Do you struggle to remember when to do your household chores? Do you experience time-blindness when trying to manage your morning routine and be on time for work/school? When learning to manage your time/schedule in relation to your responsibilities at home or work expectations, look to these low-tech and easy tools. Set yourself up for success by trying the following:
- Phone Reminders and Check-lists: You are on your phone so much throughout the day, so why not utilize your phone as a tool for successful time management and accountability? Add reminders for chores and create check-lists to break down tasks to ensure you don’t miss anything!
- Timer: Use a timer (you have one on your phone!) to time how long it takes you to get ready in the morning, from wake-up to leaving your home. Time yourself for 4-6 days to get the average timeframe it takes for you to get ready for work/school. This will allow you to wake up with enough time to make it on time for work or any other obligation.
- Calendar: Use the calendar on your phone for work shifts, social events, and even trash days or laundry days. All phone calendars have an “alert” function that will give you a timely heads-up for when you need to complete a task and to keep you from missing obligations.
- Prompt Signs: Create small signs to place on high-visibility surfaces in your home to remind you to “clean up your breakfast dishes” or “shampoo your hair on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
We’ve created some downloadable ones for you or you can create your own using word, google docs, or even a program like Canva.
Go here to view and download the examples.
Pro Tip: after printing, there are some you may wish to laminate so you can use them again and again – you’ll want to use an erasable marker. Or, you if you use a permanent marker, simply use alcohol based hand sanitizer to clean the page.
CA is here if you need assistance with information or resources for supporting yourself or loved one with autism. Simply call our toll-free number 800-649-8481, send us an email, or search our resources for autism related services throughout Virginia.
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