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Today on my blog, I’m sharing over 70 of my very best ADHD hacks. This ultimate guide to ADHD hacks is based on my experience as someone with ADHD (something I’ve written numerous blog posts about), pulling from my own life, tips from TikToks, self-help and personal development books, and some work I’ve done in therapy.

Woohoo!

Note: This blog post was originally published on January 20, 2023. It was last updated August 5, 2023.

This blog post is all about ADHD hacks.  

Best ADHD Hacks

As I talk about my own ADHD hacks, I encourage you, my dear reader, to consider each in turn in an objective manner. Too often in the self-help space — and the ADHD space, for sure — we judge ourselves against what others do. Thinking to ourselves, “I don’t have that in me” or “My brain could never,” we often cut ourselves off at the pass, out of a sort of… desire to protect ourselves from failure.

To have ADHD is to know what it’s like to fail to do things we “should” be able to do, hunching our shoulders as well-meaning friends and loved ones give us tips for brains that don’t work like ours.

Instead of outright refuting a hack, or using my tips as a sort of weapon in your internal diatribe of insults you hurl at yourself for how your brain works (oh yeah, I went there!), I invite you to hold each of these hacks in a sort of open palm.

Like you would a butterfly.

Don’t clutch at them, hunch in on yourself, etc.  Let my ideas gently wash over you.  I am sharing these hacks as an act of love, not censure, and I will be quite displeased with you if you take these and make weapons out of them!!!  (Insert growly face here.)

This blog post is all about ADHD hacks.  

Take what works, and leave the rest.

ADHD Hacks – My Overall Tips

Ok, so when it comes to ADHD hacks, there are a few concepts that are going to pop up over and over again in my guide to ADHD hacks. Sooooo I decided it would be best to share these overarching hot tips with you now:

1. HABIT STACKING: I got this ADHD tip from James Clear, the author of “Atomic Habits.” Basically, the idea is that you add a new habit into your day by “stacking it” on something you do already. Instead of having to remember to do something, you build a system on an existing habit you don’t have to think about! For example, Habit stacking to wipe down your counter every day before making coffee, or habit stacking to do your Duolingo practice before getting into the shower every day. It sounds simple, but it works!
2. Growth Doesn’t Come from a PLACE OF SHAME: This is something I share often with my coaching clients, and that is this: Growth does not come from a place of shame. Culturally, we have this sort of idea that if we guilt ourselves//bully ourselves enough, we’ll see growth. And, in my experience (and opinion!) the opposite is true. Making new progress is only possible if we choose new ways of thinking about ourselves, and decide to avoid stepping into a shame cycle.
3. Growth Mindset: This term from Dr. Carol Dweck is very powerful. It’s basically where you take the mental approach of believing you can acquire new skills and habits to do NEW things. Put another way you have to surrender or give up the idea that you are only capable of doing certain things. You will have to embrace creativity and TRYING new stuff out. In my experience, people with ADHD often pre-emptively decide we can’t do something (I’ve done it), so we don’t even try. Give yourself permission to try.

Give yourself permission to try new things!

It’s ok if it doesn’t work, or requires tweaking. A lot of my ADHD hacks that I share with you today are the result of iteration and tweaking. And that’s ok!!! Embrace this!!

It’s ok if an ADHD hack that you try doesn’t work, or requires tweaking. A lot of my ADHD hacks that I share with you today are the result of iteration and tweaking. And that’s ok!!! Embrace this!!

ADHD Hacks – How My Guide is Organized

After brainstorming a list of my hacks, I quickly realized that just plopping a list of 77 ADHD hacks in front of people would be… overwhelming.

So, I’ve organized my ADHD hacks into buckets or categories. A couple of my ADHD hacks are cross listed, so that people don’t miss those key ADHD hacks if they’re just interested in one area.

Here’s the overview:

• ADHD Hacks for Cleaning
• ADHD Hacks for Work
• ADHD Hacks for Self-Care & Brushing Teeth
• ADHD Hacks for Relationships
• ADHD Hacks for Cooking
• ADHD Hacks for Motivation
• ADHD Hacks for Laundry
• ADHD Hacks for Productvity

ADHD Hacks for Cleaning

For years, I really struggled to keep an organized and clean space. In my college years, my dorm room was in such a disarray that I wouldn’t let friends in.  I’ll never forget a friend holding up a mug with mold in it in the back of my car being all, “Uhhh, what is this?”

Truly an FML moment!

I deeply understand the shame that can come with struggling to keep your space, your home, clean. A space that’s supposed to be your sanctuary… and instead it turns into everything but.

Below, I’ve shared my ADHD hacks for cleaning. A good number of these have privilege, obviously, but I’m not going to shy away from sharing what actually works for me. 

#1 ADHD Hacks for Cleaning: Never Take Out Just ONE Garbage (Kitchen Garbage Hack)

Ok, so first up for my ADHD hacks for cleaning is to NEVER take one garbage out by itself. Put another way, I have a rule that if I’m taking the kitchen garbage out, I often snag the bathroom garbage and bedroom garbage – even if they don’t need to be emptied. Now, in my place those garbages are pretty close together, so you could amend this ADHD hack for cleaning by checking your fridge for stuff that needs to be thrown out or habit stacking something else!

This ADHD hack utilizes habit stacking (which I explained further on up), and it also helps me manage my home. I take advantage of being in “Garbage Mode” (lol), and I snag multiple garbages. This means that my bedroom and bathroom garbage are never overflowing. Win win win!

I also like to leave a few garbage bags in the bottom of a garbage can (under the liner), so they’re easier to change. Shoutout to my Grandma Huntsman for that hot tip!

(Now, sometimes my kitchen garbage hangs out for a day while I try to remember to take it out, but that’s life!)

#2 ADHD Hacks for Cleaning: Get a Shredder

Is there anything worse in the life of an ADHD person, than all of the FRICKIN’ MAIL WE GET? I find mail to be super stressful, and one of the things I do to stay on top of my mail is SHREDDING IT.

Seriously, getting a shredder is a great ADHD cleaning hack!

It’s a good idea from a personal security standpoint, and ALSO it’s kind of fun to shred things, lol. I don’t go get my mail when I’m tired after a long day, I grab it on a morning walk. Then, when I bring it back, I shred everything that I don’t want (including annoying grocery store coupons).

I have a pretty intense shredder as I use one for my home office (it was around $100), but you can def get one for $30 – $50. From my research, the more paper a shredder can shred at a time increases the price. (It can be annoying to sit there and feed in paper slowly!)

ALSOOOO, I don’t get my mail everyday! Because I have a PO Box, my mail is locked up — so I wouldn’t do this if you have an easy access mailbox, of course. I go get my mail about 1x a week, and I go through it — once a week!

#3 ADHD Hacks for Cleaning: Half-Assed is Better Than No-Assed

This next ADHD cleaning hack is one I have to remind myself often.

Half-assed is better than no-assed.

Sometimes, I feel like I shouldn’t even bother wiping down the kitchen counters — if I don’t also sweep the floor, mop the floor, and, oh, while I’m here clean and empty the ENTIRE FRIDGE.

Smh.

I know that may sound ridiculous, but it’s true!

Instead, I remind myself that “half-assed is better than no-assed,” and I clean the kitchen for 15 minutes. And I have learned to be okay with the fact that my house is going to look like someone lives here!

And I have learned to be okay with the fact that my house is going to look like someone lives here!

#4 ADHD Hacks for Cleaning: Hire a Professional

Ok, obviously I know that not everyone can afford a cleaning professional! That’s ok! For those who can make room in their budget, I highly recommend this.

Deep cleaning can often get pushed to the side in favor of other things happening in life, and things can get… grimey.

If you’re not sure about hiring a cleaning service, I encourage you to try hiring one for one full deep clean. If it makes a difference in your life and mental outlook, (which I’m pretty sure it will), then it’s absolutely worth it.

I’ve written more on hiring a cleaning service here!

If you’re not sure about hiring a cleaning service, I encourage you to try hiring one for one full deep clean.

#5 ADHD Hacks for Cleaning: Tuck Clorox Wipes EVERYWHERE

Ok, this next ADHD hack may sound kind of silly, but you know those little canisters of Clorox cleaning wipes? You can buy them in bulk on Costco (or get them on auto delivery on Amazon). I like to tuck one or two of these in every room of my house. Under sinks, in a closet, behind my desktop computer monitor, etc.

Why do I do this?

Because when I’m on the phone chatting with a friend, I’ll often derp around my house (can’t sit still!), and I’ll snag a Clorox wipe canister and start wiping things down mindlessly. Plus, it’s a lot easier to clean up a spill IN THE MOMENT if you have a canister of wipes on hand.

Winning!

#6 ADHD Hacks for Cleaning: Change Your Inner Script — “I’m always tidying”

I talked about this above, but something I recommend you try if you have ADHD is flipping your mental script. Instead of constantly telling yourself, “I’m just always messy” or “I just don’t clean enough” try flipping the script.

try saying, “I’m always tidying up.”

Now, before you roll your eyes, give me a minute here! Instead of saying something that feels false like, “I have a clean and totally perfect home,” try “I’m always tidying up.”

I got this tip from Jen Sincero (author of one of my fave money books), and I realized I had sort of taken this on when during this past summer I had a friend stay with me. I kept saying, “Sorry, just gonna tidy up real quick!” And I realized I was always tidying things!

And, that’s great! Because I often make messes! Lol.

A tidying person isn’t someone who is always tidy — no, a “tidying person” is someone who is constantly tidying throughout the day.

You know, because they use things and spaces in the house they live in.

Do you see the switch there? Feel the emotional difference.

Test this out!

#7 ADHD Hacks for Cleaning: Go HARD One Day a Week – or Go Daily

My next ADHD hack will be particularly salient for my business owners or fellow self-employed people.

Decide on whether you’ll clean up every day, or dedicate 1 day a week to it (or skip that altogether and hire a cleaning service).

I think it’s better for business owners to test out cleaning once a week, as it’s less to remember. Throughout the week, you don’t have to try to remember the 3-7 things to clean that day. Instead, you can dedicate a day! (Now, of course, you want to keep things sanitary. So you likely will do dishes and the like throughout the week. But other kinds of cleaning? Test doing that all on one day!)

Testing out this ADHD Hack may take you a couple of weeks to try it out. And you may decide it’s easier to have a time of day that’s always spent cleaning (Ex: 8-9PM), but as always, it’s good to iterate and try new things with ADHD!

#8 ADHD Hacks for Cleaning: Pare Down Your Dinnerware

Ok, this next ADHD hack is going to get me some enemies, but oh well!

In your home, I would only keep a set of dinnerware for 4 (or the # of people in your household). You can keep spare dinnerware for dinner parties in a closet somewhere, but try having less dishes.

Why?

As someone with a dinnerware set for 4, I can tell you that having 4 bowls means that I don’t end up with 12 dirty bowls in the sink. Because it’s not an option. Having fewer pieces of dinnerware means that I end up washing my bowls (plates, etc) more often.

Win!

ADHD Hacks for Work

Next up, I invite you to read over my ADHD hacks for work.  As someone who owns multiple businesses, much of these hacks may not be useful if you work a strict 9-5.  I travel often, see peaks and valleys in productivity, and overall live what I’ve come to call a “quilted professional life.”

#9 ADHD Hacks for Work: Identify Daily Top 3 – “Eat Your Frogs in the Morning”

Back in high school, my mom had this book titled, “Eat Your Frogs in The Morning.”

I thought this was way gross, but I’ve come around to it.

And no, we’re not eating frogs (which some people find tasty!).

Instead, this adage has existed in personal and professional development circles for years, and actually means something like “Do your top 3 most important tasks first.”

But, honestly, “eat your frogs” is way more memorable. So visual!

Sometimes you have to metaphorically choke something down!

The idea of doing your top 3 most important things each day FIRST is this: Your day can often get away from you, and more than one person has reached 10PM at night, blinked in confusion at the time, and wondered how they got there. Doing your most important tasks FIRST (often the ones you don’t want to do), turn your day into an instant “win.”

And, I’ve found it makes my day less stressful. If something pops up at 11AM and derails my day, I’m more secure and less stressed when I’ve eaten my frogs. Plus, as an ADHD person, how many times have you gotten to the time of day when you’re *supposed* to do an important task, and you’re all out of executive function? The task is SUPER important (critical, even), but your brain won’t. freaking. do. it.

It’s the worst!

How many times have you gotten to the time of day when you’re *supposed* to do an important task, and you’re all out of executive function?

Knock ’em out.

#10 ADHD Hacks for Work: Buffer In 2x Time to Leave Your House

This next ADHD hack is a new one I’ve started using! Over the past couple of months, I’ve been helping my mom with her coaching business. I’ve packed up my stuff to meet her at her place, and it’s been interesting….

You see, as I often work from home, I don’t have to leave my house to do work stuff. Sure, I leave to go hang with friends, go on dates, or go work from coffee shops, etc etc. But I don’t have to often go to an appointment (I usually put all my doctor appointments on the same day, ish).

And leaving my house has taught me something:

It takes me FOREVER to get out the door. And, when I started working with my mom on her business, I would allot like half an hour to get there.

And I kept showing up late! In a professional capacity! I hated it!!

It wasn’t because I lacked a system (ok maybe?), more that there was always some miscellaneous thing.

So, instead of fighting the tidal wave that is my brain chemistry at times, I just accepted it.

And now, I block off 1 hour before my actual meeting time (for meetings IRL), so that I get there on time. Effectively, I double the amount of time it “should” take me to get there.

You see, I could become very dramatic and emo about this, and have mental breakdowns in my car after leaving an appointment where I arrived late. I’ve done that, it sucked, and, no, I didn’t want the postcard, thank you soooo much.

Instead, I choose to practice radical acceptance in different areas of my life.

It takes me longer to get out the door.

So what?

I am in control of my schedule, and I can just block off more time.

#11 ADHD Hacks for Work: 5 Meeting Reminders

Ok, this ADHD hack SOUNDS excessive, but whatever. It works!

I set 5 meeting reminders for calls with clients.

Five.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Email day before
• Email 4-8 hours before (I try to make this reminder hit when I check my email, around 10AM)
• Email 1 hour before
• Pop-up notification 45 minutes before
• Pop up notification 15 minutes before
• Pop up notifications 5 minutes before (for important meetings)

I don’t do this because I always forget I have a meeting. Instead, this pacing helps me remember what’s coming up.

It goes like this:

• Email a day before: Reminds me to send anything the client may need to read, or reminds me to make sure I read up on whatever they’ve sent me
• Email 4-8 hours before: Acts as a failsafe for the above, as I’m at my computer when I get this reminder
• Email 1 hour before: Reminds me to start winding down whatever I’m doing
• Email 45 minutes before: Ok, really, wind down
• Email 15 minutes before: Gets me at my computer, with docs up and Zoom ready
• Email 5 minutes before: Hail Mary pass in case I missed the 15 min warning

Do you need to have 5 notifications for meetings? Maybe not! But, if you keep missing meetings, then this is worth a try, don’t you think? You can always take my ADHD hack and make it your own!

#12 ADHD Hacks for Work: Buy Yearly Subscriptions – Not Monthly

Ok, if you also misplace your debit or credit card a lot — and then get annoying reminders to update your information all the time with various suervices you use, may I make a suggestion?

Buy the yearly subscription.

In my case, this will save you a TON of time (no need to keep updating card info), and, it will also maybe save you money for services that incentivize paying a yearly subscription.

(For the petty police, I know that not everyone can do this. This is a LIST of ADHD hacks for people to choose from!)

SIMILARLY, i also have my house bills and work expenses paid 1 month before (minimum), so I’m one month ahead. That way if something happens and I forget to pay something, it’s ok! No dings or late fees, as I’m often 2-3 months ahead.

#13 ADHD Hacks for Work: Cost Benefit Analysis (Hire It Out!)

As a working person, the ultimate resource and leverage you have is TIME.

Time is finite.

Buuut, you can buy more time, by offloading your work and hiring things out.

There’s a lot of judgement that comes with buying ease, and I know there are really interesting cultural reasons for that.

Instead of flailing around in that mental muck and goo, try this:

“Is this the best use of my time? Am I uniquely qualified to do this?”

“Is this the best use of my time? Am I uniquely qualified to do this?”

If not, hire it out! This can be anything from getting a meal delivery service, to getting groceries delivered, hiring a virtual assistant, and the list goes on.

You might not be able to hire everything out right now, so I recommend prioritizing what you delegate by what bring you the most income and what you hate the most.

If you can get a positive ROI going, making more money by delegating and hiring tasks out, then you create a sort of self-feeding cycle. You earn more money by hiring things out, which in turn can buy more ease.

I recommend starting small with this one. Hire out grocery delivery before a cleaning service. Test out an agency or contractor before hiring an employee. Etc etc!

Also, you may want to try framing this as buying time for rest or health. In December, my brother started helping me with my blog, doing various tasks. And while he’s at my home, I take the time to go exercise. I think of this as “buying time to exercise,” which is obviously kind of important to my overall health.

(if this hack rubs you the wrong way, sorry not sorry! My blog, so I’m being real about what works for me. If you don’t have room in your budget, you could test out things that are no-cost, like mobile pickup for groceries instead of grocery shopping, etc)

#14 ADHD Hacks for Work: Office Supplies on Auto-Delivery

IDK who came up with the setting for auto-deliveries on Amazon, but I hope they got a big fat bonus check for it!!

I don’t use this as much as some of my clients do, but you can get various office products (and do this for your household!), so you don’t run out of stuff. And can save space in your brain by not rehearsing what you need to pick up from the store after work!

Things like:

• Paper towels and toilet paper
• Cleaning products
• Printer paper
• Pens (where do the pens even GO?! Idk)
• Printer ink

Set it and forget it, babe! Alternatively, you can buy in bulk at Costco!

#15 ADHD Hacks for Work: Track Your Time – Every 15 Minutes

This next ADHD hack for work probs deserves its own blog post, but here we are!

The TLDR is that I use time tracking — tracking my time every 15 minutes. I do this for about a week every other month (ish, that’s what the average is), and this has been SO HELPFUL.

I now have a more clear understanding of how long things will actually take me (verses my kind of made-up guesstimate courtesy of my ADHD brain).

I used to get mad at myself for going off schedule, and then I realized that things I thought would take 20 minutes often took… 2 hours. I then figured out how to be more productive, do less, or accept that things take longer!

ADHD hack for work fTW!

#16 ADHD Hacks for Work: Dream Down!

If something stays on my to-do list for longer than three days, i cut it by a third. For example, if my goal (that I’m failing to do) is to make a doctor’s appt, I cut this task down y a third. I put “Call and leave a message” on my to-do list.

Same with cleaning (I break a room into quadrants or spend 15 minutes cleaning instead of the desired 45 minutes), etc.

Side note: I almost *always* feel guilty when I do this, because I feel like I should bully myself into compliance. But here’s the thing — I’ve had tasks sit on my to-do list for WEEKS, that then get done in a few days or a week, when I chunk them down by a third.

It’s better to give in and have a task take a week than sit on my to-do list for 3 months, don’t you agree?

#17 ADHD Hacks for Work: Brain Dump It THEN Organize It

A few years ago, I had a BIG aha moment.

It was BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING.

I realized that my brain could not both sort the PRIORITY of the task and make a RUNNING LIST of tasks.

Put another way, I was trying to brainstorm all my tasks on paper AND prioritize them. Which was hard, because I didn’t know when to schedule each task — the priorities were all jumbled in my mind. It was like my brain was giving me a Blue Screen of DEATH.

I hope that makes sense!

Instead of doing this, TLDR, is I brain dump a list of tasks on a single sheet of printer paper and THENNNN I identify top tasks and THENNNNNN I schedule.

I got so good at doing this that after about a year or so (ish?) I’m able to do this at the start of the week. (Shoutout to Growth Mindset!)

I never would’ve been able to plan my week with that much granularity, but starting with identifying my top 3 tasks, then designing my day, then designing my week – I’m on fire! (Now I’ve gotten to the point of planning months ahead.)

But remember with this one to start where you are.

Brain dump first. Then prioritize. Then schedule.

#18 ADHD Hacks for Work: Get a Work Wardrobe with REPEATS

Ok, as a fashion blogger, I do not have a capsule wardrobe. In fact, when I get requests for a plus size minimalist wardrobe tips or a “capsule work wardrobe,” I kind of cackle to myself.

Honey, I’m a maximalist. Zebra rug and green velvet couch FTW.

Instead of trying to cram your work life into a capsule wardrobe, do this:

Buy multiples of the same outfit, with variation.

Do you like a specific blazer from Company X? Cool.  Try to find another color or print.

Do you like work slacks from Company Y? Wonderful! Buy a few more pairs!

Sometimes, my ADHD brain needs fewer choices in the AM — so I go for my work uniform of the season. Which I usually have 3-4 of.

(That’s why you’ll always see me tweeting about this shirt.)

#19 ADHD Hacks for Work: Mix Things Up with Nuuly

Ok, but who wants to live a life of BORING work uniforms.  What if you crave spontaneity?

But what if you ALSO know that you have a habit of getting obsessed with a new clothing item, wearing it all of the time and then being #OverIt?

Or what if you just DO NOT have the space to build out a wardrobe that brings you joy? Or you worry about feeling the need to reinvest in a work wardrobe every year that feels good, due to the energy, cost or environmental impact?

NUULY, my friend!

Nuuly is my favorite fashion subscription service (of the moment), and I love their range of options – bright green faux fur coats to more relaxed options – making them my sort of go-to dress up box for life.

I snag new pieces every month (well, I don’t have a subscription year round, usually just summer and fall, as I have more of a winter work wardrobe that feels cozy and good) AND THEN keep the pieces if I want them for another month – or send them BACK!

My ADHD brain loves new options and things to try, without feeling guilty over my clothing graveyard in one of my closets.  (Yes I have multiple closets for clothes)!

(If you’re plus size, def follow me on TikTok! I regularly-ish review my Nuuly pieces there!)

#20 ADHD Hacks for Work: Share Your Hard Stop at the Beginning of the Meeting

My next ADHD hack is for meetings, especially if you know the person running them runs over — messing with the flow of you day and your  brain.

At the beginning of the meeting, share a hard stop.  Ie “Hey all! Excited to be here. FYI I have a hard stop at 4PM.”

Then you can gracefully use the Zoom chat to duck out.

This doesn’t work with nefarious bosses (in my experience as a career coach), but this can be SUPER helpful with well-meaning people who dilly dally or fart around.

#21 ADHD Hacks for Work: Don’t Start a Meeting without an Agenda

Another one of my tried and true tactics for ADHD at work is to ask for an agenda for a meeting.

BUT I don’t call it an “agenda,” typically, as people get overwhelmed or snippy at that term.

Instead, I send 3 questions:

1. What would you like to discuss at this meeting?
2. What decisions should we make during this meeting?
3. Are you/we waiting on any outside info for this meeting?

I don’t send it as a listicle format, I send it as an email reply. Their response becomes the agenda.

You can also test sharing an agenda before the start of a meeting.

Why do I do this?

My short attention span.  And working with other ADHD-heads.  I know that I need goalposts for a meeting, and agenda items can also prevent people from chasing thought bunnies.  ALSO, I think most people have a limit on how many meetings they can handle a day, and we’re often pulled into meetings we don’t need to be on. 

Also, sending the not-an-agenda-but-actually-an-agenda email can help prevent meetings that are premature. It’s sucks to get on a call, get an update and realize no decision can be made — forty minutes into the call

Get the info pre meeting!

(You can also use my fave hack of scheduling emails in gmail to check up on meetings, seeing if there are any updates the day before the meeting.)

#22 ADHD Hacks for Work: Get a White Noise Machine

Ok, I feel like every blogger/influencer has a few products they REFUSE to shut up about, and this white noise machine is mine.

I’ve bought 3 over the last 4 ish years (they’d last longer, but I take them traveling with me on planes), and OMG I love this thing

It has multiple white noise settings, and this has made such a difference for my ADHD brain.

Mostly, it’s been great to use to sleep as I live in an urban area.  It’s also handy to have on hand if you’re working at home and a housemate is on a call (or you’re both on a call).

If you find little noises distracting, highly recommend this little guy.  (And I love the aesthetic, real talk.)

#23 ADHD Hacks for Work: Surrender to Multiple Calendaring Systems

Being a blogger has been helpful for my life in many ways (the passive income, for one), and specifically it has helped me build in self-reflection, because, well, I write about my life!

Being a coach has helped, too!  

Anyways, something specifically helpful about being a blogger is that it’s made me realize that I rotate between 3 to 5 calendaring systems. 

I realized sometime last year, that it is OK to have an ugly calendaring system if it works. And while mine isn’t perfect, because I am not perfect it includes:

• Google calendar
• Acuity for scheduling calls easily
• Time tracking on my Notes App (off and on)
• Paper planning for to-do list at beginning of week 
• Daily misc to-do list

I’m pretty sure the only thing that I don’t actually use is a paper planner, and that may change in 2023. My point here is that I want you to learn to accept to use multiple platforms or mediums to plan your life, and be OK with it. Are used to feel self-conscious about using software programs, hardcopies, and a lot of looseleaf paper. But it works for me. There’s no point in trying to get yourself to follow some influencers calendaring system or bullet journal or whatever, if it doesn’t work for you.

In addition to this, I encourage you to be OK if you only use a paper calendar or planner for a few months and then stop. You may not use a planner for every month of the year, and your systems are going to change because often ADHD can make our brains like to try new things.

I know more than one ADHD cutie, including myself, has looked at a half used planner and felt really guilty. We feel like we should have used the whole thing. But if that planner was really helpful in those three months that you used it then it’s fine. No need to feel guilt. And if you use that planner for a month and then realized it wasn’t really working for your brain, I hope that you’re proud of yourself for trying something new and being open to iteration.

ADHD is all about iteration. Trying and testing new things to see what works!

#24 ADHD Hacks for Work: Optimize for Efficiency – CLOCK OUT!

This next ADHD hack for work isn’t going to work for everyone.

But for my people who own their own business, work remotely or self-employed, this might apply to your life!

ADHD sometimes means we can do things faster, but if all we do is reward ourselves with more work (when we finish our work), then I can feel very demotivated.

Instead I encourage you to make your to do list for the day, figure out how much time everything will take and be reasonable, and then when you finish your to do list, and then end your workday.

END. YOUR. WORKDAY.

In my own work as a coach, I’ve seen a lot of people feel like they should work an eight hour day. But many people do not actually work eight hours. They may be in front of their computer for eight hours of the day, but they’re usually getting 3 to 4 hours of work done, maybe 5, in my experience.

If you have a job or a business where you are in charge of your time, then I encourage you to figure out what works for you and clock out when you’re done. You can start to test out your ADHD superpowers to see what works for you. 

In my own work I found that I tend to work for 2 to 3 hours and then go do other stuff for 2 to 3 hours and then come back. I do end up working 5 to 8 hours every day, but it’s more spread out with a lot of breaks. I do not work 8 hours in a row, and this is on purpose!

The TLDR here is this:  figure out what you need to do at work that day, be realistic, and clock out when you’re done.  You may find yourself more motivated and ready to tackle the day when you have a clear finish line!

ADHD Hacks for Self-Care and Brushing Teeth

Somewhere along the way, I realized I was forgetting to brush my teeth. That’s embarrassing, but it’s the truth. Here are some self-care hacks I’ve tried (that have worked!) for me to brush my teeth — and do other stuff I want/need to do!

#25 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Talk To Yourself Like You’re a Rambunctious 5-Year-Old

Like I’ve shared earlier, a lot of shame can pop up for folks with ADHD, and that shame is especially pesky around self-care.

Instead of beating yourself up, try talking to yourself like you’re a fun-loving rambunctious five-year-old who sometimes forgets to brush their teeth.

It sounds cheesy, but this ADHD hack for self-care has worked for me!

#26 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Give Yourself Gold Stars

I give myself gold stars, liberally. Look, I know some people say millennials are obsessed with 8th place trophies – and maybe it’s true – doesn’t matter! I use this to my advantage.

#27 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Place Sunscreen ALL OVER Your House

My next ADHD hack for self care is to put sunscreen all over your house. And in your car. The reason that this is a hack is because with ADHD we often don’t remember to do something unless we have a visual cue or a visual trigger. And doing things every day, remembering to do those self-care tasks that should happen every day can be tough. For this reason I bought a bunch of sun bum sunscreen from Amazon, and I placed it in various places in my house and car. Because I have sunscreen tucked in various spots it reminds me to use it and I am more likely to put on sunscreen.

Sunscreen is part of my ADHD morning routine, which you can read about here, but because I go in and out of the sun throughout the day as do you I am sure, it’s important to put on sunscreen multiple times a day.

#28 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Get CostCo Sized Bodywash (Cetaphil)

For my next ADHD hack for self-care, I would like to ask you a question:

How many empty bottles do you have in your shower or bath tub?

I often have 2 to 3, to try to remind myself to buy more. I particularly have this bad habit with body wash, often using shampoo if I don’t have body wash in the shower.

Hey, clean is clean!

A couple of years ago I got my first Costco membership, and I started to buy things in bulk. One of the things that I buy in bulk is Cetaphil, as my esthetician told me to use it as body wash, because it does not contain harmful sulfates. (More on my skincare routine here.)

I like to buy the Costco sized version of this cleanser, because you get two large ones for pretty much the same price as what you can get in other stores. This means I have a back up, and I also means I have to change this out less because I have a larger bottle.

I love  big bottles!!!

#29 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Buy Self-Care or Personal Items in Bulk (Black Friday FTW)

Speaking of Costco, my next favorite self-care ADHD hack is to buy self-care items at Costco in bulk.

I know that this doesn’t work for everyone’s budget and space, but I am sharing my own hacks on my guide to ADHD hacks.

I buy almost all of my self-care items in bulk, so that I don’t have to think about it when making my shopping list.  I’ve never run out of razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand soap, pads/tampons, etc, in the past year, because I bought it all in bulk.

This actually didn’t take up at nearly as much space as I thought it would, and this makes caring for my body and myself so much easier. I don’t have to carry the mental load of trying to figure out what I need to buy, and everything is right there when I need it.

#30 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Organize Shower/Bathroom Counter by Self-Care Routine

There’s next ADHD self care hack ties and pretty heavily to the ADHD morning routine I have felt for myself, so I am not gonna go into a lot of detail here. The short of it is is that I have a two sink vanity in my primary bathroom and I use that space. I didn’t necessarily do this on purpose,  but it is what’s happened. I have my self-care routine and morning routine all lined up in order on my counter, so I can just go in order.

You may not have that much space and that’s OK. I encourage you to look at little corner shelves for a bathroom counter, etc., to experiment with how you could do this in your own life!!

Remember!

Experimentation! Iteration!

#31 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Don’t Leave the Bathroom Until You’re DONE

This next ADHD hack for self care sounds kind of silly, but it’s made such a big difference in my life. When I get ready in the morning I have learned not to leave the bathroom, until I’m totally finished. Are used to be that I would get out of the shower then get half dressed then put on some make up then start breakfast then go back to the bathroom. This meant it was easy to forget things. So now I have a mental cue that when I grab the bathroom door in the morning I ask myself, “Am I done in here?”

And if not, I finish up!!

If you look at my blog post on an ADHD morning routine, you’ll see that I do sometimes bob around my house. So it just depends on what sort of like phase I am in and how I’m trying to structure my morning. Right now this is what is working for me and I imagine later this year I might go back to bopping around.

I think of this as having multiple “modes” or “settings,” mixing things up in my daily schedule for my ADHD brain that craves newness!

#32 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Get 90 Day Prescriptions

This next ADHD hack for self-care I recently shared with one of my best friends. They were having issues getting their prescription filled, because of various communication issues with their pharmacy and doctors office.

I shared that you can get a 90 day prescription instead of 30 with many medications, and that blew my friends mind!  So much less to manage.

Now, unfortunately, if you take Adderall then you probs won’t be able to get a 90 day supply.  But for other meds this can be helpful.

#33 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Backup Pills in Purse or Bag

How many times have you gotten to the car or gone to where you’re going and realized you forgot to take your ADHD medication? For this reason I like to have a few Adderall capsules in my purse, just in case!  I keep mine in prescription bottles because I fly a lot, but you could get a cute little carrying case!

#34 ADHD Hacks for Self-Care: Build Up a Morning Routine

This is probably one of my top ADHD hacks, and it is to build a morning routine. In this blog post I share how to build an ADHD morning routine while also having spontaneity and having fun. And morning routine is often taken to having a sort of drudgery in your morning, and that’s not what I’m advocating for.

A morning routine can help set you up for success for your day, and I try to expand as little executive function as possible in my morning so that I can save that for the day. If you find yourself spinning your wheels trying to just get ready for the day, you can be exhausted before your day fully gets going. I’m all about preserving my brain energy, and a morning routine also makes me feel more put together and assured that I am doing the self-care tasks that I want to be doing every day.

#35 ADHD Hacks for Brushing Teeth: Put Your Toothbrush in Your Shower

There’s next ADHD hack for self-care is kind of silly, but it absolutely works for me. Having ADHD med that I sometimes forget to brush my teeth, which is kind of gross. 

A few years ago I looked down at my toothbrush and I realized that I could just brush my teeth in the shower. I think I realize this after reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and all about habit stacking. Now I have my toothbrush and toothpaste in the shower and I brush my teeth in the shower!

I also have a small bottle of travel Listerine in my shower, which brings me to my next ADHD hack for self-care:

#36 ADHD Hacks for Brushing Teeth: Put Your Listerine (Mouthwash) in Your Shower

I was getting annoyed as I started using Listerine again, because the big bulky bottle often got really gross and left residue on my counter and in my bathroom sink, which I didn’t love cleaning up.

During a trip, I put my toothbrush in the shower and I realized I could put my Listerine in the shower. Now I have a travel size Listerine in my shower (right this very minute), and it holds about a week’s worth of use.  Ish.  😉

I know I regularly use mouthwash in the morning because it’s literally right in my face as I’m in the shower.

But because it’s a small travel size to fit in my shower, I do have to refill it. And it could be easy to forget to refill it except… (see next hack)

#37 ADHD Hacks for Brushing Teeth: Chuck Listerine into Sink When Empty

When I run out of Listerine I literally poke my head out of the shower and toss the tiny bottle into my sink where I do my morning routine then when I’m doing my morning routine I see the tiny bottle in the sink and it reminds me to fill it. Boom!  I’ve hacked my ADHD morning routine as needed!

This is really nice because that I only have to worry about cleaning up after pouring out of the big listerine bottle about once a week, instead of every day.

ADHD Hacks for Relationships

Below, I’ve shared my ADHD hacks for relationships. These hacks won’t be applicable to everyone, but I hope you gain some helpful info for your own life!

#38 ADHD Hacks for Relationships: Buy Gifts in Bulk

This first ADHD Hack for Relationships comes from my mom!

Growing up, we had a “Gift Basket” in our storage room. No, not, like, a singular gift basket.

A basket full of GIFTS.

My mom got tired of being surprised to learn about birthday parties (when we had had the invitation for weeks, ahem), so we had this little bin with gifts we could choose a gift from.

Now, as an adult with ADHD, i do something simialr!

I bulk buy candles as host gifts or for friends for holidays, and when in a romantic relationship I keep a little secret stash of gifts for my lover(s). Gift giving is my love language, and I found I was missing important dates due to shipping times (and procrastination), so having gifts onhand — that have been thoughtfully curated — has been CLUTCH.

#39 ADHD Hacks for Relationships: Fridge Photos & “Thinking of You!” Texts

Sometimes ADHD can come with object impernanence, which makes things hard when it comes to PEOPLE.

It can be hard to think of people when they’re not in front of your face every day.

I solve this by keeping photos of my friends and loved ones on my fridge and in my house (switching up where these frames live as I clean, so my brain continues to register them), and I also send a “Thinking of you!” text whenever someone pops in my mind.

Soemtimes, I don’t have brainspace for a full catch up, but these texts can feed my connection with people in my life, making it so I don’t go MONTHS without talking to someone.

Oh, and if someone pops in my head and I haven’t texted them in months (cough, years)? I send the text anyways! They may not reply, and that’s ok!

#40 ADHD Hacks for Relationships: Send Cards – Not Calls

Related to sending “Thinking of you!” texts, I have also gotten into sending cards!

I really lvoe cards, because they show you’re being thoughtful without demanding social interaction or scheduling a phone call. with busy friends in multiple countries, cards are a life saver.

I don’t send cards all year — I usually get into a “Card Kick” and send cards, but this has been a suepr helpful way to stay in touch with people. When on my Card Kick, I send anywhere from 1 card to 5 cards a day. I keep the stampsand cards on top of my fridge, so I SEE them, and I can send the card on my morning walk, plopping it into the post office box by my house.

#41 ADHD Hacks for Relationships: Get a Scheduler / Calendar Link for Friends/Family to Use for Regular Calls

This next ADHD hack for relationships is one I’ve been trying, but haven’t 100% figured out.

A few years ago, I started using a calendar link for clients to easily book calls. This was a lifesaver, as people didn’t have to go back and forth with me.

Fast forward a few years, and I’m currently working to build out a calendar link to send to FRIENDS so we can schedule catch up calls and regular chats. Most of my friends live in other states/countries, and scheduling calls can be hard! Sending a personalized link ONLY for friends/loved ones will help make that process easier.

I hope!

#42 ADHD Hacks for Relationships: Get Season Tickets

This is another ADHD hack for relationships that is in the early stages, as i’ve been working more on building and growing relationships in 2023.

Soemtimes, you need a DEADLINE to get together (“there’s no inspiration like the deadline!”), and getting season tickets can do this.

Basically, my idea here is that by having show tickets, I can make time and invite my loved ones to do things regularly — because the tickets are bought.

I love theatre, so I’m planning on season tickets – but sports tickets work, too!

#43 ADHD Hacks for Relationships: Embrace a Weekly Podcast (Voice Note)

I have to admit, I got this next ADHD hack for relationships from TikTok (of course)!

Basically, the idea is to send your besties a 2-3 minute voice note with udpates and fun stories. You listen to this voice note like a podcast, and it’s so fun.

At first, I got overwhelmed with voice notes (I hate voicemails), but once I treated them like a PODCAST it went better.

Also, when I first started doing this with friends I made a rule that a voice note can’t be longer than 1 minute. This has made things wayyyy easier, as seeing a 5-7 minute voice note used to overwhelm me, lol.

Sometimes, I’ll even do a fake podcast jingle in my voice notes, and say something like, “This is season 517 episode 4b of Brianne’s life” just to be funny. I’ve been having a lot of fun with this ADHD hack for relationships.

#44 ADHD Hacks for Relationships: Take a Weekly Class Together

Similarly to season tickets, you can set up a sort of “required” thing on your calendar by taking a class with your bestie or friends. This is an ADHD hack, because you don’t have to remember/remind yourself to build connections and socialize. You can pre-book this, and know that every Tuesday for the next however many weeks you’re taking a class!

I recommend making this a class where you can talk (think paint and sip nights). Workout classes are great, but I’m usually too busy huffing to catch up!

#45 ADHD Hacks for College Relationships: Schedule Reminders

Something that I’ve found helpful as an ADHD hack for relationships is to schedule reminders in my phone to reach out to people.

Now, this doesn’t work if you schedule the reminder for the busiest time of your workday. I find that doing this at night is helpful, when I’m winding down and reading fun romance novels on my phone.

I literally schedule reminders to reach out to a specific best friend, or I schedule a reminder like, “Text 3 friends one meme.”

ADHD Hacks for Cooking

I am not a fan of cooking. Some of my very best friends adore creating beautiful meals, and I’m ever so grateful they share them with me

Here are my ADHD hacks for cooking, that could honestly be seen more as ADHD workarounds for avoiding cooking if you dislike it. 😉

#46 ADHD Hacks for Cooking: Put Sauces in Vegetable Drawers

I can’t take credit for this ADHD Hack for Cooking! I got this from TikTok!

Instead of putting away vegetables into drawers, where they’re probs likely go bad (object impernanence FTW), instead put your condiments or other staples in the drawers.

Put your vegetables and fruits where you can SEE THEM.

#47 ADHD Hacks for Cooking: Ordering Out? Order 2 Dinners in One!!!

This next ADHD hack for cooking goes out to all my beloveds who ALSO are not a fan of cooking.

Instead of feeling bad for food delivery (sometimes I feel like I roll around in guilt with ADHD), try this:

Order two meals, not one.

You read that sentence correctly! Instead of ordering 1 meal, treat this as an opportunity for half-assed emal planning.

Take advantage of where your brain is at, food delivery fees and tip — and order a dinner for tonight, and one that will keep for a day to eat TOMORROW night.

Boom. Half-assed meal prep planning!!

#48 ADHD Hacks for Cooking: Get Groceries Delivered

I used to love getting my groceries delivered through Instacart, but then I kept having issues, like having the delivery person forget… eggs. And other staples on my list.

BUT, I think this might be because I’m not in an urban hub, where there are a lot of great Instacart shoppers.

In any case, if your ADHD brain also gets super tired grocery shopping – get them delivered. I have switched to mobile pickup from Smith’s (a grocery store in Utah), and overall, I’ve been very happy with the produce the staff has selected for me (I was initially worried about being given kind of gross or bottom shelf produce so to speak).

This ADHD hack is a big win for me, because I save TIME by not going grocery shopping< and also a crap ton of brain energy!

Yay for preserving executive function!

#49 ADHD Hacks for Cooking: Become Besties with Your Crockpot

This next ADHD hack may be obvious, but oh well! I’m not super into crock pot cooking myself, but I know others are!

Using a crockpot makes it easier to make meals when your brain is fresh (earlier in the day), and if you use the right crockpot, I’m pretty sure you can have a meal ready when you get home from work.

#50 ADHD Hacks for Cooking: “Fed is best!”

During the busier seasons of my business, I kind of live on frozen meals and dino-nuggets.

I freaking LOVE dino-nuggets.

And, while I could feel guilty about this, I remember the adage: “Fed is best.”

This is actually a saying taht people use to debate the pros/cons of baby formula, and the ADHD/neurodiverse community has adopted it.

Just FEED yourself!

#51 ADHD Hacks for Cooking: Non-perishable? Buy Two!!

When shopping for groceries, I like to buy 2 of any non-perishable item I need, like Ketchup, Mayo, seasoning, canned tuna, etc.

The idea here is to have backstock, so you’re not scurrying around trying to get perishables at the last minute. It really feels great to reach into my pantry and know something is there.

#52 ADHD Hacks for Cooking: Meal Prep, Kind Of

I try varying levels of meal prep, nothing truly impressive.

And, like a lot of things on this list, half-assing it is really great!

I cook bacon in the oven 1x a week, so I have ready-to-eat bacon for breakfast. Someitmes, I’ll cook chicken breast for lunches. Other times, I’ll order fresh made meals from Smith’s (love Home Chef).

Overall, remember that you can prep smaller things you eat throughout the week. It doesn’t have to be a big to-do like you see on TikTok!

#53 ADHD Hacks for Cooking: Buy the GD Chopped Vegetables & Bagged Salad

This next ADHD hack for cooking comes from my mom.

She buys pre-cut vegetables, because she actually EATS them. Genius.

Same goes for me! I could feel bad about it and tell myself, “Oh I’ll chop vegetables this week!” Or I could be real AF with myself,a nd buy the chopped carrots!

I’ve also taken this approach with bagged salads. They keep me alive, and eating a salad kit actually happens – salads from scratch just… don’t.

ADHD Hacks for Motivation

Ahhh, motivation! MOTIVATION! That pesky m-word we obsess over. 

Not to be a dramatic wannabe academic, but the way us ADHDers talk about motivation reminds me of how the Ancient Greeks talked about the Muses. Worshipful, pleading, perhaps a bit angry.

Here are my ADHD motivation hacks.

#54 ADHD Hacks for Motivation: Chunk a Task Into Thirds

is one of my best:

If a task stays on my to-do list for more than 3 days, I break it down into 3 sub-tasks.

Oftentimes, I think that I’ll be easy to do a task — no problem!! — and then it…. just doesn’t get done.

For whatever reason (overwhelm, anxiety, I keep forgetting, etc), at day 3, I decide a task is too complex — and I chunk it into thirds.

Funnily enough, this blog post has been on my to-do list for most of this week, and it wasn’t until I chunked it down into thirds (and then AGAIN into thirds, because we’re at like 10K words at this point), that I was able to get to this point!

I’ve learned that the issue with to-do list tasks is that something can “seem small and easy to do,” but actually isn’t, for wathever reason.

Instead of gaslighting myself about why this task “should” be easy, I rol with it, and i chunk it down.

I literally look at my to do list and go, “Well, that’s not working! Let’s break this down!”

#55 ADHD Hacks for Motivation: Venmo Method

I talk about “The Venmo Method” with a good number of clients and students who take my courses and workshops.

Basically, the idea here is that if you have something you NEED to get done — but don’t want to or are anxious about how much you want to — then you pull out Venmo.

Or cash. Or Zelle. Or whaever works for you.

Then, you decide on a dollar amount that will hurt JUST ENOUGH for you to do it.

Then you Venmo that money to a friend (with their permission).

And you don’t get it back until the task is done. You set a deadline with your friend (I recommend choosing your loving but mean friend for this who won’t accept excuses), and you venmo them with a deadline.

EX: “I am venmo-ing you $50 to inventivize me to write 1,000 words of my novel by Friday, March 3. If I don’t write 1,000 words then you could the money.”

NOW, for this to work you have to VENMO BEFORE YOU TRY. It doesn’t work to say, “I’ll venmo you on Friday if I don’t do this!” because, real talk, you won’t.

I’ve learned that if I put the money out BEFORE I need to do the thing, at the beginning of the week, I’m much more likely to do it! (I sometimes do this on Twitter, lol, for group accountability)

#56 ADHD Hacks for Motivation: “What is this yucky thing moving me towards?”

“You’ve gotta shovel some horse sh!t to ride horses.”

This may be a little small-town-girl of me to say, but it’s true! Soemtimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, because they take us closer to where we want to be.

If I’m feeling unmotivated about a task, I’ll ask myself, “What is this moving me towards? How does this fit into my goal, dreams and fun things I want to do?”

Once i remind myself of how this not-so-fun thing fits into fun things, I often get my butt into gear!

#57 ADHD Hacks for Motivation: Do it for 7 or 12 Minutes a Day

10 mintues feels fake.

I’m not sure why this is, but saying, “I’ll do X thing for 10 minutes!” feels fake. Phoney. Balogney!

Instead of using ten minutes, I choose kind of odd numbers you don’t see used a lot.

3 minutes
7 minutes
12 minutes

I often do this when I have to grit my teeth to do something, and I’ll say, “I will do X thing for 7 minutes today.”

Then, when the minutes are up — I’m done! This work greats for house projects or other life things that are going to take HOUrS. Get started with small victories, and you may make even more progress tomorrow (trying, say, 17 minutes instead of 7!) as you get going.

And, if you feel judgey over 7 minutes (for a project that could take 70 minutes or 17 hours), remind yourself that 7 minutes is better than nothing. 7 minutes is better than something staying on your to-do list.

#58 ADHD Hacks for Motivation: “I’m doing this for future Brianne”

It can be hard to be proactive. it can be hard to do things TODAY that will pay off….. years from now.

So when I do those kinds of things (investing money, supporting my health, online dating, etc, doing nitty gritty stuff for my business), I remind myself:

“I’m doing this for Future Brianne.”

Sometimes, I’ll take this one step further and say, “I’m doing this for 2024 Brianne” or “I’m doing this for 2025 Brianne.”

And, as someone who started saying this around 2021, current Brianne (in 2023) is very grateful to 2021 Brianne for doing those hard things! I have passive revenue and income in my life, because Past Me was proactive.

I encourage you to try this ADHD hack for motivation. See if you can become motivated for future you!

#59 ADHD Hacks for Motivation: Join Facebook Groups to Absorb Knowledge

When I first began my journey into personal finance, I was overwhelmed AF.

And something I quickly learned was how awesome a lot of Facebook groups are. I started to join Facebook groups (that were run by the hosts of my fave personal finance podcasts), and it was AMAZING.

Scrolling along and derping on social media meant I would see information and people talking about personal finance. I would make sure to engage with these posts (so I’d continue to see them), and I started to self-educate just seeing people in my newsfeed!

Relatedly, I make it a point to follow influencers in the space,

This ADHD motivation hack is great to use when you want to learn about something, but do NOT feel motivated, lol.

ADHD Hacks for Motivation: Hack Your “Competitive Type”

Last, but NEVER least, is this ADHD hack for motivation.

Hack your “Competitive Type.”

I have a few blog posts I’ve been working on this topic (subscribe here to get notified when they go live), but basically this ADHD hack is a challenge to figure out what motivates you.

• Does sharing your achievements on social media or with lvoed ones motivate you?
• Does money motivate you?
• Does accountability from groups of people motivate you?
• Does the epectation and accountability from a coach or mentor motivate you?

We all have different motivations! I, for one, am motivated by sharing my successes and public accountability. I’m less into being motivated by a group, and coaching can motivate me in certain areas.

So, because of this, I often share my goals publicly (even writing blog posts about them!), to encourage me to MAKE PROGRESS.

TLDR: Free write about what you find that motivates you (it’s def ok to be motivated by money), and keep self-judgement out of it! The more honest and real you are with yourself, the better you’ll do!

ADHD Hacks for Laundry

This section also could go under the cleaning section, but laundry takes up so much brain space I thought I’d share this as a separate list.

#60 ADHD Hacks for Laundry: Habit Stack for Dryer Lint

Did you know that dryer lint can cause house fires?!! OMG!!! Nightmare fuel.

I worry about forgetting to clean out my dryer lint tray, so I’ve taken a note from James Clear. Literally every time I put stuff in the dryer, I check the dryer lint trap tray.. thingy.

This means I’m often (basically always) cleaning an almost empty trap, but the habit stacking def keeps me more safe than just winging it!

#61 ADHD Hacks for Laundry: Buy Detergent in Bulk

Laundry detergent is a nonperishable item, so I buy it in bulk from CostCo. I keep a smaller box in my laundry area, and pour in detergent from the big box.

Because I go to CostCo every 3-4 months to stock up on non-perishables, it has been YEARS since I was fully out of laundry detergent.

I love it here!

#62 ADHD Hacks for Laundry: Buy MORE Socks & Underwear (Do Laundry Every 2 Weeks)

Like a lot of people with ADHD, laundry can be the bane of my existence.

Sometimes, I pay for other people to do my laundry. During November and December, I like to do it myself because life slows down a bit.

AND, this last year I realized — why TF am I doing laundry EVERY week? Or even multiple times a week?!1?

This left me in a sort of perma-laundry state, which is no fun.

Sometimes throwing in a load of laundry is like a… panic productivity moment for me.

When I need to feel like I’ve accomplished something, I want to throw in a load of laundry.

Problem is, that laundry can go days without being taken out of the washer or folded. And it gets emotionally heavy.

So for two weeks I pretend that I don’t even HAVE a washer, so it’s not an option.

Now I do ALL my laundry every two weeks, taking basically half my Saturday to do it. And omg it’s been such a relief to not have my drying rack (that I love!) always out in my apartment!!

This meant ordering a few wardrobe staples so I don’t need to do laundry every week, and it was 100% worth it (socks, mainly. I go through so many socks in a week!)

#63 ADHD Hacks for Laundry: Get Socks on Auto-Delivery

I do lots of walking, which means..

Holes in my socks.

UGH!

I hate holes in my socks, which is why I’m going to put my socks on auto-delivery for a few montsh to stock up. Then, i’ll cancel for a few months — then start up again. Amazon doesn’t have delivery options for every 2 months, but if they did I’d just leave that on for SOCKS!

If you don’t go through socks like me (lucky you!), I would take a moment to think about what you do go through a lot of — and then put THAT on laundry order.

ADHD hacks FTW!

ADHD Hacks for Productivity

Dependable productive output can be quite difficult for people with ADHD, at least it has been for me in the past! Here are my ADHD Hacks for Productivity.

#64 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Move Work Spots Every 2.5 Hours – Let Laptop Die

This next ADHD hack comes from my friend Alison, and I learned this during college.

Alison and I did our undergrad together, in different engineering disciplines. One day, Alison shared that she lets her laptop die ON PURPOSE, as the laptop dying reminds her to take a break.

This ADHD hack for productivity can then be used in two ways:

1. You can make sure to take breaks if you’re in hyperfocus mode, and avoid those sudden “OMG I haven’t attended to any bodily functions in 6 hours, and I have to GO TO THE BATHROOM RIGHT NOW!”
2. You can use your laptop battery as a sort of timer to get a project done. I have definitely moused over my battery to figure out how many minutes of battery life I have left, and use that as a sort of countdown clock to get stuff done.

#65 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Make Your Bed to “Cue” Your Brain

For years, I didn’t make my bed. After all, what was the point? I’d be back in it in no time!

BUT, then when I started experimenting with my morning routine, and having my shit #MoreTogether, I realized that making my bed set off a sort of internal signal, a la Pavlov’s dogs.

I’ve found that if I don’t make my bed, I tend to lounge around all morning in it — not necessarily a bad thing, but not great during the workweek when I’d like to, you know, get work done in the morning instead of scrolling the day away on Twitter.

Now, I start the day by making my bed before making breakfast, and it helps signal to my brain, “Hey, we’re working now!”

#66 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Leave Your Shoes On

This ADHD hack doesn’t SUPER work well for me at the moment, becuase Utah is snowy AF and I don’t want to keep my shoes on.

BUT I did want to share this ADHD hack I got from TikTok:

Keep your shoes on.

Something about taking your shoes off when you’re home for the day signals your brain to clock out. Keeping your shoes on can help you be more productive!

#67 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Trap Yourself at Starbucks

This next ADHD hack for productivity can sound kind of bad — but hear me out!

I trap myself at Starbucks.

Whenever I have a new course launching or something BIG I have to get done, I go to Starbucks — trapping myself there for 3-4 hours.

Sometimes 2, if I get my stuff all done!

Working from coffee shops is a great ADHD hack for productivity, because the change in environment can act as a signal to your brain. I don’t really hang out with friends at Starbucks or go on coffee dates there. So Starbucks can help me be more productive, because when I walk in — I know it’s work time!

#68 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Put Phone Chargers in Every Room

Have you ever been on a productivity ROLL, and then had to slow your roll to track down a phone charger?!

Ugh, hate that.

Instead of feeling guilty about never having a charger, I decided to go the opposite direction.

I have an OVERABUNDANCE of phone chargers — at least one in every room, so I can easily plug my phone in.

Boom. No more wasted time searching for a charger!

#69 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Put Phone Chargers on Auto-Ship from Amazon

Like socks, my phone chargers tend to disappear, or break during travel (that dang metal edge that goes into the phone is so fragile).

instead of beating myself up for this, I activated Amazon’s handy dandy automation to ship myself a few phone chargers every month or so. Sometimes I skip a delivery if I’m good, but usually I let it ride. I pack multiple phone chargers for business trips (my post on ADHD tips for business travel HERE), and it’s nice to have a good amount onhand!

Boom. Problem solved.

#70 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Buy a White Noise Machine (Brown Noise FTW)

If you’ve never tried working with a white noise machine on, TRY IT. It’s a game changer for me, and having that background noise is like a massage for my brain.

This white noise machine from Amazon is my go-to rec. It also helps me sleep better! (Shoutout to my bestie, Logan, for showing me how great this white noise machine is!)

#71 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: It’s Okay to Try Out a New Calendaring System Every 2-3 Months!

I have a productivity hack for ADHD that may change your life.

are you ready?

It is okay to switch between systems! Calendaring systems, operations systems, chore systems, etc.

This isn’t easy to do in a team work environment, but I’ve found that if my brain gets bored with a system — I stop using it. Ugh. Then other things in lfie break down, because i’m not using that system.

And, after doing some reflection at the end of 2022, I realized I have a clear system.

My systems often involve switching up systems every 3-4 months. For variety! To spice things up with some seratonin!

Instead of feeling bad for only using a planner or system for a few months, I realize there’s no point. The point of having a system is to be PRODUCTIVE. It is to LESSEN COGNITIVE LOAD.

And if switching between a few different personal organization systems, home cleaning systems, etc, does that? Then my systems WORK!

#72 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Use Scents to Get in the Mood — The WORKING Mood, lol

This next ADHD hack for productivity comes from my friends at Brennan Candle Co.

I found myself often puttng the Bright Eyes and Bushy Tales candle on a candle warmer when I started to work. Valery (the founder) shared that she does this, too!

I realized the scent acted as a Pavlovian signal for my brain, telling me when it was time to be productive.

10/10 recommend!

#73 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: DIY Work Retreat at a Hotel (“Adulting BS Conference”)

Sometimes, you need a change of environment to get your ADHD brain to be productive.

I’ve seen folks talk about doing this in a MAJOR way, going on a trip or checking in to a hotel locally to have a sort of “ADulting Retreat.”

Whether it’s writing a course, working on taxes, or whatever! Whatever they need to do that requires a few days of brain time — that isn’t getting done at home — turns into a little mini work conference with themself in a hotel.

#74 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: The Timer App on Your Phone is Your BFF

There are various phone apps for ADHD (I used Focus Keeper for a while and enjoyed i), and you can use your phone timer to do a sort of DIY pomodoro method.

You can work in sprints, in a sense, working for 15, 30 or 45 minutes and taking a break. I find that this method actually helps me keep an eye on the time, as it’s easy to spend 2 hours on something that I really only had 30 minutes allocated to!

#75 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Sweet Candy FTW

This is another ADHD hack from Logan. Some studies ave shown that sour candy can help activate your brain.

For a whiel there, I was taking a break in the afternoon to run to a gas station to snag a diet coke and fruit mentos pack, chewing on the sweet and tart candy throughout the day.

Now I just put those in my grocery order, and I snag those if I need a little extra juice!

#76 ADHD Hacks for Productivity: Dance Party Every 2.5 Hours

As someone with aDHD, I’ve found it very helpful to get up and do a little dance party before getting on calls (gets my energy up), especially calls with prospective new clients.

This also acts as a sort of ADHD hack for exercise, helping to get the blood pumping! You’re engaging new parts of your body, getting into a new brainspace and can feel refreshed after.

You will feel pretty ridiculous doing this for the first few times if you’re not comfortable “dancing it out,” but life is ridiculou! We’re on a spinning giant rock moving through space!!!

Let go and dance it out, babe!!

This blog post was all about ADHD hacks.  

What to Read Next —->

I hope that my ultimate guide to ADHD Hacks has been helpful for you! Below, I’ve shared other ADHD posts I believe you should read next!

• 22 ADHD Products
• My ADHD Morning Routine
• 4 Best Products for People with ADHD
• Why It Took Me a Year to Get ADHD Meds
• A Year After Taking Adderall – My Thoughts and Experience

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