at 2:00 PM, schedule a low-stakes “bridge task” at 1:00 PM, like “drive to Starbucks.”
Why it works: It breaks the paralysis by getting you moving earlier, without the pressure of having to be “productive” while you wait.