Is ADHD hindering your time management?
Students with ADHD often struggle to effectively manage their time due to executive dysfunction and differences in time perception. Finding solutions can be challenging considering the majority of time management strategies do not take these into account. So, how can students with ADHD improve their time management?
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurological condition that impacts an individual’s ability to plan, focus on, and complete tasks [1]. Most ADHD-related behaviour can be categorised as either hyperactive or inattentive. Inattentive behaviour is frequently associated with poor time management. Specifically, Reaser et al (2007) found that students with ADHD were more likely to report an inability to manage and self-regulate their time than neurotypical students [2]. In addition, individuals may find concentration a challenge or be unable to complete time-consuming tasks [3].
ADHD also inhibits executive function, causing difficulties with focus, self-monitoring and organisation. Brown (2001) highlights three key areas of executive function impaired in ADHD [4]:
- Activation – organising tasks, estimating time and starting work;
- Focus – finding, sustaining and shifting attention;
- Effort – regulating alertness, sustaining motivation and processing speed.
ADHD can negatively impact a student’s time management and output in a variety of ways.
Considering these challenges, it’s easy to understand why students with ADHD may often feel demoralised by their efforts. In particular, many feel frustrated by continually being late for people or appointments. Or by struggling to meet deadlines, despite their best intentions to work to a schedule. Additionally, research has shown that students with poor time management are at greater risk for experiencing stress and might face more difficulties with their academic performance [5] – students with ADHD may experience greater studying-related anxiety.
However, there are strategies to improve time management which have been specifically designed for individuals with ADHD.
Make time visible
Students with ADHD often struggle with self-regulating time. This can lead to time ‘slipping away from them’ and can cause panic when they notice it’s much later than they thought. A solution to this might be ensuring constant access to the time. Wearing a watch or hanging a clock in the bedroom or office may sound like a simple solution, but it’s one that encourages closer time monitoring. The idea is to frequently check the time, then self-check to identify whether you should continue with their current task or move onto the next. This may help boost time awareness and prevent the anxiety of being late.
Record your time
Estimating time is also a challenge for students with ADHD. They might guess that a task will take 5 minutes, yet find they haven’t completed it 25 minutes later.
Underestimating the duration of each task can lead to frustration, especially if you planned something, but then didn’t manage to finish all tasks you had set out to do. To tackle this, a useful first step might be to grasp a realistic time span for tasks. For two weeks, you could keep a time-log of activities (e.g. showering, making breakfast, etc.) with the predicted completion time, followed by the actual time it took. By gaining an awareness of how long different tasks take, you may be able to set more realistic goals each day. Managing workload expectations in this way can encourage feelings of satisfaction (with how much you managed to achieve at the end of the day), rather than annoyance (with what you haven’t).
Find the self-assess your time template in Learning resources (under ‘Do you use your time effectively?’)
Breaking down tasks
Often, students with ADHD find it difficult to complete tasks on time or find that they have to rush to finish a task at the last minute. To ensure deadlines are consistently met, it’s logical to ensure the most urgent task is completed first. However, these tasks can often be overwhelming, especially if they are big tasks (such as ‘write essay’). Breaking these down into their constituent sub-tasks may help encourage activation, thus bypassing the chronic procrastination often associated with ADHD. This may also help avoid unnecessary multitasking, as the task will be divided into small and measurable chunks, prompting better focus and time management.
References
[1] Daley, D. and Birchwood, J. (2010) “ADHD and academic performance: why does ADHD impact on academic performance and what can be done to support ADHD children in the classroom?” Child: care, health and development 36(4): 455-464.
[2] Reaser, R., Prevatt, F., Petscher, Y. and Proctor, B. (2007) “The learning and study strategies of college students with ADHD”. Psychology in the Schools 44(6): 627-638.
[3] NHS 2018, Symptoms: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),NHS, viewed 25th June 2021, <https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/symptoms/>.
[4] Brown, T. E. (2001) Brown attention-deficit disorder scales: For children and adolescents. San Antonio: The Psychological Corportation
[5] Macan, T. and Shahani, C. (1990) “College Students’ Time Management: Correlations With Academic Performance and Stress.” Journal of Educational Psychology 82(4): 760-768.
