Planners & Accessories
DR. JOHANNA
BERGER,
Clinical Psychologist
Planners are a great tool for nearly everyone, especially people with ADHD and executive function challenges. In addition to facilitating the effectiveness of using your planner, accessories may make the experience more enjoyable. See below for guidance, including a list of some of the best planners for ADHD. I included additional products that are often useful in managing symptoms of ADHD.
Do you struggle to stay organized? Do you often forget appointments, birthdays, or other important events? Are you filled with great ideas and struggling to execute them? Does your child forget to turn in homework and find it difficult to manage his time effectively? Use a planner to help address executive function weaknesses, increase productivity, stay organized, reduce stress, remember responsibilities, and reach your full potential.
First, find a planner you love or at least are willing to use. The best planner is the one you're willing to use daily. In addition to the list below, you may enjoy going to a nearby store to explore their planners.
I recommend that parents also start using a planner. By regularly modeling the behavior you want your child to engage in, he or she is more likely to succeed. Schedule weekly family planning sessions. This is a great opportunity to discuss upcoming commitments and rewards for task completion, while also planning ahead for fun activities, birthdays, and vacations.
Are you an adult struggling to complete tasks at work and around the home? Does your partner have ADHD and you want to better support them? Find the best planner for you and start planning together. Scheduling a partner planning session weekly with your significant other can help increase your accountability and help you support one another. I also recommend friend planning sessions. Reward and praise one another. Let's plan and celebrate together!
Many children and adults aren't motivated to use a planner. Often, they tried in the past and it "didn't work." Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), I address low motivation and related unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns. Together, you'll learn strategies to help you effectively use a planner. Please email info@drjohannab.com for more information. I look forward to hearing from you.
Planners
1. Academic Planner: Order Out of Chaos: This is the planner I often recommend for children and teenagers, including students with ADHD. It is available in two sizes. The company offers tips and helpful videos. Click here to order.
2. Panda Planner: It includes a daily planner with an hourly scheduling section, along with a weekly planner, monthly calendar, and gratitude journal. Recommended for adults with ADHD.
3. Essential Planner: It includes weekly planning sections, which are broken into daily columns with hourly scheduling. It also includes monthly planning sections. It is available dated and in three sizes. This planner is great for teenagers and adults.
4. Clever Fox Planner: This planner begins with a goal setting section and helps guide users through breaking down goals into achievable milestones. It includes monthly, weekly, and daily planning sections. Recommended for adults and teens with ADHD.
5. Law of Attraction Life Planner: This is recommended for adults who want a planner that includes a vision board, reflection pages, habit trackers, and gratitude journal.
Accessories & Other Helpful Products
1. Sticker Sheets: Use colorful stickers to help you remember important deadlines and highlight upcoming fun activities. There are a variety of sticker packs, including ones for teachers, baby's first year, health and fitness, wedding planning, and daily gratitude.
2. Post-it Tabs: You can write your own messages on them. They can help you further organize your planner and label different sections.
3. Sticky Notes: Use the small sticky notes to leave messages for your child in their planner. For example, give labelled praise, positive encouragement, and friendly reminders without writing directly in your child's planner. Sticky notes can serve as visual reminders to use your planner. The large sticky notes are great for planning sessions, breaking down a large project into smaller steps, and for charting behaviors.
4. BIC 4-Color Ballpoint Pen: I recommend this pen to children, teens, and adults. Each pen has four different ink colors, which are helpful when organizing your planner. You can order the pen in pink, purple, turquoise, and lime green or blue, green, black, and red.
5. Colored Pens: Especially when working with children, making your planner colorful makes a huge difference. Add in everyone's birthdays in one color and upcoming fun activities in another color. Help your child write colorful coping statements throughout their planner.
6. Tile Bluetooth Tracker/Apple AirTag: Do you frequently misplace things? Using these trackers can help you quickly locate your planner and other important items.
7. Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones: These headphones create a quieter environment and help minimize distractions. They may help you be more mindful and effective during your daily planning sessions and listed tasks.
8. White Noise Machine: A white noise machine may help block out distractions and create a more productive work environment. It may also help block out distracting environmental noises that may disrupt sleep or relaxation.
9. Magnetic Dry Erase Calendar for Fridge: This is an excellent way for families to coordinate schedules and plan pleasant activities. Please note that this is not a substitute for a daily planner. I recommend writing on it 'Check Planner,' along with the designated time for your family planning sessions.
10. WatchMinder: This vibrating watch was created by a clinical psychologist. After organizing your planner, remind yourself to complete listed tasks by using this watch. With the capacity to store up to 30 different alarms, you can include reminders for daily tasks and upcoming obligations.
11. Countdown Clock or Hourglass Sand Timer: Once you've started a task listed in your planner, use a countdown clock or sand timer to help you manage your time more effectively. These clocks and sand timers provide a visual countdown of time that often helps children and adults focus and stay on task. Set them before working on a task to help you transition on time to your next listed commitment. They can also help families more effectively manage screen time and breaks.
12. Standing Desk: In addition to learning to use a planner effectively, it is important to create a productive homework or work zone. Do you find it difficult to sit for hours? Standing for periods of time during the day may help improve your focus and productivity. This desk allows you the option to sit or stand while completing your work. Alternatively, you can purchase an adjustable standing desk converter.
13. Anti-Fatigue Mat: To help maximize the benefits of standing while working or studying, it is important to stand on an anti-fatigue mat. I recommend a mat that also encourages movement and stretching in addition to providing comfort and reducing fatigue.
14. Fidgets: Fidgeting may increase levels of norepinephrine and dopamine helping you focus during less engaging activities. Here are a few links to recommended fidgets: friendly swede fidget ball, monkey noodle string fidget, Minilopa fidget cube, and LakiKid Marble Maze.
15. Desktop File Box with Colorful Hanging File Folders: Now that your children are using their planners, they'll need a place to put all the homework assignments and projects they complete. Are you still trying to figure out your own system for organizing important paperwork? Get yourself and everyone in your family their own file box. This will give you the opportunity to model for your children how to effectively organize papers.
16. Books for Children, Teens, and Adults with ADHD: Click here for a list of suggested books and additional resources, including other useful websites.
I am available to discuss these with you in detail. Call today for guidance.
Disclaimer: Please note that I receive a small return for click-through purchases, at no additional cost to you.
Thank you for your support.