If you have ADHD, you know that getting things done is rarely as simple as “put it on your calendar, sit down at that time, and “just do it.”
Time blocking can be an especially helpful strategy for people with ADHD to maintain focus on your outcomes, get more done, keep your day from going off the rails when unexpected things arise.
Beyond the essential elements of task planning and the necessary time blocks to include into your day and week, those of us with ADHD have additional factors to consider to make time blocking effective for our needs.
One of the most important strategies to factor into your time blocking, especially if you have ADHD, is a concept that I call context-switching.
In this essay we’ll explore what context switching is, when to use it, and how to implement it.
What is Context Switching?
Context switching is a strategy in which you change your environment for each time block and its related tasks.
Sometimes context switching occurs naturally based on the activities of your time blocks. If you work in an office, you may have a meeting in a conference room and do other work at your desk. When you come home from work and cook dinner in your kitchen, that’s also a context switch.
When to Implement Context Switching
In my real estate business — and in other similar businesses — context switching may happens naturally as a result of the nature of the work. Going from “desk work” to meeting with clients or showing apartments is a natural context switch.
In fact, I never considered it much until I pivoted to coaching. That’s when I found myself sitting in the same place most of the day and noticed the impact that had on my attention and focus. My experiences were affirmed when I saw the challenges other faced when the pandemic forced the work-live-do-everything-from-home era.
Context switching is especially useful when
- most of your work happens behind a computer;
- you’re switching from one cognitive-intense task to another; or
- you’re switching from creative-based tasks to administrative tasks.
How to Implement Context Switching
Context switching doesn’t always mean moving to a new location. Sometimes it’s as simple as
- changing to a different room in your house,
- moving to a new spot in the library, or
- clearing your desk and resetting it for a new task.
For example, if you’re doing deep work at your desk in one time block and then have Zooms scheduled in your next time block, context switching might involve clearing your desk, closing the open apps on your computer, setting up your microphone and camera, then leaving the room for a few minutes before returning.
Why Context Switching is So Effective
Context switching is like the secret sauce that elevates your time blocking strategy. In a future essay I’ll share why this is so powerful, especially for those of us with ADHD.
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