The Best Planners for Individuals with Persistent PCS/mTBI (as of early 2025)

In my previous post, I wrote about what to look for in a planner when you have persistent Post-Concussion Syndrome or a mild Traumatic Brain Injury (PCS/mTBI). But when it comes to implementing that advice in the real world, it begs the following question:

What are the best planners out there if you are recovering from persistent Post-Concussion Syndrome/mild Traumatic Brain Injury (PCS/mTBI)?

With that question in mind, I have researched and field-tested a wide range of physical and digital planners.

What follows are my top choices for physical planners and digital planners. If you would like to read my current thoughts on whether you should choose a physical pen and paper planner or a digital planner, read my note at the bottom of this post.

Physical planners (Pen and Paper Planners)

Top Tier Physical Planners (my top choices in bold):

1. (Tie) The Roterunner Purpose Planner (the original B5 version)

1. (Tie)The Panda Planner Weekly (the original 12-Month Weekly Planner)

3. (Tie) The Planner Pad

3. (Tie) Maalbok 2025 Planner

3. (Tie) The Passion Planner Elite 2025

3. (Tie) The Roterunner Purpose Planner (the newer A5 version)

Second Tier of Physical Planners (good, but a few cuts below the top tier or not as optimized for individuals with persistent PCS/mTBI):

7. Wonderland 222 2025 A5 Tomoe River Paper All-In-One Weekly Planner or Undated A5 Tomoe River Paper Weekly Planner

8. Nolty 6501 Listy 1 Weekly Planner A5 Slim— 2025 Jan Start

9. (Tie) The Panda Planner Pro (best monthly-weekly-daily planner)

9. (Tie) The Gazelle Planner (best monthly-daily planner)

Honorable Mention: The Smart Planner Weekly Pro Undated; The Happy Planner Work + Life Onyx Planner


Digital Planners

Top Tier of Digital Planners (top choice in bold):

1. Roterunner 2025 Digital Planner

Second Tier of Digital Planners (good but a level below the top tier):

2. Passion Planner Weekly Elite 2025 Dated or Passion Planner Weekly Elite Undated

Third Tier of Digital Planners (promising with automatic or manual sync of appointments and calendar apps, but with some gaps in features for individuals with PCS/mTBI):

3. Planners Collective The Modern Planner

4. For Little Lion Planner

5. Planners Collective The Custom Planner

Honorable Mention: Upbase; Notion; Sunsama; Artful Agenda; Dash Planner

A Word on Digital Planners vs. Physical (Pen and Paper Planners)

When making planner recommendations in the past, I used to strongly recommend paper and pen planners over digital ones. However, now— as of early 2025— I don’t have as strong an opinion about it is as I used to.

The Advantages of Digital Planners

  • Lots of choices in their formats and layouts, and are generally more customizable than physical planners

  • Can synchronize with your Google Calendar or ICal, so you can create additional reminders on your phone to remember important appointments and deadlines. (That creates an additional backstop for remembering them.)

  • A growing number of digital planners allow you to sync appointments with your Google Calendar/ICal while you enter them into your digital planner.

  • Many digital planners can be synced across all of your devices, which means that you will have a portable version of your calendar & to-do list on your phone.

The Disadvantages of Digital Planners

  • If you have physical symptoms related to PCS/mTBI, reducing screen time is beneficial. Pen and paper planners allow you to do that; digital planners do not.

  • An iPad or other tablet is needed to create calendar and to-do list items that are user-friendly when using the very best digital planners for individuals with persistent PCS/mTBI.

  • There is somewhat of a learning curve when using GoodNotes as an app for the best digital planners. There is an even steeper learning curve if using things with their own interface, such as Notion, Upbase and Sunsama.

  • Unless you use the digital versions of the Roterunner or the Passion Planner, most digital planners do not show appointments and to-do list items on the same page without looking cluttered and stressful, making them less user-friendly.

  • Some people will use one app for their appointments and other calendar items, while using a second app for their to-do’s. (The same effect is more or less reproduced by some digital planners, such as Notion and Upbase.) That creates a problem of navigating between two apps or webpages. At best, that increases your cognitive load and fatigue; at worst, it leads to things falling through the cracks.

Thus, at this juncture, I would give a very slight nod to physical planners over digital planners, with all other things being considered equal— specifically, the Roterunner Purpose Planner and the classic Panda Planner Weekly— due mainly to the amount of screen time, the need for an iPad or other tablet, and the learning curve required when using the best digital planners.

However, if these are not issues for you, then digital planners have really closed the gap in the last couple of years, and I think the digital version of the Roterunner 2025 Digital Planner is a legit, great choice.

To see how the physical planners meet my standards for a good planner for individuals with PCS/mTBI, check this out. In the coming months, I will post on this blog (https://rebuildcoaching.com/blog) my explanations for my digital planner rankings.

If you would like me to review your planner or want to recommend planners to me, please list these in the comments below!

Concussion recovery, Executive Function, mTBI recovery, mild TBI, Coping, Organization, PCS recovery, Planning, Post-Concussion Syndrome, Practical tips, TBI recovery, Tips & AdviceJon Jassybest planners, planners, mTBI, mild TBI, Post-Concussive Syndrome, Post-Conccusion Syndrome recovery, Post-Concussion Syndrome tips, Post-Conccussion Syndrome recovery, mTBI tips, mTBI recovery, Coping with mTBI, Coping with Post-Concussion Syndrome, Organization, Planning, TBI recovery, Concussion recoveryComment