As the founder, CEO and creative director of LH Agenda, it’s fair to say I have A LOT of tabs open in my brain. I struggle with staying organised and can easily become overwhelmed by my list of responsibilities, and I know I’m not the only one among women my age. But at 40 years old, I saw an Instagram post from Mel Robbins that made me wonder, “Could I have ADHD?”
After reading through the ADHD symptoms Mel had experienced, many things started to add up for me. The anxiety, the forgetfulness, the frustration, the messiness… I am yet to be diagnosed with ADHD (diagnosis can be a long and complicated process), but this experience has caused me to reflect on why I created the LH planners the way I did, and how beneficial they are to women who struggle with ADHD-related symptoms. If you’re looking for planners to help you finally find organisation and mental clarity, here’s how ours can help.
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Understanding ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), formerly called ADD, is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects both children and adults. It is often characterised by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, which can all significantly impact daily life. My GP told me that the majority of existing research on ADHD focuses on males, meaning that many women with ADHD go undiagnosed. Just like Mel.
Symptoms of ADHD
While hyperactivity is one of the possible symptoms, women typically don’t see that in the physical form of fidgeting or not being able to sit still. Instead, the hyperactivity is more about what’s happening in the brain.
In her post, Mel Robbins mentioned these symptoms of ADHD:
- Anxiety about getting things done
- To-do lists everywhere
- Leaving the faucet running
- Trouble coping with stress
- Frequent mood swings
- Low frustration tolerance
- Forgetting why you walked into a room
- Losing your train of thought
My experience
I really related to Mel’s post and realised I struggle with almost all of the symptoms she describes. While I haven’t left the faucet running, I do sometimes forget that I’m preparing a meal and only realise it hours later… when I come back to the kitchen and find all the ingredients still sitting on the bench!
I’ll make a cup of tea and forget about it, only to come back and find that the tea is already cold. (Who’s with me here?) I’ve even left the boot of my car open while going shopping, only to realise it when I came back. And while all of these things might not be uncommon, it can be comforting to know that they may just stem from a diagnosis outside of our control, so that we can stop blaming ourselves for being simply ‘forgetful’.
Managing ADHD with LH planners
People with ADHD often struggle with organising their time, staying focused on tasks, and completing projects. However, with the right tools and strategies, it is possible to manage the symptoms of ADHD while leading a successful life. This is where LH planners come in.
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Since traditional planners never worked for me, I made sure to include certain features in the LH planners that made them exactly what I would want to use. Our planners provide structure and support to people with ADHD, helping them manage their time effectively and stay organised.
6 ways LH planners can help manage ADHD
1. Establishing a routine
One of the biggest challenges for people with ADHD is establishing a routine. LH planners provide a visual representation of the day, week, and month, which can help people with ADHD plan their activities and establish a routine. Get an LH planner and check out the Success Routines pages for help staying on track with your goals.
2. Breaking down tasks
People with ADHD often struggle with completing tasks because they become overwhelmed by the amount of work involved. But LH planners can help you break down tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. This can make tasks feel less daunting and more achievable – win-win! The Master To Do List and Project pages in our LH planners help you focus on one step at a time, rather than getting lost in the bigger picture.
3. Prioritising tasks
Prioritising tasks is essential for people with ADHD because it helps them focus on their most important activities. LH planners can help you prioritise your tasks by categorising them based on urgency or importance. They also allow you to set three most important tasks for each day, so you aren’t distracted by less important tasks while getting everything you need to do done.
4. Setting goals
Setting goals is an important part of managing ADHD. LH planners can help people with ADHD set realistic goals, feel a sense of motivation and track their progress. LH planners can also help you break down your goals into smaller, more manageable steps so that you feel they are more achievable, and then actually got out and achieve them!
5. Tracking progress
Tracking progress is essential for people with ADHD because it provides a sense of motivation and accomplishment. LH Planners include monthly and quarterly check-ins, which is helpful for tracking progress because it provides a visual representation of your accomplishments. This can be as simple as crossing off completed tasks or using stickers to mark achievements.
6. Time blocking
Time blocking is a highly effective productivity technique that can be particularly helpful for individuals with ADHD. It involves scheduling specific blocks of time for different activities or tasks throughout the day, reducing procrastination and overload and enhancing focus and organisation. With time blocking, you’ll grow more aware of how long specific activities require and improve your planning and time management skills over time. Our LH daily planners have one page per day and half-hourly time slots for planning each day in detail to help you develop this skill.
How people with ADHD use LH planners
One of our customers, Debbie, recently shared with us how she uses our planners to stay organised and manage her busy schedule. Debbie has ADHD and struggled with finding a planner that worked for her until she found LH Agenda. Debbie uses our LH Planner, LH Organiser and Meeting Notebooks (the Productivity Bundle) to organise her life. She finds that our planners provide the structure and organisation that she needs to stay on track. Here’s what Debbie has to say about using these tools.
Using the LH Planner
“The best I’ve ever had! Even though there are three, they are EXACTLY what I needed! I have so many partially used organisers I’ve purchased I’m just not happy with, that they have now become dust collectors. They don’t provide the sections I need to keep me organised, nor the separation of them to keep my mind straight. Bullet journals don’t help my ADHD brain AT ALL and are actually more distracting and difficult.”
“The LH planner keeps my goals and projects organised and easy to track. It’s my once a week, once a month, and quarterly go-to. Since I’m so busy with work, this is more of a self-care planner. This is where I make sure I make time for myself so I don’t get so overwhelmed with work. Self-care is vital to work success. Even though they are separate, they are still connected. I still have work goals and projects here, but more so that I make sure my time is balanced and productive.
Using the LH Organiser
“My day organiser keeps me on track with my daily to-do list and follow-ups, personal and business. Here, I can prioritise both self and work. It’s where I organise my entire day from wake-up to sleep, from workouts to meetings, from meditation to projects.
Using the LH Meeting Notebook
“My meetings journal is the one I use entirely for work, since my day is FILLED with meetings! It’s so easy to go back and pull information from a previous meeting, keep track of delegations and responsibilities, and jot notes throughout. Before I had the meeting organiser, I wasted time gathering notes from different notebooks, emails, files. This keeps all relevant info in one location. It’s even changed the way I file things. The perforated pages and color coded tabs are PERFECT and help me keep related meetings together!
Our Meeting Notebook is a valuable tool for anyone who has lots of meetings to attend, providing dedicated space for meeting notes and actionable items. With perforated pages and section tabs, the Meeting Notebook makes it easy to keep related meetings together and quickly find the information you need.
“I am a literal paper trail person, as the digital world can be lost with a glitch. I may be old school, but these organisers are what I needed and the wait (AUS to USA), was WELL worth it!!! They fit in my purse and I take them with me everywhere because I never know when an opportunity, or obstacle, will present itself. It also lets the people I’m with know that they are important, and I’m not just texting randomly on my digital device in their presence. Perception – it actually DOES make a difference.
“With all that being said, this is the most organised I’ve been between work and life, in years! My mind actually feels like I can take a moment to relax. When I feel a moment of panic, I can just look at the planners, and KNOW exactly where the information is. I’m no longer opening a drawer full of partially used planners trying to dig through them to find the information I need.”
Our dedication to you
ADHD can be a challenging condition that makes it difficult to stay organised and focused, but can be managed with the right tools. By establishing routines, breaking down tasks, prioritising activities, setting goals, and tracking progress, people with ADHD can manage their symptoms and achieve their goals just like anyone else.
At LH Agenda, we’re passionate about helping all our customers live their best lives, and we believe that tools like the LH Planner, LH Organiser and Meeting Notebook can make a real difference. Their clearly separated sections provide organisation without overwhelm, they help track multiple tasks and priorities at once, and they include reminders for self-care and healthy work-life balance. So if you’re struggling to stay organised and focused, give our products a try.
Kasia Gospos is the founder, CEO and creative director of LH Agenda. Kasia has a background as a commercial analyst, management accountant (ACMA), and project management professional, and is passionate about supporting and inspiring women to help them create fabulous businesses, careers and personal lives, on their own terms.