Time Management for Neurodivergent Professionals

By Chris Kinion

March 19, 2026

I left task management for day theming

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

My civilian job at the Air Force came with a very extensive and culturally embedded structure. I did things a certain way because that’s how leadership required it. In short, we were assigned tasks and given a deadline to complete, review and return them.

My division leveraged Microsoft Lists to keep track of our many tasks, and each branch handled its specific responsibilities. Every day I reviewed my assigned tasks, chose my priorities, and made sure my work was completed on time. I constantly switched tasks in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Frequent task-switching contributes to autistic burnout. When I left for a more entrepreneurial environment, I needed a structure that would keep me productive without burning out. Making a task list to check off just would not work: the list never stops growing, and the mental energy (cognitive load) needed to change tasks ground me down.

I needed a time and task management system that worked with me and for me.

Time management techniques I considered

Time blocking: setting aside a specific block of time for every task before doing that task

Pros: all important tasks are documented and scheduled

Cons: inflexible and may miss nuance not considered when planning. Requires a lot more up-front effort.

Time boxing: sets aside time to do as much of a task as possible

Pros: allows flexibility to work on that specific task

Cons: doesn’t define “done.” Assumes the task will not be completed. Since time boxed tasks are not necessarily thematic, autistic brains may struggle with transitions

Task batching: sets aside time to do similar tasks

Pros: cognitive load for task switching is reduced

Cons: may allow unplanned responsibilities to slip

Day theming: assigns each day a specific type of task or project

Pros: Reduces cognitive load by reducing theme-switching; predictable and somewhat flexible.

Cons: Complex responsibilities may require more flexibility

Considering autism in time management

Autistic individuals struggle with task-switching. We tend to prefer working one or very few related tasks at a time. Given many tasks, task batching has the least mental load. Time boxing would allow work in a flow state if it was less constrained.

What combination of time boxing and task batching would allow me to meet all my responsibilities, give me the flexibility to handle unplanned events, and minimize the cognitive load of transitioning between tasks or responsibilities?

I needed a method that worked with my autism, not constraining it.

How I made day theming work for me

I liked the predictability and flexibility that day theming offered, but could I make it work for my needs? Here’s how I broke down my process:

Step One: List the areas of responsibility that require significant energy.

I listed out each of my business responsibilities. This included some monthly and weekly items. I came up with 11 areas of responsibility.

I don’t have an 11 day work week and my responsibilities won’t wait that long! However, I could thematically organize them like task-batching.

Step Two: Group these responsibilities into five or fewer categories/themes.

I created fewer than five themes, which meant I could have a category for each day of the week and repeat or flex the other days. Now my responsibilities will fit into my weekly schedule in step three.

Step Three: Optimize responsibilities across the week, with one theme per day with the fewest responsibilities per day.

I made a table of my work week. Under each day, I assigned responsibilities to each day, starting with the least flexible responsibilities. The inflexible responsibilities helped form each day’s theme until all my responsibilities were organized by day and theme.

Since real life isn’t that organized, I allowed minor deviations for inconsequential and self-care responsibilities. Going to lunch shouldn’t derail the theme of a day, so other such small acts - when kept in moderation - won’t derail a day’s theme either. At the same time, I also gave myself permission to bust a day’s theme when something critical requires my attention.

I also gave myself a day to catch up on all the random things that somehow got overlooked during the week. I figured that having a “scattered” day once a week beats having “scattered” days every day!

Reflections on day theming

My 11 responsibilities vary greatly in their time requirements. I approach some several times a week, others monthly. I made Fridays a “flex” day for rotating projects that don’t need attention weekly. Other responsibilities get two days a week.

When I finish my day’s tasks early, I’m done. No theme switching. Every day has its own list and I keep it manageable.

My wife and I taught our kids that, “in order to eat an elephant, you must take one bite at a time.” Day theming allows me to make progress on my many responsibilities (the elephant) without getting overwhelmed. I quite literally take one day at a time.

Blocking every minute of every day increases cognitive load.