As an ADHD adult, are you struggling to stay focused and organised? Believe me, you’re not alone… I’ve been there for 30 plus years! As a coder and designer, I find traditional productivity tools often fall short when it comes to neurodivergent minds, but there are some genuinely well-designed apps and browser extensions built for ADHDers, like you and me.
In this article, we'll explore 10 ADHD apps and browser extensions that have boosted my productivity or impressed me with their beneficial-to-ADHDers design. I’ve included a few big names on the list but also lots of lesser-known, niche tools that can genuinely help manage your ADHD.
Quick links to explore my top 10 ADHD apps and browser extensions:
1. Llama Life: Track Your Tasks
Llama Life is a super cool (and very cute-looking) task-tracking app. Built by fellow ADHDer, Marie Ng, who I’ve followed online for a while, the app is designed to approach task management in ways that actually work for ADHD brains. The app helps users to break down overwhelming tasks and set timers to increase focus. But, perhaps most importantly of all, it includes a feature that helps you understand how long particular tasks will take, which really helps with ADHDers’ time blindness.
2. Forest: Gamify Your Productivity
I’m a big fan of Forest. It’s a really unique app that turns staying focused into a game. Whenever you want to concentrate, plant a virtual tree. As long as you stay on task, your tree will grow. But if you leave the app to check social media or respond to notifications, your tree will wither. Over time, you'll build a lush forest that represents all your focused work sessions. It’s really motivating to see your forest grow.
3. Sunsama: The Integrated Daily Planner
If you struggle with time management, I think Sunsama could be a great app to try. This minimalist daily planner helps you schedule your day, automatically time-blocking tasks and offers top-notch integration with other tools. You can drag-and-drop tasks from apps, such as Asana, Github, and Notion, and even turn Slack and Teams messages into tasks. Any progress you make will be synched with your other tools, and you can also synch with Outlook and Google Calendars.
4. TickTick: Focus on One Task at a Time
TickTick is a nicely designed to-do list app that helps you focus on individual tasks. The app has put together different ways of approaching your task lists, from hitting a Pomodoro timer to sorting tasks based on the Eisenhower Matrix. The app's clean interface make it easy to stay in the zone as you knock out your to-do list one item at a time.
5. RescueTime: See Where Your Time Goes
One of the biggest challenges of ADHD is losing track of time. RescueTime solves this problem by automatically tracking how you spend time on your devices. The app generates detailed reports that show you where your time goes, helping you identify distractions and adjust your habits accordingly. This was one of the first tools that I used while getting to grips with my ADHD in the workplace. Try it and you’ll finally understand, with hard data, where your time is spent.
6. Brain.fm: Music for Focus
If you find that music helps you concentrate, Brain.fm could be a nice option. This app uses AI-generated music specifically designed to help you focus, relax, or sleep. The focus playlists are particularly effective for people with ADHD, providing just the right amount of stimulation to keep you engaged without being distracting.
7. 1Password: Never Forget a Password Again
Password management can be a nightmare for the ADHD brain. 1Password is a browser extension that simplifies the process by storing all your passwords in one secure place. With 1Password, you'll never have to worry about getting locked out of an account or wasting time resetting forgotten passwords. If you’re a Mac user, I’d also recommend saving your passwords via the Keychain Access App.
8. Momentum: Beautiful Reminders of Your Goals
Momentum is a browser extension I recently came across that transforms your new tab page into a beautiful, personalized dashboard. Each day, Momentum asks you to set a main focus, then displays it alongside inspiring quotes and stunning background images. It's a simple but powerful way to help ADHDers, who are often visual thinkers, to stay aligned with our goals.
9. Todoist: The Ultimate Task Manager
I’m sure you’ve already heard of Todoist. It’s a well-known task management app that's simple enough for anyone to use, but flexible enough to handle very complex projects. With features like natural language processing, recurring tasks, and priority levels, Todoist helps you capture and organise all your to-dos in one centralised place, which is always super helpful for ADHDers, because we struggle with context switching.
10. Notion: The All-In-One Workspace
Notion is a long-term favourite of mine. It works as an excellent centralised workspace where you can manage tasks, notes, journalling and projects in one place. Its customisable interface can take a while to master when you’re a newbie but it’s totally worth putting the time in. With Notion’s personalised layouts, you can break down larger tasks into manageable steps and reduce overwhelm by organizing information visually. Once you master Notion, in my opinion, you’ll never look back.
Bonus: Horse Browser - The ADHD-Friendly Browser
Horse Browser is a web browser I created specifically to help fellow ADHDers stay focused online. After decades of working online, I realised traditional browsers just aren’t designed for ADHD brains. Switching between tabs and hitting the back button creates a constant state of ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Which is kryptonite for anyone living with ADHD.
With Horse Browser, tabs are replaced with vertical ‘Trails’ of nested pages. It’s a unique navigation method that eliminates the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ design flaw of tabs and reduces visual clutter, making it easier to keep your place online and jump between tasks without losing focus. By offering a visual, intuitive way to navigate the web, Horse Browser frees you from the constant ADHD battle against forgetfulness and online distraction.
In conclusion
Living with adult ADHD can be challenging, but the right digital tools can make a big difference. By experimenting with these apps and browser extensions, I hope you’ll fine-tune a productivity system that works with your unique brain wiring, not against it. Remember there's no one-size-fits-all solution – the key is to find what works for you and stick with it.
You’ll have days that are easier than others but keep persevering. With a little trial-and-error, it’s possible to manage your ADHD and find your focus and productivity. And don’t forget to celebrate your wins - big and small - along the way!
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