When you’re overwhelmed, distracted and behind on your projects, you need ADHD tools. Lots of them. Do everything you can to treat your ADHD.
Practical tools make life easier with ADHD. Tools to help you remember what you need to remember and be where you need to be. Tools to help you avoid distractions and stay focused on your priorities.
The good news? Your cell phone is a veritable ADHD tool kit.
The bad news? Oodles of time management and organizing apps exist. Too many to choose from increases your chances of getting distracted and overwhelmed by all those options.
It’s easy to get magnetized by the shiny, new cool app. But, if you’re like me, those often lose their appeal in a few days.
Our goal is to make your phone a useful ADHD tool. That’s why today we’re going back to the basics. The five apps every ADHD adult needs to have on their phone.
Five Must Have ADHD Tools For Your Phone
Here are the five basic ADHD tools to have on your phone:
1. Timer. The ultimate, versatile ADHD management tool. Use the timer on your phone to see how many tiny tasks you can zip through in 15 minutes. Remind yourself to take a break or to change out the laundry. Timers have so many uses. Let the timer on your phone become your good friend.
2. Lists. A good list app will rescue you time after time. Good for more than groceries, you have an endless possibility of lists. What do you need to remember? Make a list. What do you need to take somewhere? Make a list. What do you want to do on your vacation? Make a list. Write down these things, and more, and you’re not relying on your distracted brain to hang on to details.
3. Calendars. With your calendar on your phone your days of guessing about where you need to be when are over. As long as you enter information into your calendar, you can make appointments and plans based on reality. You can handle things the moment they come up without waiting. Don’t forget the wonder of those calendar alarms reminding you of your appointments. Oh, how we need those alarms!
4. Reminders. The ultimate ADHD tool is an app that reminds you to do your routine tasks. Notice I said routine tasks. The things we need to do over and over to keep life chugging along. Your phone remembers so you don’t have to. I prefer reminder apps with a bit of nag about them. Polite reminders that appear once and vanish don’t ADHD adults much.
5. Music / Podcasts / Audiobooks. Accomplishing the boring tasks of life gets easier with a little entertainment. That’s why I’m a raving fan of music and podcasts. Audiobooks, too. Match the audio to how much you need to focus on the task at hand. Just enough background noise to help keep you focused. Not so much that you’re distracted.
In the olden days, before most of us carried our phones everywhere, living with ADHD was lots harder. I’m grateful for an easier ADHD life. Aren’t you? Take advantage of these important ADHD tools you can easily find on your phone.
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So very true! If there are any apps in particular you like for someone with ADHD please share going forward.
I remember when the Palm Pilot came out- well before smart phones. It was the first time I had a calendar/planner that worked for me! I’m looking forward to learning about separating reminders from task lists.