Time blocking is a time management strategy that can be helpful for individuals with ADHD. You can also make modifications to this method, such as adding time to transition between blocks.
Time blocking is a time management strategy that involves scheduling out every part of your day. With time blocking, you designate the tasks you will complete within set hours.
If you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you may find that this strategy works for you as is. However, there are a few adjustments you can make to make time blocking more effective for you.
A time block schedule can look something like this:
| Time block | Tasks |
| 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 9:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. | Check emails and messages |
| 9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. | Deep focus session 1 |
| 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Lunch |
| 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Deep focus session 2 |
| 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Team meeting |
| 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Deep focus session 3 |
| 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Check emails and messages |
| 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. | Dinner |
The blocks can look different from day to day, depending on your meeting schedules and other needs. For example, you may not need three deep focus sessions if you have a lighter workload.
You may also have plans that are not recurring, like seeing friends or appointments.
Essentially, you group tasks and events together and focus only on those tasks during that time block. When the block is over, you move on to the tasks in the next block.
While the example here is for a workday, you can also use time blocking for other occasions that call for time management, such as managing a packed travel itinerary.
It is important to consider time blindness when time blocking. Time blindness occurs when one experiences difficulty estimating how much time has passed or how long certain tasks will take.
While this is not a formal diagnosis, individuals with ADHD may experience this. Research suggests that individuals with ADHD perceive time differently.
With time blindness, you may have difficulty:
- meeting deadlines
- planning ahead
- being on time
- procrastinating
- switching between tasks
You may also have the feeling that time is passing by too quickly to complete tasks well. All of these things may make time blocking more challenging.
If standard time blocking is not effective for you, you may also consider modified time blocking. This method is mostly the same, with a few exceptions:
- schedule blocks at least 25% longer than you think you need
- incorporate blocks of time to transition between tasks
- build in flexible time in case something unexpected comes up
- use timers or alarms to maintain time awareness
Using the example above, a modified time blocking schedule can look something like this:
| Time block | Tasks |
| 8:00 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 8:55 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. | Transition |
| 9:00 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. | Check emails and messages |
| 9:20 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. | Transition |
| 9:25 a.m. to 11:55 a.m. | Deep focus session 1 |
| 11:55 a.m. to 12:55 p.m. | Lunch |
| 12:55 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Transition |
| 1:00 p.m. to 2:25 p.m. | Deep focus session 2 |
| 2:25 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Transition |
| 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Team meeting |
| 3:30 p.m. to 3:35 p.m. | Transition |
| 3:35 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Flex time/deep focus session 3 |
| 4:30 p.m. to 4:35 p.m. | Transition |
| 4:35 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Check emails and messages |
| 5:00 p.m. to 5:05 p.m. | Transition |
| 5:05 p.m. to 6:05 p.m. | Dinner |
While the transitions can cut into certain blocks compared to the standard time block schedule, incorporating these transitions can help make each block more productive.
You may find that your focus is more pronounced during certain times of the day and less pronounced during others. You can modify your schedule to take advantage of this. For example, if you find that you focus more in the morning, you can allocate your deep focus work earlier in the day if your meeting schedule allows.
Time blocking can be an effective time management method if you have ADHD. It involves grouping similar tasks together and completing them in a certain amount of time.
You can also make modifications to time blocking, such as adding more time than you think you need, adding transition time, and using timers or alarms.