Episode Summary



If using a calendar feels more frustrating than helpful with ADHD, this episode is for you. You’ll learn practical strategies to make your calendar support your energy, priorities, and follow-through. From weekly reviews to color coding, you’ll get doable ideas you can test without overhauling your whole life.



What You’ll Learn About Using A Calendar With ADHD




* Why task lists and calendars need separate roles to reduce overwhelm



* How to block time in a way that protects your energy and priorities



* What a weekly review really looks like — and how it helps.



* How to include buffer times in your calendar to lower your stress.



* How visual cues like color-coding and icons can make your calendar easier to follow




Transcript: ADHD Calendar Strategies



 (00:00):



Are you looking for strategies so you can actually use your calendar effectively? If you are, you’re in the right place. This is part two of a two-part series on ADHD and calendars. And if you haven’t listened to part one yet, that episode dives into the emotional and practical challenges of using calendars with ADHD. But what you’ll hear today aren’t rules. They’re just starting points. So please try what resonates, tweak what makes sense for you, and skip anything that doesn’t land.



You’ve tuned into Scattered, Focus, Done, a podcast for ADHD adults like you who want to learn how to adopt the best strategies, tools, and skills to be able to get your essential work done in a way that works with the way your brain is wired. I’m Marla Cummins, and I’m glad you decided to join me today on this journey to re-imagining productivity with ADHD so you can get what is important to you done without trying to do it like everyone else.



What Is an ADHD Calendar and How Do You Use It?



(01:07):



Last week, we looked at some of the reasons calendars can feel like they’re working against you, from decision fatigue to missed reminders. Today we’re going to build on that. I’ll walk you through practical strategies that can help you reshape how you use your calendar. So it supports you instead of stressing you out. Let’s get into it. Like I mentioned earlier, these aren’t rules. You’re not here to follow a rigid system.



You’re here to find what resonates, so please take whatever is useful, and that’s how you’re going to build a calendar system that really works for you. Here’s what a calendar system might look like that supports you. First, use your calendar for time management, not task management. Many adults with ADHD put tasks in their calendar, not because they’re truly scheduled, but as a way to remember them and as a hope that that’ll be the nudge that gets them to do them.



(02:13):



The problem, though, once the day passes, those entries often disappear from view, and without a reliable place to hold them, tasks can easily get lost. Instead, your tasks should live in one central place, like a digital task manager or a paper planner. So they don’t slip through the cracks. Task management is its own challenge, one that I’ve talked about before and I’m sure I’ll talk about again. For now, just know that your calendar should hold what needs to happen on a specific day and time, which may include appointments, meetings, or even a time block task, like “call the doctor 2:00 PM.”