ADHD and Prioritising Tasks: What to Do When Everything Feels Urgent

Bandai Choi
Clinical Psychologist | Board-approved supervisor
Breathe-n-Smile Psychology, Essendon North, Footscray and telehealth across Australia

Why prioritising can feel hard with ADHD

Prioritising asks you to hold demands in mind, estimate time, judge consequences, shift attention and leave other tasks for now.

That is why a long list can feel less like a helpful record and more like a room full of people calling your name. The useful question is not, “Why can’t I just be organised?” It is, “What information or support would make this decision lighter?” ADHD-focused cognitive-behavioural and planning interventions commonly use external structure and practical adjustments rather than expecting people to manage every demand in their head.¹

A smaller way to choose what comes first

Begin by putting today’s competing tasks in one place. This might be paper, a notes app, a whiteboard or a calendar view. Future tasks do not all need to sit on today’s active list; move them to a reminder or calendar where you can trust they will reappear.

Then compare only the tasks that genuinely need a decision now. For each one, ask:

• Is there a real deadline?
• What happens if this waits until tomorrow or later this week?
• Is someone or something blocked while I wait?

These questions do not create a scientifically proven “best” matrix. They simply turn a vague feeling of importance into information you can see. A message that feels urgent may be able to wait; a quiet task with a firm deadline may need to come first.

After that, create a deliberately small active queue: one current priority and, if helpful, one or two next items. Everything else remains safely captured elsewhere. The exact number is not a rule. It is a way to reduce the repeated work of re-ranking a long list every few minutes.

Turn the priority into something you can begin

Replace broad labels such as “do tax”, “sort uni” or “deal with work email” with the next observable action: open the portal, find the due date, write the subject line, or put the documents in one folder. Organisation and time-management work for ADHD often focuses on these practical, concrete steps rather than motivation alone.¹

It can also help to give that first action a cue: “After I make tea, I will open the assignment brief,” or “At 10 am, at the kitchen table, I will send the one reply that is holding someone up.” This kind of when-and-where plan is broadly evidence-informed.²

External structure is legitimate support, not cheating. A visible reminder, reduced notifications, a quiet place, or an optional check-in with a trusted person can make a selected task easier to return to. If these difficulties are persistent or affecting study, work, relationships or self-care, it may be useful to discuss them with a GP or psychologist. ADHD assessment and support can also help clarify the wider pattern rather than relying on one productivity strategy.