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ADHD

3 Tools That Save My ADHD Brain

Tony Ramella
October 27, 2024

If you have ADHD like I do, your executive functions may fail you at times when you need them most. That’s why I rely heavily on external tools to help me focus, manage my creative work and support my working memory.

So here are the 3 tools my ADHD brain can’t live without.

Time Timer

Did you know casinos are purposely designed to make gamblers time blind? That is why there are no windows or clocks in the casino and all the music plays at a precise volume and BPM.

So one way to beat time blindness is to reverse engineer it.

The Time Timer is not just a countdown clock. It’s visualization tool that helps bridge the gap between abstract time concepts and the concrete experience of time passing.

Unlike being trapped inside the walls of a casino, you can see how much time has passed since you started your task and how much time is left to complete it. This works as an external forcing function to help you get more done and switch tasks when you’re finished.

Pocket Notebook

If you saw the video I made on using a pocket notebook back in April, I talked about how I can’t leave home without it. In case you’re wondering – yes, I still take it with me everywhere. I don’t always use it, but just having it with me brings a sense of mental clarity.

It’s like having an external storage space for my thoughts, giving me a focused space to offload brain dumps and close feedback loops on the go.

I don’t really use Obsidian that often on my mobile device. Plus, I like to be unplugged on my walks so I can just be alone with my thoughts. Sometimes my greatest creative ideas spark during my daily walks and get captured in my pocket notebook.

I use the same daily notes system in my Obsidian Flow Vault as I do in my pocket notebook. Index on the first page, daily notes sectioned off on each page, and my logs in the back. I capture fleeting notes, ideas for content, todos and reminders.

Brain.fm

When it comes to apps, I like to be transparent with why I am recommending them. One thing I can’t stand is when creators rave about some amazing app that they just so happen to be promoting an affiliate link for. I turn down partnership offers all the time because I can only in good conscience promote tools that I myself often use and find essential.

So this is an obligatory “not a sponsor, just really like the app”. With that out of the way, Brain.fm is an audio app designed to enhance focus and boost productivity, particularly for people with ADHD.

Brain.fm uses scientifically engineered music that aligns with brainwaves by using personalized ambient soundscapes.

With its neuroscience-based approach, Brain.fm serves as a practical tool for improving concentration and task completion without medication.

You can use my referral link here to get 1 month free. I do not make any money from this, its actually one of the few apps I pay for monthly.

So there you have it. You may have noticed I didn’t include Obsidian.

I figured I don’t exactly have to explain how essential Obsidian is since you are likely reading this newsletter because you downloaded my vault. So I thought I’d introduce some new stuff here.

Have you tried any of these tools yourself? What are some of the tools that help you control the chaos of life with ADHD? I would love to hear back from you.

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Whenever you’re ready, here’s 3 ways I can help:
1. Flow Vault Pro for Obsidian: Get a complete writing OS in Obsidian with a don-for-you Luhmann style zettelkasten and a zettelkasten mini-course.
2. Zettel Monetizer Course: Become a synthesizer and monetize your note-making with a newsletter powered by your zettelkasten.
3. Book a call to work with me and turn chaos into creative clarity.

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