Review the coming week
Not ratedADHD evidence
Spot a deadline while there's still time to get ready for it.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Pick a regular slot in your week for a short look ahead.
5 minutes
Check the next few calendar entries and identify one preparation task.
15 minutes
Review the coming week, select important next actions and remove a plan that no longer fits.
30 minutes
Complete the weekly check and use the remaining time to start one preparation task.
A plan
Keep the review small
- Check only the next few days.
- Add a task inbox check if that is manageable.
- Keep a weekly slot, shortening it when it becomes a barrier.
How sure the science is
Not rated, ADHD evidence
- No pooled trials to rate.
- This rests on single studies, expert consensus or clinical practice.
- Measured in people with ADHD.
ADHD clinical guidance and programme content; the isolated strategy has no separately rated efficacy estimate.
The number, drawn
Weekly planning and daily catch-ups can help
Why it matters
- A short review brings what's coming back into view.
- NHS ADHD advice includes weekly planning, and Solanto's adult trial tested a broader time management and organisation programme over 12 weeks.
- That trial does not establish a separate benefit for a weekly review.
How to do it
- Pick a time you can repeat for a quick look at your calendar and tasks.
- Look ahead for appointments, deadlines and anything to prepare.
- Pick a next action you can manage for the most important commitment.
- Move or drop plans that don't fit any more.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- Notice the school form deadline and find the document before the final evening.
- Check travel details for next week's appointment while you have time to ask for help.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeTurning the review into a full life redesign makes it hard to repeat. Stick to the coming week.
- Common mistakeA missed review doesn't mean you owe a catch-up ritual. Restart with the next few days.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- C Small or mixed studies, expert consensus or clinical practice. Worth knowing, not worth betting on.
- The number
- Weekly planning and daily catch-ups can help (Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (PDF hosted by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust), 2013)
- Benefit
- 40/100 An editorial priority for the general list, weighted by certainty. It does not predict what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Some effort
Sources
- Tier 1 guidelineMaking Sense: A Guide to Living with Adult ADHDNottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (PDF hosted by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust), 2013
- Tier 2 studyEfficacy of meta-cognitive therapy for adult ADHDAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2010
- General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan.
- Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you.
- Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.