Every year, almost 10% of children in the United States are diagnosed with ADHD. Of these, 388 thousand are between two and five years old, over two million are between six and 11, and over three million are between 12 and 17. And there are over 400 thousand adults with the disorder.
Symptoms Of ADHD
You may not even realize you have ADHD. Even though the disorder typically presents during childhood, sometimes the signs are not noticed until you get older. You can take an online ADHD test to find out if you may have ADHD. Here are some of the symptoms:
- Difficulty concentrating
- You may have a hard time waiting for things
- Trouble sleeping or staying asleep
- Rush through tasks without reading the directions
- Get distracted often
- Can be very disorganized
- Forget things frequently
- Often lose things
- Cannot sit still long
- You may talk a lot and interrupt others
- Speak or act without thinking
Apps That Can Help
There are many apps that you can use on your phone, tablet, or computer that can make things easier for you. Keeping track of tasks, helping you stay organized, and even teaching you how to get better sleep. Check out some of these apps below.
1PasswordIf you have a hard time remembering your password, this app can help. In fact, even if you do not have ADHD, this is a great app to help you keep your passwords straight. And it is endorsed by over 60,000 companies like IBM, Dropbox, and Slack.
30/30This time-management tool reminds you every 30 minutes that it is time to take a break. The Attention Deficit Disorder Association says it is a fantastic app to have. No more getting lost in one project and not being able to finish all your work because 30/30 encourages users to concentrate on their tasks in 30-minute increments. No more procrastination. When you take your breaks, the app lets you decide whether or not you are making good progress.
AdBlock reduces ads so you do not get distracted by those popups that know exactly what you like. Advertisers use your browsing history to learn what you like and then show it to you in bright shiny ads. But AdBlock stops that from happening so you do not get sidetracked.
Asana You can use Asana to make your own to-do lists and due dates to keep you organized. This one also allows you to work with a team, assigning tasks and getting tasks of your own from others. The app keeps your due dates in mind and reminds you when you are getting close to time.
AutoSilentWe all know we are supposed to turn our phones on silent when we get to work. But sometimes we forget. If you find yourself forgetting more than you should, try this AutoSilent app that you can set to automatically go silent at a certain time of day every day or whenever you need it to.
BearThis is a unique app that lets you craft notes and documents with an easy and attractive interface so your writing is not a chore. Those with ADHD often have trouble keeping to-do lists organized and Bear can help with that. Tag your notes so you can find them easier and keep similar notes together.
Boomerang This add-on works with any email like Yahoo, Outlook, Hotmail, and Gmail to help you manage your inbox. You can schedule your emails so you can write them when you have time and have them sent when you want them to be read. You can even see if your emails have been read or not.
Brain FocusManage your time easier by blocking apps and notification so you can concentrate when you need to. Set it for as long as you need and it will keep those annoying notices from interrupting your tasks and let you focus on chores, school, work, or whatever else.
BrainsparkerSometimes you just need a little help getting your creative juices going. Brainsparker can light that spark in your brain to get you going with a daily inspiration or brainstorming session. With more than 250 inspirational notes for managers, photographers, editors, writers, and students.
Clear TodosDo you get overwhelmed often? When there is too much to do, this app helps break things down so you can set smaller goals and tasks to make it easier. It even color-codes and organizes your lists for you. No need for those sticky notes, Clear Todos can remind you without all that.
DueStay on track and make sure your tasks get done on time with this reminder app. Increase your productivity by letting your app tell you when you need to take your meds, meet your boss, or turn in an assignment. And when a task is due, your app will keep dinging you until you mark it as done.
EvernoteYou can scan handwritten notes, photos, videos, and websites to save on Evernote where you can find it later when you need it. The easy search function makes it simple, and you can control what you need to control when you need it.
FreakyAlarmFor those who hit the snooze button so often they are late every time or shut off their alarm when they are half asleep and do not even remember doing it. This is a special alarm that makes you prove that you are up and alert before it lets you shut it off. You may have to do a math problem, solve a puzzle, or take a picture of something in your house (far away from your bed). And the alarm is pretty loud and annoying so you cannot just ignore it.
IFTTT (If This Then That)This amazing tool works with other apps to communicate with each other. Let it sync your apps so that one thing can trigger another to make things smooth and easy for you. It can add a task to your Todoist or Evernote app if you set it to automatically set tasks you need to be aware of. It is easier than it sounds.
MindNode 5 Because you sometimes have trouble focusing on one task for a long time, this app helps you organize your ideas and notes with mind mapping. Let MindNode link your notes, links, photos, and words together to help you turn them into a solid idea.
MintAdd your credit and bank accounts to monitor your spending, create a budget, schedule your bills to be paid, and help you save money. This will save you from having to pay those late fees when you miss a payment or forget to pay someone completely.
OneTabDo you often have dozens of tabs open at once? That can get confusing and suck up all your computer memory. Let OneTab store all your tabs in one spot for you while you work. Use one tab at a time or open a few as you need them. This is a lifesaver for those who work online.
ProductiveWhen you have a lot to do, it seems like you cannot get anything finished. With this app, you can build a routine that is easy for you to follow so you can keep on task until you finish what needs to be done. Set your own goals and tasks to get more done by doing things one at a time.
RescueTimeHave you ever gone on Pinterest or Snapchat “for a minute” only to find out you have been on there for over an hour? Some of the websites we enjoy can become black holes that you fall into, keeping your goals from getting done. This app will track the time you are on sites and apps to show you if they are taking up too much of your time.
Sleep CycleMany of us with ADHD have trouble sleeping or staying asleep, making our symptoms worse and ruining our days’ work. Using Sleep Cycle, you will get an analysis of how well you slept the night before and how long you spent in each sleep stage. The app even helps you get a better night’s sleep and wakes you gently and gradually, so you do not wake up cranky.
TodoistGet all that info out of your head and into a list you can use to keep track of things. Todoist will keep you on task and productive by pinging you and motivating you to get things done as needed. All you have to do is enter a task, time, and a hashtag and the app does the rest.
Unroll.meHow many unread emails do you have right now? Some of us have thousands. And having so many messages to go through makes you even less motivated to do it. This tool lets you unsubscribe to those annoying emails that you accidentally enrolled yourself into. Simply and easily. Less emails and more time to get other things done.
Just For Kids And Teens
ADHD TreatmentHelp your child improve their cognitive functioning with interesting research projects that have been proven to help. This app is made just for kids to train their brain to learn, communicate, and behave differently. It also teaches skills like self-management, motivation, working memory, and decision making.
Choiceworks Calendar This app uses images and photos to help your child with ADHD. They can put their pictures into a sequence that helps them map out each day, a week, or a month. There are hundreds of images pre-loaded but other images can be uploaded as well. There are versions for teens, preteens, and preschoolers.
Conversation Planner Learning how to communicate or follow a conversation with others can be difficult for someone with ADHD or ADD. This app can help your child learn over 130 social skills on 18 different levels. Similar to a video game, they have to complete one level before moving onto another.
Eye to Eye: Empower This app uses Microsoft EDU to help kids work through a variety of activities they call quests. Each one will help your child understand their challenges and strengths so they can become more successful. As they finish their quests, they get ideas from the app that helps them learn how to better plan their activities and goals.
Homey Keeping track of chores and tasks around the house is difficult enough for adults so you know that children with attention challenges could use some help. Homey helps them set task goals on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to keep them on track. It also syncs to other devices to keep the whole family on the same page. It can even link to bank accounts to keep track of your child’s allowance and spending habits.
Stop, Breathe, and Think Kids Give your kids the tools to learn how to manage their ADHD symptoms. This app offers 15 mindfulness activities for free. The kids can check in and jot down their feelings and become calm with a relaxing scene or by helping them breathe slowly. You can also add on more activities as needed.
The Sims FreePlay The Sims may be a video game, but this app gives kids a fun way to learn how to master their everyday skills needed in the real world. They will create their own virtual character with preferences and personalities. Kids have to make sure their character takes care of themselves by sleeping, eating, bathing, and having fun.
Talk To Someone
With so many apps to choose from, why bother choosing? You can try them all. Most of them are free but some may have a small fee. They all have the potential to help anyone learn how to get a handle on their ADHD. But you should also make sure you or your child talks to a mental health professional as needed. With online therapy, you can do it from home, and you do not even need an appointment. To take the first steps to address your symptoms, take this test today.
