Tools I Use Every Day As An ADHD Mommy
Managing mom-life with ADHD is a challenge. I once read an article that was tilted “Being a Mom Is Hard. Being a Mom With ADHD Feels Impossible”. From forgetfulness to time blindness, decision fatigue and issues with emotional regulation, the list of symptoms often feels endless. They feel almost as infinite as our to-do lists. Being an ADHD mommy is hard.
I’m one of the few women who had an “early” diagnosis with ADHD. This means I have been lucky to have a head start in figuring out what works for me as a woman with ADHD and now a mommy with ADHD.
There are days where I feel like a complete mess. I ignore every reminder I set. And then there are days where I feel like I have my life together and I remember to do the majority of my to-dos. The truth is that life with ADHD has its ups and downs. With the right tools you can feel organised and together more of the time.
Here are the tools I use every day to keep myself organised, letting me thrive as a mommy with ADHD.
A Whiteboard Calendar – An Visual Reminder for ADHD Brains
Every month I set up my whiteboard calendar – well actually two of them. I have one on my fridge for my family commitments, appointments and tasks and I have another one in my office where I plan my deadlines for my work month. As an ADHD mommy this allows me to see everything for the month in one place.
By doing a month overview, rather than a week or a daily plan, I can mentally prepare myself for the week or month ahead.
With ADHD, out of sight often means out of mind. By keeping my calendars where I can see them everyday I avoid filing the tasks in the back of my mind where they are easily forgotten.
This can also be accomplished with a ADHD friendly printable monthly planner that you can stick up in front of your desk, paste into your workbook or diary or put on your fridge.
Sticky Notes, An ADHD Mommy’s Life Saver
I live for sticky notes. I use them for things like a reminder stuck on my fridge or the memo board in front of my desk. Even a quote that inspires me at the moment or ideas I need to put down on paper before they get lost in the chaos of my ADHD mind.
I use colour coded notes for different categories of my life. For example my freelance work is blue, my personal life is pink and my work life is purple.
Truthfully the colours don’t always stick. But when they do it makes it easier to find the thought or note I am looking for. Especially when they are right in front of my face on my memo board.
Reminders, Tasks & To-Do’s on Your Phone
Your phone and smart watch can be an ADHD Mom’s best friend.
Your phone’s calendar is one of the most powerful tools an ADHD mommy can have. This recent addition to my arsenal was added after reading Order from Chaos by Jaclyn Paul (of The ADHD Homestead). She recommends keeping everything that has a date associated with it on your calendar. Whether it’s that you need to get back to a friend about a coffee date or that you need to book your annual check up at your doctor by putting it in your calendar you are less likely to forget it when the time comes.
I use my phone to set reminders for appointments that notify me when you need to leave (my calendar syncs with maps to calculate how long it will take). This also makes sure I don’t succumb to time blindness and helps me avoid “waiting” all day for that appointment. As a mom with ADHD there is no bigger waste of time than avoiding tasks because you have an appointment later, but without my reminders I do exactly that for fear of forgetting or running late.
Another great tool is recurring reminders and alarms. I literally have an alarm that reminds me to go fetch my little dude from school. And I would be lying if I said that the alarm hadn’t been the only reason I left on time some days.
The to-do list app from Google is another neat app. It allows you to create separate lists. This in turn helps me keep my projects organised and my to-dos under wraps. I adapted my to-do list categories from Michelle at Pocket Full of Primary . Most evenings I try to consolidate and check off what I’ve done and still need to do.
Whatsapp – Helping Your ADHD Memory
My personal Whatsapp to myself is great for things I need to remember – like my shopping list. I would probably leave a physical list at home or lose it in my car or bag. Whatsapp lets me keep a note as I remember what I need. And the odds of me losing my phone are a lot lower (not impossible but lower) than a grubby piece of paper.
If you need to you can create different chats with yourself. Do this by creating a group with someone and simply removing them once the group has been established. I have a chat where I send myself links for workouts. Ive got another one for ideas I have on the go. I even have one that is just a brain dump spot.
Don’t even get me started on the number of groups my husband and I have with just the two of us. We have one for household tasks/chores/lists, one for our little memories and funny moments with our son, and one for our bill proof of payments, among many others.
Whatsapp is a central place you can dump information and later search for it. This makes a great ADHD tool.
Timers
This could be your phone or watch (and in my case it often does) or a physical timer like a kitchen timer. A timer is a great way to get over task avoidance with ADHD. By setting a timer for 5 minutes it can help you start a task you have been avoiding. This lets you build up momentum, while also giving you an “out” when the timer runs out. A longer timer can help you focus on the task at hand for an extended period of time without feeling overwhelmed or getting stuck in the task for the whole day.
With these tools I genuinely feel like I have my life together most of the time. With ADHD you need to work with your brain and what works for you. I’ve found that sometimes a system stops working and that’s okay. The key to keeping yourself organised with ADHD is to have different tools and systems you can fall back on and switch between as you find you need a change.
