03/10/2025
Time management tropes don’t work for AuDHD brains.
Colour-coded calendars, “eat the frog,” time-blocking, Pomodoro till you puke… what fresh hell...
Here’s what actually does work; my Top 21 ADHD productivity hacks, built on dopamine, honesty, and a refusal to measure myself against the Normcore Horde’s templates:
Body doubling – someone else existing nearby = instant focus spell.
Timers as spells, not shackles – 5–20 mins, just enough to break inertia.
The one sticky note rule – today’s priority has to fit on one Post-it.
Micro-deadlines – tiny finish lines for tiny dopamine hits.
Outsource your memory – notes, boards, alarms. Brains are not filing cabinets.
Dopamine treats – snacks, music, fidgets. Bribe your chemistry.
The “do it messy” rule – ugly draft > eternal avoidance.
Environmental hacks – new chair, new room, new café. Shift = spark.
One-step entry – “open document,” not “finish report.”
Visual anchors – water bottle = drink. Folder by door = take it.
Gamify it – race the clock, beat past-you, pretend it’s a diamond heist.
Outsource executive function – people, apps, reminders. Delegate the boring.
Park downhill – stop mid-task so tomorrow’s on-ramp is easy.
Emotional check-in > rigid planning – “How do I feel? What’s possible?”
Done lists – track what’s finished, not what’s pending.
Bribery – one email = one coffee. No shame, only caffeine.
Batch boring s**t – emails + calls in one numbed-out swoop.
Novelty infusion – rotate pens, playlists, tools. Keep it shiny.
Forgive and reset – lost hours doomscrolling? Restart your day at 3pm.
Radical self-acceptance – my brain isn’t broken. My system just isn’t yours.
Group by energy, not task – buzzing = big jobs. Foggy = admin. Match your battery.
None of this is about “fixing” AuDHD. It’s about building systems that actually work for how we’re wired.
What’s your go-to AuDHD hack?
