5 Game-Changing Productivity Apps For ADHD
Thanks to xTiles for sponsoring this video. xTiles is a digital planner that allows me to dump out all my chaos into the app and then immediately start to organize it so it’s less overwhelming. This is absolutely my new favorite app! You can try out xTiles for free: https://xtiles.app/en?fp_ref=jessica
These are the five productivity tools that work for my ADHD brain, and I bet at least one will be a game changer for you! These apps help turn chaos into something manageable, and some are just plain fun to use. Ready to level up your productivity? Let’s dive in!
The apps featured in this video:
Mind Mapping – Aoya: https://www.ayoa.com/
Second Brain – xTiles: https://xtiles.app/en?fp_ref=jessica
Planning Your Week – Sunsama: https://www.sunsama.com/
Distraction Blocker – Opal: https://www.opal.so/
Checklists: I was using the Reminder app that came preinstalled on my iPhone.
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Jessica McCabe is not a licensed mental health provider, but information presented on How to ADHD is reviewed by researchers and approved by licensed clinical psychologist Patrick LaCount, PhD (https://practicalpsychservices.com). While information presented on How to ADHD has historically been built in consultation with researchers and licensed providers, videos posted prior to April 2023 were not subjected to the same formal approval process required by the YouTube Health program.
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Todoist is the app that saves me. Every. Single. Time.
I’m 18 and your channel helps me understand my ADHD tremendously. Thank you so much.
I would love a video about evaluating apps, tech tools, gadgets, etc. Marketed for executive function and adhd support. How to be a better consumer?
I love using mindmaps to organise my notes and this app makes my life so much easier because I’ve unconsciously procrastinated and I can’t wait to use this app in future to organise my notes!
Thank you so much! I’m actually checking out AYOA right now! 🤗💕
Thanks for these recommendations! It’s always great to find new apps that work for fellow ADHDers. On our Discord server, our community members share apps that they like or have worked for them, for example, How We Feel (which helps with emotional intelligence and tuning into the emotions we experience).
Copilot AI is amazing for planning and creating a project or strategy for interviews etc
Brain mapping isn’t for me. But the checklist thing is great!!!! I use a dry erase board in my kitchen by where I make coffee because I know I will see it there every morning. When I come home I check it again to see if there is more, and if I didn’t get it done I just erase the day at the top and write the next day up there and then it’s just the start of tomorrow’a checklist instead of an unfinished checklist for today. This has helped me so much. I don’t like the reminders app. I even deleted it and necer noticed really. But a checklist of some kind has been a game changer.
Quick questions, are you no longer using notion ?
ScreenZen is a better free version of Opal, doesn’t have the cute gemstones but otherwise basically the same but (in my opinon) better and free!
Genius Tools!
Thank you so much for sharing Sunsama! It has been such a game changer for helping me feel actually productive at work since I tried it.
Huge fan of mindmaps
Thanks for the video 🙂 How are you using use both xTiles with Sunsama? Are you using both? There seems to be overlap with what they do.
Structured is very simple to make a weekly schedule and has a notes section and an area you can make check lists too
any promo code?
I absolutely love that *Clear* lists app (iOS) ✅
It’s fun, colorful, auditory, kinetic – perfect for my ADD😶🌫️
I see other folks have mentioned Osidian, and I want to second (now probably thirtythird) that motion.
As someone who was diagnosed in his 40s, for the last eight months, obsidian has been a life saver. It is supposed to be "a note taking app" but it is my Life OS. Pretty much, my entire organization, from notes on my academic research, to my lecture notes, to keeping track with my daughter’s school, and ending with a very complete anf functional GTD and ADHD friendly task manager, live in my Obsidian Vault.
I do pay the $5 a month as I want tonsupport the company. I will probably switch to yearly pay in January. But other than mobile synch (and I don’t use it that much on mobile) everything else, including syncing with help of a different cloud service to multiple PCs, can be done with the free version. It does have a steeper learning curve, and being mostly text based, and personalizing your queries might be intimidating at first (unless you code, in which case, you’re right at home), but I find it that, other than a calendar for events, I do everything organization related there.
Some tips of things that I use,: A – I have a home for my keys that is right next to the door and a particular pocket in my purse. B – I have a checklist for ongoing things on my iPhone. For example, groceries and you can check it off the list and then uncheck it when you need it again. C – I ask Siri to set an alarm / or set alarms for something that pops up as an urgent thing to do so that I can’t forget it. For some reason, I cannot figure out how to make my Google calendar actually notify me via an alarm, so I fine on most important things I need to set an alarm
I tried Sunsama, but found it too expensive u.u I think I’ll stick to todoist, even if it doesn’t shows me how long it will take everything to do, I can visualize when I have a ridiculous amount of tasks on just one day (and I can add recurrent housework tasks so I don’t forget to take it into account)
I have found a few game changer apps for my brain: voicenotes , iam, and any task planner that shows the completed tasks to record an "I did a thing" list. I only add to it when I’ve done something, so I get to watch it grow which motivates me.
I hope these tools and apps are helpful!! xTiles is my favorite right now and you can try out right now for free: https://xtiles.app/en?fp_ref=jessica – Thanks to xTiles for sponsoring this video.
I use your links just because I like what your doing
Milanote is my second brain. It’s kind of like Xtiles in the you dump stuff as you think of it. Whimsical is my mindmapping tool I use
Check out Twos it FREE!!!!!!
I just got around to watching this video and looked at the links for the apps. When I saw that you used a reminder app preinstalled on your iPhone, I decided to see if I had on preinstalled because I have an Android, and it turns out that I do. So now I’m going to set up a checklist to get me out the door. Thanks foe the idea. Now to figure out how to use it.
A, Z… Anteater!
How do you keep track of so many apps? Do you have to keep copy & pasting everything everywhere? I now use Kanbanflow and Google calendar since a microsoft update wrecked my old Plan Plus, which had task list, calendar, mission statements and notes. I was in despair when my PC based software ‘died’!
I can’t slow my mind down enough to map it.
For Xtiles, the Windows One Note can also be an alternative (You can link it with your google account and access it on your phone). I am using it for work, for school, and a few other fun things (like learning German). Just thought id add that incase some do not want to download another app on their phone.
opal and sunsama have improved my life so much i can’t even put into words. thank you.
Hi, thank you for this video! xTiles is really a game changer for me! 😍
Just an episode about the checklist apps would be helpful. Showing the positive and negatives of them for ADHD. Seeing demos would be so helpful
I work for a company that is looking at replacing the todo/task/project management app they use (Asana) and I was wondering if any of the apps you talked work well when it is a team of people or are they better for just one person using them. also if anyone in the comments has a suggestion for an Asana like app they like better, could you let me know?
Tks
Any budgeting apps for ADHD
I would like more tips that aren’t a god damn app. My phone is a prison, it’s part of the problem, even apps and features that are supposed to be "ADHD-friendly" are still inherently flawed by being situated in this little prison cell of notifications and microtransactions and ads for some dumb candy crush clone. I want out. I appreciate the checklist point here, but noted that you didn’t go into any depth on how to do checklists well and what to avoid, which is a miss, because I have tried checklists several times in my 30 years, and I am evidently not doing it right.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
To not be disturbed by apps, Apple has its native tool, where we can build different setups for different times of the day. And it’s FREE
It’s the only thing i’ve stuck with. ❤
I would like to try this app, but it has a very limited list for the types of work. Mine is nowhere close to listed, so i can’t even get it set up.
I really miss Bonga Online and couple of other old Facebook games. Those were just different somehow compared to boring, tedious app games nowadays.
I brought your book, read 3 chapters and just now remembered i was reading it LOL. ADHD life heh.
A free alternative to Sunsama is Routine!
Anyone know if X tiles app does have a tracking or has a template for habit tracking?
Hi, Just for a bit of comment on Opal, I use Opal but it doesn’t work if you frequently turn your phone on and off again for say school or just to save power.
I love using a copy and paste clipboard holder, I’m not sure what the right word is but I use Maccy (it’s free) and it allows you to hold the past 50ish things you have copied on your laptop. I usually have a problem where I copy something and then copy something else and I’m like oh wait I need the things from earlier, so it’s been a real lifesaver
Hello my name is Kianna and i love your stuff and i use Daylio, its an app that was recomended to me by my adhd coach, super fun way to journal and track my mood and my life, it helped me understadn the ways that hormones and life habits were affecting me and my days and how i felt
Most are apps are paid options, can you give alternatives to these apps?
I recently started taking therapy and my third session in, he said he noticed my ADHD on day 1 but kept watching and now he’s sending me to another doc to get on ADHD medicine and was surprised I have lived all these years without it. At my session yesterday he sent me one of your videos and it blew my mind how many things you said connected with me. I always knew I had ADHD but I never really knew what to do about it except masking – which I didn’t know that is what I did all my life, I just tried to adjust to the world around me the best I could and much later in life found tiny little tips to help myself. Still to this day, I have not a single supportive person or even anyone trying to understand ADHD other than my therapist, but I’m trying to learn ways to not seek their support .
I am going to start watching your backlog of videos so I can find ways to help me. Thank you for putting these videos together!
I use StayFree to block apps and time them. It also provides a simple layout to my phone so I don’t get distracted by the colors or mindlessly looking for an app.