How do you keep a symptom diary?
Short answer
Keep brief daily notes for a few weeks before your appointment. Record what was hard, where it happened, what it cost you, and anything that might have affected it, such as sleep, stress, or illness. Include good days too. A short, honest diary gives a clinician concrete examples from different settings, which is more useful than a list of labels.
When a clinician asks "how does this affect your life?", many people go blank or reach for general words like "scattered" or "always behind." A diary fixes that. It turns vague impressions into specific moments, collected over time rather than recalled under pressure in an appointment room.
Why specific examples matter
A diary gathers exactly that kind of material: what happened, where, and what it led to.
What goes in each entry
- One or two moments that were harder than they should have been.
- Where it happened: work, home, study, driving, with friends.
- What it cost: time, money, a missed deadline, an argument, stress.
- Anything that may have played a part: short sleep, a busy week, illness, caffeine, a new medicine.
- Anything that went well, and what helped.
Keep each entry short. A few lines a day is plenty, and a diary you keep going is far more useful than a detailed one you abandon after three days.
Formats that tend to stick
Phone note
One running note with the date at the top of each entry. Set a daily reminder at a time you are usually sitting still, such as on the bus home or after dinner.
Paper card
A single index card per day, kept by the bed or the kettle. Small space keeps entries short.
Simple table
| Date | What happened | Setting | Effect | Other factors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Started a report, switched tabs, lost an hour | Work | Stayed late | Slept badly |
| Tue | Forgot a dentist appointment | Home | Fee charged | None noticed |
| Wed | Finished a task early with a timer | Work | Felt good | Quiet office |
Keeping it honest
Write what happened, not what you think it means. "Missed the turn-off because I was thinking about something else" is more useful than "classic ADHD moment." Record ordinary days as well as bad ones. A diary full only of disasters can give a lopsided picture, and good days often reveal what support works for you.
It also helps to note sleep and mood briefly. Clinicians need to consider other things that affect attention, and a diary that already tracks them saves time.
Keeping it private
A diary like this is personal. Keep it somewhere only you can read, such as a locked phone note or a notebook at home, rather than a shared family calendar. You decide which entries to show the clinician. If an entry feels too private, you can summarize it in a sentence instead of handing over the page.
If writing every day feels like too much, try a short weekly round-up instead: three things that went badly, one that went well, and anything unusual about the week. Less detail kept going is more useful than a perfect diary that stops.
Bringing it to the appointment
- Read back through it a day or two before.
- Pick three to five entries that best show the pattern.
- Write a one-paragraph summary at the top.
- Bring the full diary in case the clinician wants to look through it.
- What surprised me when I read my diary back?
- Which settings show up again and again?
- What helped on the days that went well?
A starting point for your next step.
Pair your diary with the free ASRS screener, which summarizes the past six months in six questions. Together they give a clinician both detail and an overview.Frequently asked questions
How long should I keep a diary before an appointment?
A few weeks is usually enough to show patterns. Start as soon as you book; even a short diary is better than none.
Should I ask someone else to add notes?
If someone close to you is willing, their observations can be useful. Keep their notes separate so the clinician can see both views.
What if I forget to write in it?
Skip the gap and carry on. Missed days are normal, and you can note "forgot to log" if it seems relevant.
Sources
Source check: 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.
- NIMH, "Taking Control of Your Mental Health: Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider"
- NICE guideline NG87, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management
- NHS, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults
Published 2026-10-28. Factual source check: ADHDFalcon editorial team, factual source check, 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.