ADHD Essentials for the Hard Days
Living with ADHD can feel like a battle between ambition and distraction. You want to be productive, but your brain is running a hundred tabs at once and keeps clicking the wrong one. That’s why the right tools aren’t just nice to have, they’re non-negotiable. These essentials don’t promise to fix your brain (your brain is magic, btw), but they do help you work with it instead of against it.
Here are the ADHD productivity tools I swear by, and exactly how each one helps keep me grounded, focused, and moving forward.
1. Get your first dopamine hit of the day
Let’s start with a quick win. ADHD brains thrive on dopamine hits, and The Five Minute Journal delivers that daily. It gives you a structure to reflect, set intentions, and celebrate small wins, all in under five minutes. Starting and ending your day with purpose builds momentum and keeps your focus on what matters.
2. Use a focused time technique
This isn’t just another to-do list. The Productivity Planner uses the a focused time technique called the Pomodoro. It encourages you to prioritize your most important tasks each day. That means fewer scattered efforts and more concentrated wins, something every ADHD brain can benefit from.
3. Time block your day
Timers create boundaries. ADHD can make time feel slippery, but setting a visual or auditory countdown helps you see time passing. Use it for time blocking (like in the Pomodoro technique mentioned above), body doubling, or simply to make yourself start. The goal isn’t to finish, it’s to begin.
4. Bite size your tasks
Simple? Yes. Powerful? Absolutely. Sticky notes give ADHD minds something tangible to latch onto. Jot down one task per sticky note and stick it where you can see it. It turns abstract overwhelm into something bite-sized and doable. Aesthetic colors help too.
5. Regulate to focus
Fidgeting isn’t a flaw, it’s a regulation tool. A stress ball gives your hands something to do while your mind processes or focuses. It’s especially helpful during calls or writing sessions when your energy needs an outlet.
6. Reduce the sound to think more clearly
Sound sensitivity and distractibility are best friends with ADHD. Loop earplugs lower the volume on life without shutting it out completely. They’re a lifesaver in cafes, open-plan offices, or even just at home when your fridge hum feels personal.
7. Fidget to self soothe
Some days, your nervous system is screaming for sensory input. A fidget toy with multiple textures and functions can help you self-soothe, regulate, and focus.
8. Reduce restlessness, maintain your energy
If you constantly shift in your chair or sit in wild positions just to focus, welcome. A desk foot rest anchors your body and keeps your posture aligned, which helps reduce restlessness and physical fatigue. Surprisingly essential.
9. Encouragement for when you’re blocked
The Practice is a love letter to consistency and creativity. ADHD brains often crave novelty, but we need ritual to build momentum. Godin’s message: show up, do the work, even when you don’t feel ready. It’s ADHD gold.
10. Comfort yourself by naming your avoidance
The War of Art is for naming the Resistance. You know, the invisible wall that appears every time you sit down to do something important. Pressfield writes like he’s been inside your head, naming every ADHD avoidance behavior and offering a battle plan to move through it.
Build your toolkit
No one tool is going to fix everything, but a stack of the right tools will definitely help. Build your toolkit with intention, experiment to see what clicks, and remember: productivity for ADHD doesn’t look like anyone else’s. It’s yours to define.
Every product in this list is something I personally believe in and have seen make a difference. Some links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you decide to buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Curious Collective.
Now go get sh*t done, your way.
