ADHD Tools That Actually Help Me Focus (Without Feeling Forced)
Let’s be honest: focus with ADHD isn’t about trying harder — it’s about working with how your brain naturally moves.
There are a million productivity hacks out there. But if you’ve tried bullet journalling, five apps, and a tomato timer and still ended up doomscrolling... you’re not alone.
Here are 5 ADHD-friendly tools that have actually helped me get things done — without shame, without perfection, and without needing to become a productivity robot.
🧠 1. A Visual Daily Planner (That Doesn’t Judge You)
I don’t use planners with rigid hourly blocks anymore. Instead, I use a visual planner with open space, gentle categories, and room for real life.
🔗 Try it: The ADHD Reset Bundle includes a printable planner that’s flexible, fillable, and fog-day friendly.
🎧 2. Body-Doubling (Even Digitally)
I didn’t realise how powerful co-regulation was until I started doing tasks while on silent video with a friend — or with a “study with me” YouTube video in the background.
It’s not pressure. It’s presence.
Tools that help:
Flow Club (live co-working)
YouTube search: “body doubling ADHD”
A friend who’s also neurospicy + open to quiet company
⏱ 3. The Time Timer (or Any Visible Timer)
ADHD = time blindness. I literally forget time is passing unless I see it.
The Time Timer shows time disappearing like a visual pie chart — and that changes everything.
It helps me:
Start tasks
Notice when I’m drifting
Avoid 3-hour hyperfocus black holes
Alternative: Any Pomodoro app with a visible countdown, like Focus Keeper or Tiimo
📦 4. The “Later Box” System
Sometimes I can’t focus because my brain is full of everything else. So I dump those thoughts into a “Later Box” — a digital notepad, Post-it, or voice note.
It gives me permission to let go of the idea without losing it forever.
Bonus Tip: Add a “Later Box” section to your ADHD Notion dashboard or planner. You can use this one here as part of your ADHD Focus Dashboard.
🔁 5. A Dopamine Menu
Sometimes focus isn’t about tools — it’s about motivation.
Having a personal dopamine menu (a list of quick, satisfying mini rewards) helps me:
Start boring tasks
Break up big projects
Remember to celebrate when I finish things
✍️ Try this: Write your own Dopamine Menu (5–10 quick rewards that light your brain up). Or grab one inside the ADHD Starter Toolkit.
💬 Final Thought
No tool fixes ADHD. But the right tools can support the brain you already have — and help you focus without force.
What works is what works for you.
Start small. Experiment. Keep the ones that stick.
And always, focus gently. 🌿
