How to avoid excessive meetings as someone with ADHD

Yesterday, I wrote about the temporal dead zone, and why meetings are so bad for someone with ADHD.

Today, I wanted to share a few tips and tricks for limiting the number of meetings you have to avoid this effect.

Here’s the trick: block out huge chunks of time in your calendar.

I actually got this trick from a neurotypical manager who was just constantly in back-to-back meetings.

You literally just slap a 4-hour long meeting on your calendar every day. Call it something generic like “Meeting” or “Important” or “Busy.”

I recommend staggering them. Put them in the morning some days, afternoon others, and midday on the rest. This provides different windows for people who genuinely do need to book time with you.

But be aware of your ADHD flow and your routines. A lot of folks with ADHD find they work best during certain times of day. Reserve those for yourself!

If you’re in a position to do so, you can also start declining meetings if you already have too many on your calendar.

Sorry, I’m no longer available to attend this meeting.

Don’t provide an excuse or explanation. Just deny the meeting. Reclaim your time!

If you’re really needed in the meeting, provide your narrow windows of availability as options.