How to Be Productive With ADHD: 9 Best Tips

The ultimate guide to productivity for neurodivergent brains and ADHDers.

I’m an ADHDer, and before now, my life looked C-H-A-O-T-I-C. 

And by “chaotic,” I mean sticky notes everywhere on my screen, colored cards on my desks, and my agitated self screeching because it’s already 2 p.m. and I haven’t crossed a single task off my to-do list. 

Getting through each day without going crazy was a miracle.

But it’s a different story now… 

My life is much more organized, and I speed through my daily tasks because I can be productive even while working from home (or anywhere, for that matter).

In this guide, I will reveal nine productivity tips for ADHD—and if you take them seriously, you can become the most productive and organized version of yourself, too. 

What is ADHD Task Paralysis?

ADHD task paralysis is when your brain hits the freeze button because your mind is overwhelmed by all the tasks you need to do. 

This can be because you’re scared the result might not be perfect, confused about where to begin, or simply unmotivated.

You know that feeling when you’re staring at your to-do list, knowing you need to get started, but somehow you just… can’t? 

That’s task paralysis, and it’s a common challenge for those of us with ADHD. 

The result? 

We end up wasting time—scrolling on social media or just sulking and blaming ourselves instead of tackling what needs to get done.

Understanding ADHD task paralysis is the first step to overcoming it. 

9 Productivity Tips for ADHD 

Now that you know why you’re not being productive as an ADHDer, here are some practical strategies to help you press “play” on efficiency and get things done.

1. Mindfulness, First 

Starting your day with a mindfulness practice, even if it’s only for 10 minutes, will change so much about how you approach every day. 

This mindfulness practice can be as simple as doing the following:

• Practicing breathing techniques
• Making a journal entry
• Saying your morning prayers
• Doing yoga
• Reading positive affirmations out loud

Don’t just jump out of bed to tackle your daily tasks. Begin each day with mindfulness so you can feel grounded, present, and focused. 

2. Empty Your Thoughts & Group Them by Priority

One thing that’s common with us ADHDers is the reality of waking up with 99 ideas clashing in our minds. 

This makes it overwhelming to find your focus and might heighten morning anxiety. 

What you should do to drown out the noise and confusion is to empty your thoughts. Call it what you want: brain dumping, mind mapping, daily journaling, or morning pages. Just get out all the things on your mind. 

Once this is done, begin to group these tasks by priority level. Is it important? To what level? Is it urgent?

This categorization is called the Eisenhower Matrix Method, and it’s a productivity technique that allows you to know where to start, thus taking away the overwhelm.

3. Attend to Tasks You Enjoy First

Don’t get tempted to start with the hardest job because you think that would be a big win. 

It will tire you out and take up a major chunk of your working hours. Instead, start with the simple tasks you enjoy. Emphasis on “simple” and “enjoy.”

Let me break that down for you.

If you have a writing project (and you enjoy writing) but need to set up your new blogging website (which, maybe, isn’t your zone of genius), it would be more productive for you to write first.

You might get stuck down the rabbit hole of HTML code snippets and those YouTube website setup tutorials you’ve always called boring. And if you do get stuck, this means you will neither write nor set up anything.

But when you start with simple tasks you love, you are more likely to finish them. That feeling of accomplishment makes you pumped to take on the next task.

4. Break Tasks Down Into Tiny Bits

In the past, I would make a long list of tasks I’d never finish in one day, then get all panicky during the process of execution (as though someone were chasing me). Then at the end of the day, I’d wonder why I wasn’t so productive.

Now, I get more done because I’ve learned to set SMART goals. That means specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. 

When setting your daily goals, you need to work with your ADHD by breaking them down into doable steps.

For instance, if you plan to clean the house. Don’t write down this big task on your list. From “clean the house,” you can create a list of tasks like deep cleaning the floor, organizing your kitchen cabinets, and taking care of your living room.

5. When You Achieve “Not on Your To-Do” Tasks, Add Them to the List

I like to see myself checking things off my to-do list—and I know you do too. So, I’m going to give you this piece of advice that has really helped me:

If somehow, because you couldn’t effectively manage distractions, you do a task that you didn’t plan to, add it to your to-do list and check it off. 

It means your distraction was inclined toward a productive path. A win is a win. 

We can quickly get caught up in that wave of guilt, blaming ourselves for our focus and productivity levels. But guilt-tripping ourselves is never the answer. 

You did something, so add it in. This way, you find quick wins while you work on strategies to improve your focus level.

6. Try the 2-hour Focus Sprint

My 2-hour productivity strategy is one of the best productivity tips for people with ADHD. 

It’s exactly how I get more work done in only two hours than most people do in a whole day, and it’s quite simple. 

I wake up during my most productive times, set the mood, block out distractions, and schedule a timer for two hours. This allows me to complete 70% of my daily list within the first two hours of starting my day. 

7. Overestimate the Time for Each Task

ADHDers have a different way of estimating time. Mostly, we underestimate how much time a task takes. 

For instance, a client delivery can seem far away because it’s in five days, especially since you think the project will take you less than a day. So, you stall and do other things until it’s about 20 hours to the deadline.

Then, you start bolting through your workflow, uncoordinated and overwhelmed because you need “more time.” 

I’ve been there countless times, and I have a tip for you: 

Overestimate the time you give to your tasks.

If you think a project will take you one day to complete, schedule two days for it. Plan for four hours if you think your laundry will take you two hours. 

8. Be Intentional About Tuning Out Distractions

I’m going to say it… “We can’t resist distractions on our own.” It’s who we are—and that’s okay.

So, why not learn to work with your ADHD so you can manage your time and achieve your goals? 

One effective way to do this is to set timers.

Set timers on your phone or use a time management app. I use Toggl Track for work and my regular iPhone timer feature for house chores.

If you get distracted on social media, you can also limit how much time you spend in those apps. You can use a productivity Chrome extension like StayFocusd. iPhones too have a time block feature called Screen Time to restrict app usage. 

Just put your phone on DND when you’re in work mode. 

9. Simplify Work With Templates & Routines

Templates and routines have simplified my life and business processes. 

I know what to do when I wake up, what time to wrap up work, and what I need to put in order before bedtime.

More so, it’s become easier to achieve not just my daily tasks but my overall goals as well because I have a life planner where I plan and organize all my goals, routines, finances, and more.

1. I can set defined yearly goals and break them into quarterly plans:

2. I can create routines that align with the life I’m building—whether that’s a morning routine, nighttime checklist, weekly routine ideas, or monthly reset plans.

3. I can plan my entire month in advance. This allows me to set SMART weekly goals and even daily goals that I can view in one glance.

If you’re also on the lookout for an aesthetic life planner that’s simple and functional enough to work with your ADHD brain, you’ll love this All-in-One Life Planner.

Moreover, I have plug-and-play templates for other parts of my business processes:

• Trello Business Cabinet to organize my entire business workflow
• Content Calendar Template to simplify my blogging schedule and ideas
• Canva templates for blog graphics, pins, and visual designs
• Project spreadsheets to track client work.

I urge you to do the same. Create templates and routines to simplify your workflow.

Final Thoughts: How to Be Productive With ADHD

You, too, can become productive when you learn to work with your ADHD. 

With this list of the best nine ADHD productivity tips, you can improve your focus, simplify your everyday tasks, and get more done while functioning at your best capacity.

Get the All-in-One Life Planner to organize your life and achieve your goals.

Looking for more productivity tips to get more done?