All the Smart Tech I Use to Manage My ADHD

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When I was diagnosed with ADHD, I was thrilled to learn that there was a real reason I struggled with procrastination, especially when it came to household chores. I’ve always struggled to balance work, home, and play, and it turns out this is a classic symptom. Over the past five years, I’ve used technology as a way to stay on top of everything I need to do. In a word, it’s become a lifeline (in the case of pets and plants, that’s often literal).

Automate everything possible

When I first started getting houseplants, I had a feeling that watering them regularly would be a hassle. Sure, I was very hands-on at first, but over time, I could sit across the room and watch them starve and not get up to give them any. I then purchased automatic watering systems, and I am very happy to report that they work well. I have a self-watering green wallbut I use now LetPot Automatic Watering Systems in a few places around my house to keep my plants hydrated. I only have to remember to fill it up once a month and I get an alert on my phone.

If there are systems you can develop for any other part of your home, whatever your specific needs, do it. I recently wrote about the automations I introduced into chicken farminga business I really wanted to get into, but I was worried about the maintenance. If there’s something that needs to happen in my home, I’m going to try to figure out how to automate it. I’m currently learning how to program an Arduino to know when my dog ​​leaves mud in the doggie door, so it can trigger the mopping robot to come take care of it, and yes, it East a very ADHD coded project to undertake.

Robots are a lifesaver for people with ADHD. (The only thing I don’t like about robots is that the cost is a barrier for people who might use them for accessibility needs.) robot vacuum cleaner and washer keeps my floors relatively clean, so I only need to deep clean them occasionally. robot lawn mower eliminates an extra task outside. I can’t tell you how helpless I am that the robot laundry folding machine I failed, even if all my robots had gotten together and decided to take over my house and report all my conversations to the CIA, it would have been worth it, because I would still have had folded laundry.

Earlier this year I switched to a smart washer and dryerwhich actually remind me to take my clothes out and until I do, keeps them fresh in the washer or dryer. smart oven and even a new one smart air fryer remind me via notifications and voice to turn food over or take it out, and automatically shut off when the food is done so I can’t ruin it. I even have a smart sourdough starter that keeps my starter healthy if I’m not careful. Smart Air conditioning units And radiators can turn on and off based on sensors, the weather, or where I am in the house.

Using sensors

Being an adult means keeping an eye on “stuff in the house” and your car. Even people without ADHD aren’t very good at this, but sensors can help you spot problems so you don’t have to. There are water leak sensors for sinks and water heaters, as well as humidity sensors for damp basements that will trigger dehumidifiers when needed. You can even use a temperature sensor in a chest freezer to make sure it doesn’t fail without you noticing.

Occupancy sensors in attics or basements can help you monitor for critter infestations. You can install an OBD monitor in your car to be alerted of any problems, much better than a simple “check engine” light.

Adopt a voice assistant

I love making lists, but too often I don’t have a pen, paper, or phone handy when I remember something I need to do. That’s where a voice assistant is essential. By simply saying, “Google, remind me to call the vet tomorrow at 10am,” that worry disappears from my mind. It’s added to my Google Calendar, and Google Assistant reminds me at the appointed time. I can add items to my grocery list, send an email or text to someone, or set an alarm. Every time I’m cooking and walking away from the stove, I ask Google to set a timer to remind me to come back. Right before I go to bed, I ask Google to remind me of appointments for the next day, so I’m not surprised. It’s like having a real assistant following you around all day.

It doesn’t have to be Google. Whether it’s Alexa or Siri, pick a voice assistant and start filling your home with the cheapest devices for that assistant. You just need to be within earshot of a speaker at all times so it can hear you. I have a cheap Google Mini in every room; this year I added them outside.

Don’t overlook recurring reminders, either. I get a voice reminder every other night to check my dog’s water, once a month to give him flea and tick medication, pay monthly bills, and every Tuesday night to take out the trash. You can schedule these through Google Assistant or Google Calendar.

Calendar all

If I make an appointment or commit to something, it needs to be on my calendar right away. It’s my go-to for everything. I use Todoist a lot to create lists. It’s easy to use from my phone or desktop, syncs seamlessly, and anything in Todoist with a due date automatically syncs to my calendar. Google Assistant can add items to Todoist lists for you, so I keep lists for things like home maintenance, work, errands, books to read and movies to watch, places I want to visit, hobbies I want to try, knitting projects I want to make someday, and recipes I saw on TikTok once. Whatever list-making program you use, find one: you need to get rid of all the extraneous lists you’d otherwise have in your head that keep you from focusing on more important things.

A calendar is only useful if you actually look at it, so I took the Skylight Calendaran interactive tablet frame that integrates most calendars, and I put it in the only place I’m sure to see it: the bathroom. I then mounted it on the wall opposite the toilet, which forces me to study it several times a day. No more surprise appointments. You could definitely use a standard tablet for this, but the Skylight comes in a nice frame and you’re not tempted to surf the web from it.

Control your home

Seriously, wouldn’t it be amazing if I could find things with the touch of a button? We’re not there yet, but there are a few ways to stay sane when I can’t locate things. My phone is never more than a voice command away: “Google, find my phone.” Every key fob and remote has a Tile sticker or a dongle on it, and my wallet has one too. Using an app on my phone, I can summon the different stickers to play music and then I just follow the noise.

I aspire to an even larger system using NFC tags. A lot people I used the labels to create a searchable storage system using bins. Every time you put something in a bin, you associate it with the NFC tag on the bin itself. You can either scan the NFC tag on the front of the bin to see what’s in it, or search for an item and it will tell you which bin to go in. I already have this set up in my tool shed, and now I want to expand it to my shelving, art supplies, and kitchen supplies.

Choose a body lining platform

My therapist gave me many gifts, but the greatest was introducing me to Concentration Companionwhich is an online platform that allows you to make an appointment for ““double body” with someone. Think of body sharing as coworking: you’re held accountable by someone else who needs the same accountability. You schedule appointments in blocks of time, 25, 50, or 75 minutes. The platform will match you with someone (pro tip: you can designate what genres (who you would like to correspond with) and at the appointed time you connect via video and simply tell the other person what you will be working on, and they do the same.

Then you mute the video and you… do the thing. A bell rings at the end of the allotted time; you turn it back on and report back to the other person on your progress, then go about your lives. You can schedule back-to-back appointments or just when you need to. Most importantly, you can do literally whatever you want during these sessions. Yes, most people are working, but I signed in to say that I was organizing a closet, folding laundry, doing dishes, curing tomatoes, and, on one occasion, clipping my reluctant dog’s nails (a task both the dog and I try to put off as much as possible). In every case, the body lining didn’t flinch.

By booking an appointment and knowing that someone is waiting to serve as your body double, you have a responsibility to make things happen. Focusmate is free for three sessions per week and just $7 per month for unlimited sessions. Focusmate isn’t the only platform, either. Cofocus, Cave Day, STOLEN, Club Flow and others provide options for work that doesn’t fit into a short session or for people who need other features.

Recurring orders

I remember to change my air filters because a new one arrives in the mail. Same with my nighttime mouthguard. By setting up recurring orders for detergent, shampoo, toothbrushes, dog food, and medication, I rarely find myself rushing out to buy anything. It’s deeply reassuring, and the best part is that on most platforms like Chewy or Amazon, you’re reminded of the recurring order so you have time to reschedule it if you don’t need it yet.

Smart technology is most effective when used for accessibility

I can imagine that if you don’t have ADHD, some of these safety measures may seem absurd. Who needs to be reminded to refill their dog’s water bowl? Me (and technically, my dog, too). I need it. Millions of people also suffer from ADHD symptoms, from mild to extreme. Smart technology is an accessibility tool, and whether it’s an online platform, AI, or physical hardware, these tools should be more accessible to people who can use them to improve their lives.