My productivity journey has included a lot of switching between task management apps and note-taking software to try to find a workflow that works for me. But I've also found that identifying specific issues I struggle with has helped me find ways to make apps work better for me.

After figuring out how often I get affected by task paralysis, I found a key roadblock when it comes to managing my to-do list. The Inbox feature in Super Productivity, however, helps me get around this...

Task paralysis gets in the way of my productivity

Too many tasks become overwhelming

Task paralysis refers to the freeze response some people get when faced with too many tasks. It's a common phenomenon in people with executive dysfunction and tends to get worse when you're stressed and burnt out.

For me, multiple factors contribute to it. My executive functioning, to put it mildly, is not great. As someone with autism and ADHD, I have challenges getting started on tasks and can get overwhelmed when there's too much to do. I also have chronic pain and fatigue that affect my energy levels, which in turn increases the anxiety I experience when there's too much to do.

At the same time, I need to use lists of tasks to keep track of things because of my forgetfulness and brain fog. There are some things I can keep track of mentally, but the more stressed and tired I am, the more I forget simple things.

This has resulted in a love-hate relationship with many task apps. Sometimes when I hear them buzz with a reminder, I can feel my chest tighten, and I want to bury myself under a blanket. At the same time, I repeatedly forget to do things if they're not listed in an app I check regularly.

Making my productivity stack less overwhelming helped me reduce some of the stress I feel when managing tasks. But after a few weeks of migraine flare-ups and increased burnout, I realized that I was struggling to keep track of tasks once again.

Super Productivity lets me dump tasks into the Inbox

Dates are optional

I tried Super Productivity out of curiosity, especially since I've had colleagues write about its benefits. While I had set out to look at its procrastination prevention feature, another caught my eye.

Similar to Amplenote, in Super Productivity, you can add general lists of tasks that need to be done and schedule them later. However, I prefer the way that Super Productivity does this. It lets you set this general list, known as your Inbox, as the default view in the app, letting you just add all the tasks that come to mind.

I don't have to worry about dates, when I'll have time to complete the task, or whether the app will send me notifications to get things done. This removes a lot of the stress I feel, especially on days when I have a migraine or feel unwell.

I can also assign tasks different tags and colors depending on what category they fall into. So far, I have tasks marked as Personal, Work, Chores, Cats, and Life Admin. "Life admin" is the category I assign to non-urgent tasks that are still important to eventually get done, like medical appointments, car services, and that eye test I keep putting off. They're the type of tasks that I need to keep listed somewhere, otherwise I forget about them for weeks.

But importantly, the Inbox allows me to simply add the text for the task — no organization needed. This really helps when I'm exhausted, and my brain feels like all of its bandwidth is currently being utilized. I don't have to plan, set reminders, or think about anything else besides a task title.

There are other productivity apps with an inbox feature, but many don't allow you to set this as your default view for creating and managing tasks. But it's also the ability to use this inbox easily with the app's scheduling feature that makes it appealing.

I can then sort dates using the app's different views

This makes planning less stressful

My inbox is where my raw task lists live. Sometimes I add a bunch of tasks at once when I'm feeling clear-headed, other times I add one in isolation when I remember it suddenly.

I then come back to this task list when I have time and energy and begin planning out what I can get done. The Today view is useful when I need to quickly add tasks that I know need to be completed on the same day. The Planner helps me when I want to look at the week more broadly and see where I can slot something in.

I don't need to constantly switch between views either — in the Planner view, I can add existing tasks using the search icon. This is helpful, since I can often get distracted when switching between too many tabs.

There are times I get things done without using the Planner or Today view at all. Luckily, from the Inbox, I can simply mark tasks as completed.

Overall, this has made it easier for me to manage tasks when I have time and energy. But importantly, it allows me to ignore them when I don't. I don't get constant prompts about overdue tasks and feel much less anxious as a result.

I'm looking forward to finding more ways to make the app work for me

I've only been using Super Productivity for a few weeks, and I'm still getting used to its various menus and workflows. However, I'm looking forward to trying out more features to get a better grip on my task management.

There are a few drawbacks, and I do find myself getting mixed up with certain menus. But I enjoy the customizable approach to tasks and how I don't need a due date for everything.