ADHDers & Choosing the Right Planner

As ADHDers, we all have days where we struggle with keeping our mind set on any task present on our to-do list. It feels as if we would be ready to fix any other problem or achieve anything else as long as it delays the unavoidable truth: at the end of the day, we still have tasks that need to be done.

Researchers and other ADHDers, just like you, have found a great method to deal with this. It turns out that creating a set plan for our day prior to being confronted to the task actually helps up overcome the procrastination and dread. Having a plan doesn’t just mean creating a to-do list, it’s more powerful than that. Planners help us have set blocks of time for the specific tasks we need to get done and allow us to visualize them in a more detailed manner to help with accountability. It’s like we’re giving them a life of their own, and that pushes us to feel more responsible for them!

Choosing the right planner can be a daunting task since there are countless options available on the internet. Some choose simplicity and use the pre-installed calendars on their devices, some go as far as creating their own platforms to have full control and as much customization as possible. Our goal today is to help you pick the optimal option for you own needs and make the process as smooth as possible to make your ADHD life easier!

Choosing the right planner: Criteria to look for

Let’s get into the 6 elements we like to look for when choosing a great planner:

1.     Adaptability and customization:

A good planner will give you enough wiggle room to feel like you’re home. It’s essential for us ADHDers to feel comfortable when using a tool for us to keep using it, especially during the few weeks. It takes on average 21 days for a person to create a habit, and it can be quite difficult for us to take it that far with ADHD. However, having this customization aspect makes it easier.

In practical terms, adaptability comes in the form of letting you adjust your schedule on the go to accommodate changes, the ability to reorganize your tasks to suit your priorities, have control over the colors and software layout. We also include in this all the available integrations the digital planner allows for – the more platforms it can be linked to, the more chances you have for your usual apps to be compatible.

Overall, a good planner will be available to use on multiple devices (phone, tablet, desktop…), on multiple operating systems (MacOS, Windows…), and will give you enough freedom to customize the views and layouts to your liking.

2.     Clarity and ease of use:

An interface with easily noticeable features and sections will save you lots of time. When the default view only displays the important features, it helps you learn to use the platform faster and discover the additional features one at a time. We already have enough overwhelming triggers and stimulations to manage with ADHD, our planner should therefore be a space where we can focus easily and allows us to manage our lives better.

A good planner will use bright colors, bold lines and fonts to emphasize important words, clear section separations and a minimalist design.

3.     Platform integrations:

To assist you in your daily planning, the planner should quickly become part of the tools you use often. This gets easier when it can link itself to those platforms you use with the click of a button. That way, your planner will continuously communicate with those other apps (or platforms) to make your life easier and make the creation of this productive new habit seamless.

For illustration, a good planner will at least have integrations with the most used communication apps (Slack, Gmail, etc.) and default calendars (Google Calendar, etc.) among other things.

4.     Reminder features:

ADHDers like you and us love to forget stuff! (Well, we don’t, but we can’t really help it, can we?)

With that in mind, it’s such a relief to have our planner app take care of us by reminding us of approaching deadlines and tasks that we might have overlooked.

Optimally, the planner you choose should have different options to have reminders and nudges to get the tasks done. It’d be even better if there’s a gamification system that credits you points or applauds for tasks you achieve in time to motivate you and reinforce the positive behaviors. That way you make sure you’re on top of your productivity game and help improve your ADHD symptoms.

5.     Implemented trackers:

This is on is usually overlooked by planners, but it can be a huge aspect for us ADHDers. The ability to, on a daily basis, record and track our moods, habits and check how close we are to achieving short-term or long-term goals can go a long way. It helps with keeping ourselves accountable, but also notice how our moods affect our performance. That way we can choose which tasks to work on first depending on our mood or try to decrease the impact of our mood swings on our performance.

In other words, a thoughtful and great planner will provide you with the ability to track how you’re feeling and how you’re performing over time.

6.     Try different ones!

Now that you have a few criteria to base your choice off of, it’s time to start downloading a few planners and trying them out.  We first thought about lining up the most known planners and grading them on the elements we’ve presented you with, but each ADHDers is different! We don’t want to sway your decision, we gifted you with the rules you need to pick the right planner for you, and your own preferences will come to the surface through trial and error.

If you still want to know which planner we’ve stuck to for the past few weeks at Neurodive, we’ll reveal just that in the next section.

Our planner of choice: Sunsama

Sunsama is an all-in-one daily planner, aims to reduce stress by grouping all your tasks, emails, and calendars into a single, organized view. This unified approach allows you to see everything you need to do at a glance, making it simpler to prioritize and manage your day effectively.

Here’s a list of the features we love about it and why we’re using it daily:

• Guided Daily Planning: Each morning, Sunsama prompts you to plan your day intentionally, directing your focus to what needs to be accomplished.
• Unified View: All your tasks, whether from Asana, Trello, or your email, are consolidated into one cohesive list, reducing the chaos of managing multiple apps and platforms.
• Timeboxing: Assign specific time slots to tasks within your planner, helping you manage your day and ensuring you finish at a reasonable time, respecting your personal limits.
• Seamless Task Integration: Easily integrate and manage tasks from various project management tools by dragging and dropping them directly into your daily queue.
• Efficient Communication Management: Convert important emails and messages into actionable tasks within Sunsama, ensuring 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.

Curious to discover how Sunsama can boost your productivity? They offer a 14-day free trial, no credit card required. This trial will let you explore all of the features we love and see how they can simplify your day as an ADHDer.

Start your trial today and discover how a structured approach can significantly enhance 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.