I’m excited to welcome Dr. Tamara Rosier as a guest blogger! Tamara is a brilliant ADHD coach, educator, and the founder of the ADHD Center of West Michigan. She has a deep understanding of the ADHD brain and offers practical strategies to help individuals manage their time and energy more effectively. In this post, she introduces the Solve It Grid, a framework that explains why certain tasks feel easy while others feel impossible—and how to work with your brain rather than against it. Whether you’re a parent, student, or professional supporting someone with ADHD, you’ll find her insights incredibly helpful!
Here is our conversation:
Solve it Grid – Mastering Time with ADHD
“People with ADHD often describe having a complicated relationship with time. Why is that?”
Time can feel elusive, unpredictable, and even overwhelming. Many individuals with ADHD struggle with how they invest their time, sometimes spending it impulsively or ineffectively. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, guilt, and even self-doubt. Everyday tasks—like paying bills, responding to emails, or doing laundry—can feel frustratingly difficult, leaving many to wonder:
“Why does this seem so easy for everyone else?”
For many with ADHD, tasks tend to fall into two broad categories: fun and not fun. The ADHD brain is wired to seek stimulation through excitement, novelty, or personal interest. Activities that spark curiosity or provide immediate reward feel energizing and motivating, while those that don’t provoke interest can feel unbearably difficult to start.
This natural drive for stimulation helps explain why some tasks feel effortless while others seem impossible. Understanding these patterns can be a game-changer when it comes to managing time effectively.
I developed the Solve It Grid to help explain why specific tasks feel easy or impossible based on their stimulation level and emotional impact. By recognizing where tasks fall within this grid, individuals can develop strategies to work with their brain — rather than against it.
“That makes so much sense, Tamara. Can you give a description of this grid?”
Here are the main components:
The RED Zone: Not Fun but Emotionally Stimulating
🔴 Key Traits: Urgency-driven, stressful, last-minute pressure
The RED zone is where procrastination thrives. Tasks here aren’t enjoyable, but they trigger an emotional response—typically stress or panic—that generates motivation. Examples include overdue bills, last-minute projects, or cramming for a deadline.
Many with ADHD rely on this zone to get things done, using procrastination as a tool to create urgency. The rush of adrenaline that comes from racing against time can provide the stimulation needed to focus.
“Is procrastination an emotional tool?”
Yes—it’s a way to manufacture motivation. However, relying on RED too often is exhausting and unsustainable. While it may work in the short term, prolonged dependence on this zone can lead to chronic stress, burnout, and feelings of inadequacy.
The YELLOW Zone: Not Fun and Not Emotionally Stimulating
🟡 Key Traits: Boring, mundane, easy to ignore
The YELLOW zone is where the biggest struggles occur. These are the tasks that feel neither urgent nor interesting—making them difficult to start and even easier to avoid. Examples include housework, logging expenses, answering emails, or balancing a budget.
What happens when YELLOW tasks are ignored?
They pile up and eventually shift into the RED zone, creating a cycle of procrastination and stress. The trick is to make YELLOW tasks more engaging—whether through gamification, accountability, or structured routines.
Strategies for Tackling YELLOW Tasks:
- Pair them with something enjoyable (e.g., listen to music or a podcast while cleaning).
- Use external reminders and accountability (e.g., alarms, visual checklists, or body-doubling with a friend).
- Break them into small steps to make them feel less overwhelming.
- Set a timer for short bursts of work to make them feel more manageable.
Creating a consistent system for handling YELLOW tasks can prevent them from escalating into RED stressors.
The BLUE Zone: Fun but Not Emotionally Stimulating
🔵 Key Traits: Passive entertainment, mental escape, relaxation
The BLUE zone includes activities that feel enjoyable but don’t engage deeper emotions—like scrolling social media, binge-watching TV, or playing repetitive games.
“Is the BLUE zone bad?”
Not at all! BLUE activities provide necessary mental rest and recovery. The key is moderation.
Managing BLUE Time Effectively:
- Set limits (e.g., use timers or app blockers to avoid overuse).
- Schedule BLUE time intentionally to prevent guilt or avoidance.
- Use it as a reset tool rather than a full-time escape.
Many people with ADHD turn to BLUE zone activities when overwhelmed, using them as a way to avoid tasks in YELLOW or RED. Learning to balance BLUE activities can help prevent time from slipping away unintentionally.
The GREEN Zone: Fun and Emotionally Stimulating
🟢 Key Traits: Energizing, fulfilling, deeply meaningful
The GREEN zone is where people feel the most aligned, fulfilled, and engaged. These activities recharge and restore—whether it’s spending time with loved ones, pursuing creativity, personal growth, or being in nature.
If GREEN is so beneficial, why do people neglect it?
Many feel like they haven’t earned it or can’t justify taking time for themselves. A constant cycle of RED urgency and YELLOW obligation can push GREEN activities to the bottom of the priority list.
Ways to Increase GREEN Time:
- Schedule it like any other important task—not as a luxury, but as a necessity.
- Start small (e.g., 10 minutes a day of a creative hobby or mindfulness practice).
- Reframe GREEN time as fuel, not indulgence—investing in fulfillment improves focus, resilience, and well-being.
Making intentional time for GREEN activities helps prevent burnout and improves overall life satisfaction.
“How can people balance the Solve It Grid for a healthier life?”
Recognizing which zone tasks fall into—and making small, intentional adjustments—can help reshape how time is experienced.
Ways to Balance the Solve It Grid:
- Reduce reliance on RED by planning ahead.
- Make YELLOW tasks more engaging to avoid unnecessary stress.
- Set healthy boundaries on BLUE time to prevent avoidance.
- Prioritize GREEN activities to enhance well-being.
Everyone’s balance will look different, and self-awareness is key. A simple way to track patterns is to log the time spent in each zone, identify habits, and make gradual improvements.
The goal isn’t to eliminate any zone but to create a rhythm supporting productivity and personal fulfillment.
“Thanks, Tamara.”
For a full discussion of the Solve It Grid, see Tamara’s latest book, Your Brain’s Not Broken.
Dr. Tamara Rosier is the founder of the ADHD Center of West Michigan, where she leads a team dedicated to supporting individuals and families in understanding and managing their unique challenges. She is the author of Your Brain’s Not Broken and You, Me, and Our ADHD Family, which provides practical strategies for navigating the emotional complexities of neurodivergence and personal growth.
