adhd toolbox
Anxious about travel? Try TripIt
Please note: this is not an advert, nor do ADHD Counselling UK act as an affiliate or earn commissions from use of TripIt.
Anxiety about travel is a hallmark of ADHD - the unfamiliar environments, the planning, and the travel can be extremely overwhelming.
TripIt is a user-friendly app that does the organising for you. Either manually enter your plans through their interface, or simply forward your booking confirmation emails and it appears in the app's intinery.
TripIt is available for Android and Apple devices from TripIt - Travel Planner
Trouble Focussing? Try Focusmate
Please note: this is not an advert, nor do ADHD Counselling UK act as an affiliate or earn commissions from use of Focusmate.
Distraction and ADHD go hand-in-hand. It's there in the name.
Focusmate changes the way you work by connecting you to other professionals who have committed to being accountable for finishing their most important work.
You choose a time to work, and Focusmate pairs you with an accountability partner for a live, virtual coworking session that will keep you on task.
You can use Focusmate for three sessions a month for free, or for an unlimited number of sessions for just $5 a month.
Have you tried 'White' (Background) Noise?
White (or background) noise is a proven ADHD aide - not just for studying or concentration, but to help silence the part of the brain which constantly needs to be 'doing' and is thought to stimulate dopamine production. Based in Optimal Stimulation Theory, there are other types of 'noise' and colour references, such as pink, brown, red or black - the differences between them are not always clear, but they refer to differences in frequency and bandwidth.
The response to these noises in the brain is a process known as stochastic resonance, defined as "the statistical phenomena where signals that are normally too weak to be detected become detectable when a random (stochastic) noise is added."
In simple terms, the level of activity in the brain required for focus in ADHD people may be too weak, and adding in a background noise stimulates activity that can aid focus.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNN7iTA57jM]
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Trouble reading? Try the Bionic Reading method.
Bionic Reading revises texts so that the most concise parts of words are highlighted. This guides the eye over the text and the brain remembers previously learned words more quickly.
The user's eye is guided through the text by means of typographic highlights. With the interplay of “Fixation”, “Saccade” and “Opacity” visual stimuli can be transferred to the text, which decisively change the typeface.
More information on the method can be found on the creator's website, and a free app which converts text into the bionic reading layout is available on the Apple App Store, Android Play Store, with a plug-in available Windows and Mac users from the Chrome Web Store or can be used directly through the website.
A fantastic article about this was published in The Guardian, available to read for free.