I have recently learned of two apps that may be helpful to people with ADHD who struggle with time management, such as getting up in the morning, or organizing themselves with the morning or daytime routines.
Alarmy is the app that helps with getting up in the morning. For most people it’s the easiest thing in the world to hit snooze and go back to sleep. Unfortunately, this could lead to missed appointments, and you won’t wake up feeling any more rested than before. The best thing to do for most of us is to actually get up when your alarm goes off. But that’s could be easier said than done for clients with ADHD who struggle with staying with sleep hygiene. One of this app’s most helpful features is a photo feature that has you wake up and take a photo of the registered place to dismiss the alarm. Setting the registered place somewhere in the house you have to walk to could be the answer. For an alternative fun first-thing-in-the-morning activity that kickstarts your brain, you could solve simple or advanced math problems. Shaking the phone up to 999 times to wake up your body is another option.
Brili is the app that was designed for children, but works really well for many adults with ADHD. It allows you to customize your routine for any part of your day, mark recurring activities, and stay on task with completing them. The app has you set up the amount of time each task will take. This could be challenging for many people with ADHD since their inner clock may not be working or not be accessible. However, the exercise of setting the time by initially making a guess at each task could be helpful in learning how long things actually take. Completing something in less time than allocated can bring one a sense of empowerment.
My name is Elaine Korngold and I offer ADHD Counseling to adults in my private practice in Oregon. Using Executive Function assessments we identify the specific challenges each person faces and focus our sessions on addressing those. Contact me to learn more.