ADHD can really complicate life sometimes. But we can make it a bit easier by using the right strategies and tools. What everyday items can you get to simplify things and help you be rested, organized, and productive? Let’s have a look at some things that make life more ADHD-friendly.
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Self-care
1. Water bottle with a time marker
Do you struggle with drinking water during the day? If you regularly forget to take a drink, this water bottle has drinking goals corresponding to the time of the day marked on it. It’s insulated so that it keeps your drink warm (or cold). And it’s pretty!
(Also, if you can’t make yourself drink water during the day, the tips in this article can help you.)
2. Heated cup
This heated cup will keep your coffee or tea at a perfect temperature. No more making your coffee in the morning and finding it cold on your kitchen counter in the afternoon! Enjoy your hot drink anytime.
3. Fidget toys
Do you need something to do with your hands? This fidget toys pack in rainbow colors has you covered. It contains a variety of fidget toys for both children and adults. Fidget toys help relieve anxiety and stress and make for a fun, cute gift for your neurodivergent kin.
4. Noise-Canceling Headphones
A bit of quiet in a world filled with noise. Noise-canceling headphones can provide you with just that relief. Go for the luxury experience with Sony Noise Cancelling WH-1000XM5 that also work with Alexa, enjoy the reasonably priced Sony WH-CH720N or take the small but powerful Apple AirPods with you anywhere you go.
5. Sleep earbuds
If you are a light sleeper, you may consider these special earbuds that are designed to be comfortable while sleeping. You can play music or white noise and peacefully drift to sleep, undisturbed by your partner’s snoring or watching TV.
6. Weighted blanket
A good weighted blanket can help you sleep better, which is crucial for people with ADHD. It calms you down and helps you relax. People compare the feeling to a firm hug. Get a good night’s rest while your blanket is the only thing that weighs on you.
7. Sensory Chewelry
A fidget necklace for those in need of some stimming. Sensory chewelry provides a pleasant sensory stimulation. You can use it to calm down when stressed or in need of a distraction.
8. Adult Coloring Books
Coloring books are a good way to relax and unwind. They provide a creative outlet for overstimulation and stress. Coloring can also help you be more mindful and in the moment. Choose between cute and easy coloring, delve into a more intricate zentangle coloring book, or enjoy a bit naughty swear word coloring book for those who love a good laugh.
9. Finch subscription
Finch is my favorite self-care and productivity app. While checking off daily tasks, you care for a cute, small bird. It is a bit silly, but it really helps me with motivation! Once I put a task in Finch, I’m much more likely to do it. You can use the free version of the app or enjoy more functions with a paid version.
Read more about Finch in the blog post Gamified Self-Care: It Really Works (Especially if You Are a Woman With ADHD).
Household and chores
10. Countertop dishwasher for tiny kitchens
This, ladies and gentlemen, is a lifesaver. I have always hated washing the dishes with a passion, and my kitchen doesn’t have a built-in dishwasher. There simply isn’t enough space. This tiny dishwasher connects to the sink and is my favorite household appliance. No more doing dishes for me!
11. Instant cooking pot
You load it with ingredients, press a button and go. This pressure cooking pot for quick and easy one-pot meals is really ADHD-friendly! If you struggle with preparing meals, you may have found a solution. It’s easy to clean up too.
12. Robot vacuum cleaner with mop
Another great little household helper that makes life a little bit easier. A robot vacuum will vacuum and mop your floor while you rest. You can control it from your smartphone or by voice commands.
13. Amazon Echo with Alexa speaker
Amazon Echo is an ADHD-friendly tool for managing time and staying organized. You can ask Alexa to remind you to take your meds, set Pomodoro timers, or set up automated reminders for a morning or evening routine. You can add tasks to your to-do list so that you won’t forget them, use it to announce the time every 30 minutes to better keep track of your day, and many more lifehacks. And of course, play good music too!
14. Smart lights that work with Alexa
Smart lights combined with Amazon Echo can provide you with visual time management cues, like color changes for task transitions and reminders. You can automate lighting for wake-up, work, rest, and bedtime, which will help you with routines. Use it for sensory regulation too: set bright light for alertness and dim warm light for relaxation.
Organization and productivity
15. Pomodoro timer
Pomodoro is a productivity technique that helps you switch between work and rest in small increments. With frequent, small breaks, you are refreshed enough to keep working longer and better. This timer with 5, 25, 10, and 50 minutes preset will make Pomodoro easy. Using it is really convenient too – you just need to flip the cube for the countdown to begin.
16. Desk organizer
Bring some order into the chaos in your workplace with a desk organizer. It will keep your stationery within easy reach and reduce visual clutter for a stress-free environment.
17. Color-coded file folders
Are you always searching in vain for your documents and papers? No more! With color-coded file folders, you can assign a color to each category and keep them neat and organized.
18. Pill organizer with alarms
If you constantly forget to take your pills, this pill organizer with alarms can be a solution for you. It will remind you to take your meds and dispense the dose at the same time. Really useful for those of us with virtually nonexistent orientation in time who easily lose ourselves in our current hyperfocus.
19. Whiteboard calendar
Organize your week and have all your tasks within an easy line of sight with a dry-erase calendar whiteboard. You can write on it with a marker, stick Post-it notes on it, or attach things with a magnet. Visual cues go a long way in defeating executive dysfunction.
20. Treadmill desk
Do you struggle with concentration when you have to keep sitting still? A treadmill desk will help you channel that hyperactive ADHD energy into movement while allowing you to work. The bonus is that you get exercise and are productive at the same time. What’s there not to love?
21. Ebook that helps people with time blindness
Are you always late? Grab a copy of my short ebook, Lost in Time: Strategies for Managing Time Blindness. It’s ADHD-friendly and filled with actionable tips and advice. Get it here!
What tools do you use to make life more manageable? Leave your tips in the comments!
