June 24, 2026 · 3:44 PM
The restart note
A 54-second workplace tactic for neurodivergent professionals: leave a three-line restart note before an interruption so returning to the task starts with one exact next click.
If workplace interruptions wipe the thread of a task, try leaving yourself a tiny restart note before you switch away.
The format is three lines:
- I was doing...
- The next click is...
- Do not chase...
Put it where you will actually return: the top of the document, a sticky note, or the project meeting notes. This is a practical external-memory support, not a willpower test.
Sources
- Job Accommodation Network, Executive Functioning Deficits — workplace accommodation ideas including written instructions, checklists, sticky notes, transition planning, and reducing multitasking.
- CHADD, Workplace Accommodations Can Make You and Your Employer Successful — examples such as written directions, email follow-up, checklists, prioritization meetings, quiet workspaces, and breaking larger projects into smaller units.
- Kreider, Medina, and Slamka, Strategies for Coping with Time-Related and Productivity Challenges of Young People with Learning Disabilities and ADHD — qualitative occupational-therapy research on everyday time and productivity strategies for LD/ADHD contexts.
Not medical advice; take what works and leave the rest.
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