ADHD Workflow: There’s an App For That
Seven (mostly) tech based ADHD-lifehack suggestions to assist in your daily work flow.
I regularly credit Google Calendar and an iPad mini as reasons I was able to graduate (and do pretty alright) with a bachelor’s degree prior to my ADHD diagnosis. A calendar app on a small tablet, enabled me to organize myself in a way I hadn’t quite managed before. Here are some apps and devices that have really helped me keep on top of my work flow, battle my time blindness, and basically make me feel secure within my routines.
Of course, everyone’s brains and needs are different, so what may work for me, might not work for you. Please do comment with things that worked for you, and things that failed to be useful. And please note, none of this is a replacement for discussing symptoms with a medical professional.
Journal
Price: Free, with paid premium options.
Journal is a relatively new visually based bookmark organization app. I have tried every type of organizing app over the years, and usually end up dropping them. Journal feels like the clean looking, easily accessible, visually based bookmark app that I have been searching for. I know the bookmarks feature in my web browser is sometimes where links I want to return to go to die.
What’s great about Journal?
- Easy to navigate
- Visual icons for different ‘Spaces’ makes for quick scanning
- Within ‘Spaces’, links, notes & files have image previews for quick recognition
- Connectable to other apps & email (I have mine linked to Pocket & Gmail)
- Phone app & browser extension easily add articles from the web
- ‘Pause’ function for a moment of meditative breathing. I’m never going to sit down and fully practice meditation¹, but a calming image and breathing animation reminds me to take a couple full deep breaths. Which is more centering than I care to admit
- ‘Pause’ also has a brain dump button, for all those thoughts that didn’t actually clear from your head when you tried to meditate
¹Believe me, I tried. My parents sent me to Teen Buddhist Meditation Camp.
Price: Free
Pocket is fantastic for when I see a cool article on my laptop, but I really want to read it on my phone (usually while lying in bed, or riding public transit.) The browser extension automatically uploads any article you want to read to your phone app. Additionally, Pocket will suggest articles to read based on your interests, and popular reads.
Warning: This is dangerous if you’re a knowledge-hoarder. (You know who you are, with your 17 To-Be-Read books (TBRs) sitting on your nightstand, and you’re about to buy 5 more after work.)
Marco Polo
Price: Free, with paid membership options.
I bet you didn’t expect to see a social media app here. Well, I’m sure we’ve all been in a situation where you want to say something to a friend. But it isn’t the right time for a call. The message is not quite right for text, but you want to send it now before you forget. Or you’re in the middle of something with that hyper focus going and you really can’t pick up the phone right now. Marco Polo is a solution that takes the pressure off of remembering to call at a certain time, or having to answer the phone when you’re in the middle of something.
Marco Polo is similar to Snapchat, in that you can send brief video messages.
Here’s where Marco Polo is different is:
- Videos do not automatically disappear after you watch them, and can be easily replayed. This is helpful for audio processing issues (common to ADHDers ) where you might need to hear a message again.
- You can change the play back speed. Struggling to keep up your attention at 1x speed? Up that playback to 1.5x speed to keep yourself focused without missing the juicy drama your friend is reporting.
- You can send a video message when you have a thought, without the risk of interrupting others or forgetting the message while waiting to share. Recipients can reply on their own time, and you on yours.
- It’s like video call, just one everyone can fit into their schedules.
Smart Watches
Price: $200–400 depending on brand & series
I first heard of SmartWatches being useful for ADHD from Tracy Otsuka’s podcast ADHD for Smart-Ass Women. Otsuka said that her SmartWatch helped her minimize phone distractions. She was able to check her notifications without getting stuck in a cell-phone scrolling time-eating hole.
I recently received an Apple Watch as a birthday gift and I was able to finally try this ADHD lifehack for myself. It has been helpful in reducing the fo-mo of a twitter or text notification, and I’m able to prevent myself from getting distracted while working.
Added bonus of all those handy little health apps.
There are a lot of older SmartWatches on the resale market or offered through refurbished sellers if you’re on a budget, or prefer to be more eco-friendly when purchasing tech gadgets.
The Bullet Journal aka Bujo.
Price: the cost of your desired notebook
I bet you didn’t expect such an old school solution as a notebook and pen, but is the most effective tool I have in managing my ADHD related time blindness. The Bullet Journal Method was developed by Ryder Carroll, Product Designer, and fellow ADHDer.
(Read Carroll’s Medium Article.)
Carroll describes his method as “a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system.”
Why Bullet Journals are Great for ADHD Brains
- It is a system that is adjustable to fit your individual needs. Being neuro-diverse can mean that advice commonly given to help the average person, might not work for us. You may visualize time differently than most people, or not at all. While the commonly used planner is a rigid format, the bullet journal is developed by you to fit your needs.
- No shame. The dilemma with starting a planner, as someone with ADHD is that forming new habits is especially difficult for us. With this can come a sense of shame; seeing all those empty calendar dates can feel like failure. Not so with the bullet journal! Simply start again wherever you left off. No wasted pages.
- If one layout doesn’t work, try something new! It doesn’t have to be tedious or lonely. There are endless bujo communities across social media. There are reddit boards, pinterest posts, instagram tags, and youtube videos galore about different layouts, ways to decorate and more.
- Learn how your brain works. I know I struggle to visualize time. Planners that split up weeks into two sections, have one day per page, or start the week on Sundays perplex me. I am able to best understand time in a weekly, Monday-Sunday horizontal layout. But you might find a different format better for visualizing time.
- It can be done in any notebook! Any notebook will do. I prefer notebooks with grid paper & sturdy covers myself.
- Motivate yourself with check lists, funky bujo stickers from Etsy, or weekly color schemes. I’ve even known some individuals who use fun stickers to track habits successfully kept.
Always keeping my bullet journal on me, and having it open on my desk while working keeps this habit effective. I also try to review my bullet journal every morning over coffee, and at the end of the day.
Digital Bonus: Elisi
Price: Free
Many digital calendars or bullet journal apps are just not laid out in a way is both visually pleasing, engaging, and not cluttered. It can be hard to get a quick weekly and monthly overview. The short of it is, they often just don’t work well for the ADHD brains. However, I think Elisi, is very promising in being ADHD accessible.
What’s Great About Elisi?
- While there are many features, it is clearly laid out so the user doesn’t get lost
- The layout makes good use of negative space, so you’re not bombarded with visual information
- Weekly & Monthly layouts
- Notes, Planner, Lists, Habit Tracker, & Expense Tracker tabs
- The Blog shares tips, and inspirations for organization
- Achievements section: add a soft gamify aspect to your planning & habit tracking.
- Don’t like Elisi green? You can change the color accents.
Thinking Putty, Squishies, and Other Fidgety Things
There are various brands, & types. Thinking Putty is a personal favorite.
Price: Typically $3–$10+
One more non-digital ADHD hack! You may have heard about this from your elementary school student. But it’s not just for kids, and there is growing research on how fidgeting and fidget toys are beneficial to focus. Including how fidgeting is helpful for adults with ADHD.
In a Covid-19 world where working from home, and over Zoom, has become the norm, many attention challenges are increasing, for everyone. Many ADHDers manage their symptoms with medications, physical activity, and routine. Covid-19 has interrupted many, if not all, of these practices that help us stay productive, and mentally energized.
While transitioning to working remotely, I’m finding ThinkingPutty to be especially helpful. I’m currently participating in regular 4+ hour-long Zoom meetings. Focusing on conversations over Zoom feels more tasking to my mental load than in-person meetings ever had been. Being able to fidget with some mini-putty while speaking over Zoom, or while multi-tasking between digital presentations and Slack communications has increased my ability to focus throughout the work day.
Thank you for reading! Please comment if any of these apps have helped you, or if you have anything to suggest.
