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What Are the Best ADHD Apps for Adults Who Struggle with Daily Tasks?
For people with ADHD, life can sometimes feel like trying to build a house on a windy day. Simple things, like starting a task, keeping track of time, or getting a project done, can seem much harder than they should be. This is where ADHD coaching comes in. It is a service created to help individuals with ADHD get better at managing their daily lives.
ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. People with ADHD may have many different symptoms that can make daily life difficult. They might find it hard to get organized, start a new task before finishing the one they are on, or make a decision. An ADHD coach works with a person to tackle these very real issues. A coach helps people get better at handling these daily problems while also remembering a person’s good points and natural strengths. This personal approach makes coaching very effective.
What Makes ADHD Coaching Different from Therapy?
Many people wonder if ADHD coaching is the same as therapy. It is not. The main difference is what each one focuses on. Therapy often helps people work through their feelings and the emotional parts of living with ADHD. It can help a person understand why they think or feel a certain way. This is very important work.
ADHD coaching, on the other hand, is about taking action. It provides tools, new ways of thinking, and clear steps a person can use right away. An ADHD coach is like a guide who shows you how to use your own skills to manage your life better. They might help you set a goal and then break that big goal down into smaller, easier steps. They are focused on building skills that can be used every single day. While therapy and coaching are different, they can work well together. A person can get help with their feelings in therapy and get practical life tools from a coach.
Shimmer is a good example of a company making this kind of help available. Launched in late 2022, this startup has helped people in more than 15,000 virtual coaching sessions. The company has also raised millions in funding, which shows how much people believe in this kind of support.
The Most Important Things ADHD Coaches Help With
ADHD coaches work on a few key skills that are important for people with ADHD. These skills can make a big difference in a person’s life at work, at school, and at home.
Self-Regulation
This means being able to control your thoughts, feelings, and actions. For a person with ADHD, this can be a challenge. A coach can help someone learn to pause before acting, to manage strong feelings, or to focus their attention when it starts to wander.
Time Management
People with ADHD often find it hard to know how much time has passed or how long a task will take. This can lead to being late or not finishing things. A coach can teach simple tricks, like using a timer for a specific amount of time or breaking a big task into small time chunks.
Goal Setting
It can be hard to finish what you start. A coach helps a person set goals that are not too big and not too small. They show you how to plan the steps to reach that goal. This can help a person feel a sense of success and stay motivated.
Problem Solving
When a problem comes up, a person with ADHD might feel stuck. An ADHD coach can help you look at a problem from a new angle. They might show you how to think about all the possible solutions and then pick the best one.
Organization
This is a very common challenge. A coach can help you create systems for keeping things neat and easy to find. This might be a system for organizing your desk, your calendar, or your computer files.
All of these skills are meant to give a person more control over their life. The coach helps a person find and use their own strengths to work through what is hard.
The Rise of Digital Help: ADHD Apps
In addition to coaching, many people with ADHD are finding help from a new kind of tool: apps. There has been a big increase in the number of people looking for and using these kinds of apps. The number of searches for “ADHD app” has gone up almost five times in the last two years. This is part of a bigger trend, where people are looking for quick, easy, and private ways to get help with their daily challenges.
These apps are like a digital helper in your pocket. They provide tools to help with many things, such as managing tasks, keeping track of time, and handling emotions. Many people find these apps helpful because they are always available. They can provide support at any moment, whether a person is at home, at work, or out and about.
Here are a few popular ADHD apps and what they do:
Inflow
This app is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a way of talking and thinking that helps people understand how their thoughts and feelings affect their actions. Inflow has more than 200 lessons that teach people about ADHD and how to manage it. It also sends reminders that can help a person focus on their daily goals. The app has been downloaded more than 100,000 times in the Google Play store.
Routinery
For a person with ADHD, having a routine can be very helpful. It can make things feel less confusing and more predictable. This app helps people set up a routine and stick with it. It lets users create a list of tasks for the day and check them off as they go. The app has been used by more than 5 million people. Checking off tasks can give a person a small sense of success and keep them going.
Finch
This app uses a special trick to help people with self-care. It is a digital pet that grows when you take care of yourself. For example, you can earn rewards for taking a walk, drinking water, or doing something you enjoy. These rewards make your pet grow and get new things. This works well for people with ADHD because it uses something called gamification—turning a task into a fun game. The rewards help a person’s brain feel good, which makes them want to keep going. The app has been downloaded more than 10 million times in the Google Play store.
Both ADHD coaching and ADHD apps are very helpful tools for managing daily life. A coach can give a person one-on-one help and a plan that is just for them. Apps can give a person a quick way to get help and track their progress. Using both together can be a powerful way to get a handle on the challenges of living with ADHD and to build a life that feels more organized and in control.