The Best Digital Calendar Habits for ADHD

Last week in our Time Management for ADHD Moms series, I encouraged you to discover your 8 fundamental needs.

This week we are moving on to step two in mastering your time management.

I want you to set up your digital calendar, share it with your family, and practice using it consistently.

If you’ve never been good at keeping a calendar, that is all about to change because a digital calendar is so helpful for a busy modern family.

It keeps everyone in the loop and makes sure everyone’s on the same page.

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How can I get better at keeping a planner?

I used to be terrible at keeping a planner.

Every new year I’d buy a new planner and have good intentions, but shortly into the year and after only filling out a couple of pages, I would fall off the bandwagon.

Once shared calendars became a thing on iPhones, my husband added me to a shared family calendar.

However, I wasn’t good at using a digital calendar either, and most of the time I had no clue what was going on in our lives.

After years of riding the struggle bus around “La La Land,” I finally made up my mind to get better at keeping a calendar.

At the time, I learned to use both a paper planner and a digital calendar, but I eventually let go of my paper planner once I established a good time-blocking habit.

For ADHD moms, it’s better to have just one planner you use well than two planners you don’t use at all.

What do I need first when learning to use a planner?

Now before I dive into the nuts and bolts of how to create good habits with your digital calendar, I need to stress one foundational component.

You first have to DECIDE that you will get better at using a calendar.

Mindset is so important when establishing any new habit or skill.

This can seem like the easiest step but it’s oftentimes the most difficult step to embody.

Why choose a digital calendar over a paper planner?

Okay, so I love paper planners! I love writing things down.

But like I said, if you’re ADHD you really should choose either a paper planner or a digital one until you’re good at scheduling your family activities.

The three cons I came across when I was using a paper planner were…

1. I didn’t have enough room in the monthly spread for all our appointments
   
   
2. No one else in my family knew what was written in my planner
   
   
3. I didn’t always have my paper planner with me
   

With us being a busy family involved in several extracurricular activities, I found it difficult to keep up with and communicate everyone’s schedule.

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my phone for years.

I don’t want to use it all the time, but a digital calendar just meets all my ADHD brain needs so much better than a paper planner.

What are the benefits of using a digital calendar?

So while a traditional paper planner has its charm, a digital calendar offers flexibility and accessibility that can make life easier especially for struggling ADHD moms.

• Accessibility: Unlike paper planners that are easy to forget or leave at home, a digital calendar is always with you as long as you have your smartphone.
  
  And sadly we don’t go anywhere without our phones. So we might as well use them for something good then, right???
  
  
• Reminders: Set up notifications to alert you about upcoming appointments or tasks, making sure you never miss important dates.
  
  I set two reminders for every event on the calendar and include as much information as I can treating it like my second brain.
  
  
• Shareability: Easily share your calendar with family members, allowing everyone to stay updated on upcoming events and schedules.
  
  This becomes especially helpful as your kids get older and have their own phones.

How do I set up a shared family calendar on my iPhone?

1. Open the Calendar App
   • Tap on the Calendar app on your iPhone’s home screen.
     
     
2. Create a New Calendar
   • Tap on Calendars at the bottom of the screen.
   • Select Add Calendar in the bottom left corner.
   • Choose Add Calendar again from the pop-up menu.
     
     
3. Name Your Calendar
   • Enter a name for your new calendar, such as “Family Schedule.”
   • Choose a color for easy identification.
   • Tap Done to create the calendar.
     
     
4. Share Your Calendar
   • Tap on the i icon next to your new calendar’s name.
   • Select Add Person under the Shared With section.
   • Enter the email addresses of family members you want to share the calendar with.
   • Tap Add.
     
     

How do I set up a shared family calendar on Google Calendar?

1. Open Google Calendar
   • Go to Google Calendar on your web browser or open the Google Calendar app on your phone.
     
     
2. Create a New Calendar
   • On the left-hand side, click the + button next to “Other calendars.”
   • Select Create New Calendar from the drop-down menu.
     
     
3. Name Your Calendar
   • Enter a name for your new calendar, like “Family Schedule.”
   • Optionally, add a description and set the time zone.
   • Click Create Calendar to finalize.
     
     
4. Share Your Calendar
   • After creating the calendar, click on its name under the “My calendars” section.
   • Click on Settings and Sharing.
     
     
5. Add People to Your Calendar
   • Scroll down to the Share with Specific People section.
   • Click Add People and enter the email addresses of family members you want to share the calendar with.
     
     

How to use my digital calendar consistently?

Any time I’ve ever wanted to establish a new habit, I’ve always started with optimizing my environment to support the habit I want to create.

Your phone is a space like any other in your home so the first thing you should do is declutter it.

Then I recommend creating a system. The system is simply a routine you follow daily such as a time of day and the location where you will review and refresh your digital calendar.

And since we’re dealing with a highly addictive tool, let’s not forget to put some boundaries in place so that we can remain consistent with our calendar use.

1. Declutter your phone’s home screen

For ADHD moms, a clean and organized home screen can be a game-changer.

When your phone is cluttered with countless apps and notifications, it’s easy to get distracted and lose focus on what’s important.

By simplifying your home screen, you reduce visual noise and make it easier to find the tools you need, like your digital calendar.

3 tips for decluttering your phone

1. Set your home screen background to black.

I know, I know, you like having a picture of your kids on your home screen.

However, a picture competes with the apps on your phone and makes your phone look more cluttered than it needs to be.

I’ve had my background set to black for years and it’s been a game changer.

2. Delete any apps you haven’t used in over a month.

Deleting apps is easier than donating items in your house.

You can easily download the app again if you need it again in the future.

My kids play sports and always have to download a new group app.

When the season is over, I immediately delete the app to simplify my phone to what is relevant for this season of our lives.

Even if you have paid for an app and you are not using it, unsubscribe so that you won’t be billed again and delete the app.

3. Shoot for just ONE page of apps on your phone.

Swiping through numerous pages of apps or clicking on folders in search of the app you’re looking for is time-consuming and frustrating.

Keep only the apps you use for DAILY communication and apps you want to use more consistently on your front page. Your ONLY page.

Remove everything else from your home screen and send them to the app library.

There’s no need to create folders because the app library will do it for you automatically.

And when you need an app you rarely use, simply type it in the search box. You will find it much quicker than searching pages and folders.

2. Create a daily routine with your digital calendar

Creating a daily routine for your digital calendar is simple and can make a big difference in staying organized.

Choose a time of the day when you can consistently check your calendar and plan for the plan.

Maybe start each morning with a quick look at your calendar.

Then Spend a few minutes checking what’s planned for the day—appointments, tasks, and reminders.

This helps you know exactly what to expect.

Or plan for the next day by reviewing your calendar in the evening.

Also, whenever you get new appointments or tasks, add them to your calendar right away.

I try to do this as I am making the appointment. That’s when I set reminders as well.

Next week, I’m going to share with you how I create a daily itinerary using my calendar and Notes app.

Need help decluttering?

3. Create boundaries with your phone

I’m not gonna lie – boundaries are HARD!

Technology boundaries are hard for everyone but can be especially hard for ADHD as we lack self-regulating skills.

So I want to you work on setting good boundaries with your phone and start using it as a tool for communication rather than entertainment.

Remember, mindset is so powerful and when you change the purpose of how you use your phone, your actions will follow.

Set up screen limits on your phone

The cool thing about phones these days is all the native focus features they offer.

Identify some times when you need to focus, like during work, family time, or while planning your day.

Use features like “Do Not Disturb” or app timers to limit distractions from social media and games.

I have my sleep time set and my phone automatically goes to “Do Not Disturb” every night at 8 pm.

When you have a healthier relationship with your phone, it will become a powerful tool for home management instead of hindering your productivity.

When you have a healthier relationship with your phone, you’ll start prioritizing adding events to your digital calendar, setting reminders, or managing tasks.

Your phone will become a powerful tool for home management instead of hindering your productivity.

Need some accountability

Join The Accountability Club for Help Decluttering

If you need a positive community while you’re decluttering and downsizing your home and responsibilities, consider joining The Accountability Club.

It’s a space where you get affordable group coaching, share your journey, and stay accountable with your decluttering projects.

If group settings aren’t your thing and you need more hand-holding and personalized feedback, you can do one-on-one online coaching with me instead.

You’ll get my eyes on your home and a more tailored coaching experience.

I’d love to hear from you!

Okay, here’s your action step. Set up your digital calendar and share it with your family members.

Comment DONE and tell you the time of day you will “reset” your calendar.