M0014 - Calendaring
Calendaring
- Calendaring involves using external tools like digital or physical calendars to plan, track, and manage tasks, deadlines, and appointments.
- This mitigation reduces reliance on working memory, minimizing the chances of forgetting important events or overcommitting to multiple obligations.
- Calendaring supports proactive planning, allowing individuals with ADHD to structure their time and reduce anxiety about managing tasks.
Examples
- Digital Calendars:
- Tools like Google Calendar or Outlook to set reminders for meetings, deadlines, and personal commitments.
- Color-coded categories for different areas of life (e.g., work, family, personal).
- Physical Planners:
- Writing tasks and appointments in a physical planner to reinforce memory and provide a tactile engagement.
- Recurring Events:
- Automating reminders for regular events, such as weekly meetings, medication schedules, or recurring bills.
Discussion
Calendaring is a foundational mitigation for managing time and responsibilities, particularly for individuals with ADHD. By transferring the cognitive load of remembering tasks and deadlines to external tools, it reduces anxiety and enhances focus on the present.
Calendaring can work synergistically with task lists to prioritize tasks, day planning to set daily objectives, and time-blocking to allocate time efficiently. When implemented consistently, this strategy fosters a sense of control and reduces the chaos of managing multiple commitments.
Sub- and Co-Mitigations
| Mitigation | Description |
|---|---|
| M0003.003 - Impulse Lists | Listing impulses instead of taking action on them. |
| M0010 - Automation | Setting routine tasks to occur automatically. |
| M0010.001 - Subscription Plans | Using subscriptions to regularly order things you use frequently (e.g. food, supplements, shampoo, etc.) |
| M0010.002 - Simple Automation | Using simple tools and apps to perform tasks automatically. |
| M0010.003 - Smart Automation | IoT and algorithm-driven automation, such as IFTT, Smart Home automation, Smart appliances, etc. |
| M0014.001 - Task Lists | Structured lists of tasks that need to be completed to accomplish a goal. |
| M0014.002 - Day Planning | Setting aside time to arrange a list of goals or objectives to accomplish during the day. |
| M0014.003 - Time-blocking | Allocate specific time periods for different activities to ensure a balanced schedule. |
Expressions
| Expression | Description |
|---|---|
| EX0001.003 - Task Prioritization Difficulty | There are several tasks a person must complete with mixed degrees of urgency or importance. |
| EX0007 - Time Blindness | Difficulty perceiving the passage of time accurately. |
| EX0011 - Decision Fatigue | Poorer decision making after long periods of making decisions. |