ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms
Juggle struggle…
A friend of mine used this term a few years back to describe her life as a mom. And I’ve used it about 50 billion times since because I think it so accurately describes mom life. There are always 97 balls in the air and it’s inevitable that some are going to drop.
And when you’re a mom with ADHD, you add to your juggling executive function challenges with organizing, focus, motivation, and memory.
So let me start out by saying “Bravo, Mama”. It is not easy raising tiny humans. It is no wonder many of us are teetering on the brink of burnout most of the time.
This is why I wanted to share “hacks” I use as an ADHD mom to help keep my home running smoothly and support my executive dysfunction.
How to Make ADHD Mom Hacks Work for You
Something I’d like to mention before I dive into my ADHD mom hacks is that many of these are not first iteration of the hack.
It may have taken 2 or 3 or more rounds of trial and error to find what worked best for my brain and my family.
And I think this is an important point that many ADHD hacks or really any “hack” videos or blog posts don’t address. It can take time and tweaking to figure out what works best for you.
Use what I share today as a base line or jumping off point. If it works for you the way I do it, great! If it doesn’t, don’t give up or assume it will never work for you or that there isn’t a solution for you. It may just need a little zhuzh to make it work.
That is one benefit of working with an ADHD coach like me…Since us ADHDers are often like “If at first we don’t succeed, throw in the towel and hyperfocus on researching another option”, an ADHD coach can help you revise and retry solutions you’ve already invested in until they work for you and your family.
8 ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s dive into 8 ADHD life hacks for ADHD moms that I use all the time…
ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms - Save contacts with Kid’s Names or Service
I’m not the greatest at remembering my kids’ friends’ parents’ names the first time I meet them. Or the tenth time, if we’re being honest.
That’s why I started saving contacts with the parent’s first name as well as the kids’ name.
Since my kids’ are on the younger side, most of their friends don’t have phones and they use their parents. Having both the kid’s name and the parents name on the contact means I can search for “Jackson” if I can’t remember Jackson’s mom or dad’s name.
I also use this method for service providers I don’t use frequently like plumbers and electricians.
ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms - Put kids uniforms in bags in bag rather than drawer
I came up with this system after my son wore the wrong soccer jersey to his game.
Actually, in my defense, he did wear the right jersey but when we showed up the other team had a similar color so they asked the kids to change into their other jersey.
And ours was at home in his drawer. Whomp whomp.
That’s when I decided to start keeping his full uniforms…shorts, jerseys, socks…in his bag rather than putting them away in his drawer and packing his bag each time.
I started doing a similar thing with my son who is a swimmer after we showed up at practices without a towel. Now the swim towels go straight in the swim bag when they get folded rather than relying on my or my kid’s memory to pack it just before practice.
ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms - Download an App blocker
To say using an app blocker has changed my life might seem like an exaggeration. But it has made such an impact in my time management that I would venture to say it was life changing.
I started using it a little over a year ago because I hated that I spent my mornings sucked into scrolling social media. Especially since mornings were my most focused time of day. I also struggled to put the phone down in the evenings so I could go to sleep at a reasonable time.
I currently have my app blocker, Digital Detox for Android, set to allow access to minimal apps from 5am-7am as well as 10p-12a each day. I also have the option of turning the app block on at any time throughout the day when I don’t want to be tempted or need to focus and limit distractions.
Many phones come with a similar focus mode setting you can turn on which makes only a limited amount of apps available or an app timer which shuts you out of the app once you reach a certain time limit each day. I just liked the idea that I could schedule my block to turn on every day rather than relying on myself to remember or making a deal that I’ll do work after just one more TikTok.
Here are the app blockers I have tried or that I recommend to my clients:
Android:
Digital Detox App…Free with a small charge ($.99) to exit during detox
iPhone:
Freedom Block Distractions...offers a free trial then $39.99 per year.
Ochi: Block Apps & Website...Free with premium upgrade available.
App Block: Block Apps & Sites... Free with premium upgrade available.
ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms - Carry a Small Notebook
I often talk about my need for external memory. Thoughts go out as quickly as they go in most of the time.
That is why I carry a small notebook around with me to jot down important thoughts in the moment.
And let me tell you, this notebook is a hot mess. It’s full of tasks to complete, ideas for my marketing, shows to watch on Netflix, quotes I hear that I like, things I need to add to my calendar. Chances are if you got your hands on this, you wouldn’t be able to make heads or tales of what’s in it.
But I can, and that’s what matters. It is simply a concrete receptacle for thoughts I want to recall later but am worried (for good reason) that I won’t be able to.
ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms - Create an Alexa Shopping List
I’m not going to lie, in 2016 when my husband bought me an Amazon Alexa, I kinda thought it was a lame gift. I’m not a super techy person and couldn’t really see an immediate benefit.
Fast forward 7 years later and I think my digital assistant may be one of the things I use most frequently to manage my ADHD symptoms.
There isn’t a place in my house where a digital assistant isn’t in voice range. My next 3 hacks all involve using a digital assistant of some sort whether it’s from Amazon, Google, or Apple. You may also able to do many of these with your cell phone using their built in digital assistants.
First, I use it to help with my grocery shopping. It’s the worst when you finally get yourself motivated to go to the grocery store, only to realize you forgot to pick up the salt or olive oil you ran out of last week.
Sure you could add it to a list on your phone but then you have to locate your phone. Or you could write it down on a list but you need a pen and paper in order to do that. The more steps we add the more likely it is that we’ll get distracted or tell ourselves “I’m not gonna forget that we need salt.” Even though we know deep down there is a good chance we’ll forget.
And there is a chance that you won’t remember to look at that list on the fridge before you go or you’ll just stop at the grocery when you’re out and about. Using your digital assistant means you just have to say “Hey, add salt and olive oil to my shopping list” when you realize you’re out, then you can easily access your list when you’re at the store or when you’re making your grocery list.
Sure you could add it to a list on your phone but then you have to locate your phone. Or you could write it down on a list but you need a pen and paper in order to do that. The more steps we add the more likely it is that we’ll get distracted or tell ourselves “I’m not gonna forget that we need salt.” Even though we know deep down there is a good chance we’ll forget.
And there is a chance that you won’t remember to look at that list on the fridge before you go or you’ll just stop at the grocery when you’re out and about. Using your digital assistant means you just have to say “Hey, add salt and olive oil to my shopping list” when you realize you’re out, then you can easily access your list when you’re at the store or when you’re making your grocery list.
ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms - Schedule Alexa Reminders
I use regularly scheduled reminders like “Time to finish up breakfast and get dressed” or “Make sure your teeth are brushed so we can leave” to keep us on track in the mornings so we can get out the door in a timely manner.
You can set regular reminders so you don’t have to program it each and every day. Or you can set them as needed.
For instance, yesterday my son mentioned in the morning he had some homework to finish up. But we had swim team in the morning and a birthday party in the afternoon. So I immediately told our digital assistant “Hey, set a reminder for 6pm to do homework.” And it’s a good thing we did because when it went off, we were like “oh yeah…”
ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms - Set Alarms to Signal Transitions
I struggle with transitions and am totally guilty of thinking I can cram way more into an allotted time than is actually possible. That is why I like to set alarms to help stop my hyperfocus and signal it’s time to prepare for a change.
As an example, I was writing this before I needed to get on a client call. I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to transition aka make sure I had something to drink, go potty, and review my notes before my call. So I set an alarm for 20 minutes before the call so I could wrap up my thoughts on this episode, get myself together, and be ready for my call.
ADHD Life Hacks for ADHD Moms - Clean with Your Energy
I could think of about 10,000 things I would rather do than wash the dishes. At least 10,000. To be honest, I struggle with house cleaning in general.
But that improved when I learned to work with my chronotype.
Your chronotype is your body's natural tendency to go to sleep and wake up at certain times. It can also impact when you are most alert and focused during the day, which can be especially important for us ADHDers.
For instance, I am a lion or a morning person, meaning I am the most alert and have the most energy early in the day. But I was always trying to do my house cleaning, which I hate, in the evening when my energy levels are lowest and my natural rhythms are saying “hey, it’s time to wind down and relax.”
So I stopped beating myself up for leaving dishes in the sink overnight and started making time for it in the morning after I dropped my kids at school.
And it has been a game changer!
Are they done every morning…not quite. But way more often than they used to be. And, maybe most importantly, I’ve dropped the mom guilt around not cleaning my house before I go to bed.
I now enjoy my evenings on the couch with my family guilt-free knowing that I am abiding by my body’s natural ebbs and flows.
If you’re struggling to figure out how to implement the ADHD mom hacks that speak to you or create ADHD coping strategies to help manage your home and business, I would love to help!
Each client I work with comes to me with a unique vision for what their life could look life “if only….” We work together to create strategies, choose priority tasks that will help them reach their goals, and make specific times to work so they can see continued progress.
If you’d like to discuss what ADHD coping strategies we can create for you and your family along with how I can help you follow through to see the success you know is possible, click the button below to sign up for your free, no-obligation call with me.
