Living with ADHD often means knowing what you should do – use a planner, stick to a routine – but struggling to actually do it. As ADHD expert Dr. Russell Barkley famously said, ADHD “is not about knowing what to do, but about doing what one knows,” essentially a kind of “blindness to the future.”
In other words, the standard tips that work for neurotypical people (like “just write a list!”) can fall flat when your ADHD brain doesn’t respond to them.
Many people with ADHD have tried planners and apps, only to forget to check them or abandon them weeks later. They need strategies that work with their brain’s quirks – not against them.
Why do the usual strategies fail?
Here are a few key reasons ADHD brains struggle with conventional advice:
- Now vs. Not Now: For someone with ADHD, life tends to be divided into “Now” and “Not Now.” Future rewards don’t feel real, so tasks without immediate consequences get put off.
- Interest and Stimulation: The ADHD brain craves stimulation and novelty. Tasks that are dull or repetitive don’t provide the dopamine release needed to sustain attention. That’s why simply deciding to do boring chores or follow a strict routine can feel impossible.
- Memory and Organization Issues: ADHD often comes with poor prospective memory (remembering to do things later) and weak organizational habits. Without external cues or structures, good intentions get lost in the chaos.
- Decision Overload: Decision fatigue hits those with ADHD hard – constantly deciding when, where, or how to do tasks drains mental energy. A tip like “plan your day every morning” might backfire if it means confronting dozens of choices (What task first? What next? What’s for dinner?) and feeling overwhelmed.
The bottom line is that ADHD brains need strategies designed for the way they work. Tips that “work for everyone” often assume a level of consistent willpower, memory, and tolerance for boredom that ADHD individuals don’t have.
As a result, many standard productivity hacks just lead to frustration or guilt when someone with ADHD can’t sustain them.
So what does work? The key is to work with your brain’s quirks, not against them. This means using tools that provide instant feedback, novelty, external structure, or engaging rewards.
Below, we present 18 creative, unconventional ADHD hacks that real people swear by.
1. The Silly Song Hack
Got something you keep forgetting? Make up a silly, catchy song about the task and keep singing it aloud until it’s done.
The weirder and sillier, the better – maybe you sing, “Feeed the dooog and take oooout the traash!” in an opera voice or rap style.
Why this works
A catchy tune provides auditory cues and repetition that embed the task into your working memory.
By bombarding your brain with a silly, constant cue, you bridge the gap between knowing and actually remembering to do the task
2. Create Your Vibe
Transform your workspace to match your mood or imagination. For example, if you want to pretend you’re working on the beach, play ocean wave sounds and use blue lighting.
Want to imagine you’re on an adventure? Play rainforest sounds with green ambient lights.
Basically, set a theme for your workspace that makes you feel energized or cozy. This customization can turn “ugh, work” into a more enjoyable pretend-play scenario.
Why this works
ADHD brains often work better with a bit of background stimulation; a bland, silent room can make it harder to focus, because your mind starts seeking input elsewhere.
By creating a fun atmosphere, you satisfy that craving for novelty. As a result, you can settle into work because it feels more appealing.
3. The Dedicated Spot Solution
Frequently losing slippers, keys, or glasses? Assign each item a permanent home, like a “slipper box” or “key bowl.”
The rule is everything lives in its spot when not in use. After you use your keys, they go right back in the key bowl every time.
Make the spots convenient and obvious (a brightly colored bowl or a catchy label can help).
Why this works
For many with ADHD, out of sight means out of mind – and things end up “out of sight” very easily when they don’t have a designated place. By creating a consistent home for each item, you’re externalizing your memory.
You no longer rely on your brain to recall “Where did I drop my keys this time?” because the environment itself holds the answer
4. In-your-face Reminders
If sticky notes and phone alerts aren’t cutting it, try a more in-your-face reminder. Place the item you must remember in a spot you literally cannot avoid when you need to leave or do the task – even if it’s an odd place.
For example, if you know that you always forget to take your lunch with you to work, put your car keys inside the fridge on top of your lunchbox.
Need paperwork tomorrow? Stick it in your shoes or on your keys. This ensures you physically can’t leave without noticing.
Why this works
ADHD brains struggle with prospective memory – remembering to do future actions – and often miss routine reminders. By contrast, a bizarre or intrusive cue is impossible to ignore.
Because you physically can’t complete your normal routine without encountering the reminder, the odds of forgetting drop dramatically.
5. Tavern Time Cleaning
Cleaning chores can feel mundane so try putting on some medieval tavern music and pretend you’re tidying a bustling inn.
Role-playing turns boring tasks into fun adventures, keeping your ADHD brain stimulated. It might feel ridiculous at first, but that’s the point. You’re injecting playfulness and fantasy into a dull task.
Why this works
This is a form of gamification, which is incredibly powerful for ADHD brains. By transforming a mundane chore into a mini-adventure, you’re providing the stimulation and immediate rewards (in the form of fun) that your brain craves
6. Don’t Sit
When you get home, resist the urge to sit down immediately. Put on your favorite upbeat playlist and move straight into your evening tasks.
Staying on your feet maintains momentum and energy, helping you transition smoothly into home time.
It might help to put on the music while you’re still driving home to help you transition from outside to home easier.
Why this works
By not giving yourself a chance to enter “rest mode,” you bypass the dreaded inertia or task paralysis that can strike once you’re cozy and scrolling on your phone.
It’s much easier to keep moving when you’re already up and moving, so those first few minutes at home are critical.
7. The Tutorial Method
It might sound like a strange tip, but try to pretend you’re filming a tutorial while doing mundane tasks.
For example, if you need to clean your desk, narrate your actions as if you’re demonstrating cleaning tips to an audience.
Imagine someone is watching or that you’ll have to show a finished “after” shot. This mindset can make even dull tasks feel like a performance or a mission to complete for your viewers.
Why this happens
Narrating out loud engages your brain and keeps you on track – it’s harder to lose focus mid-task when you’re verbalizing each step. You’re essentially giving yourself continuous instructions.
By envisioning an audience, you create an external sense of accountability. You’re not just cleaning for yourself; you’re doing it because “someone” is counting on you to demonstrate it.
8. Five-Minute Frenzy
Set a timer for five minutes and challenge yourself to complete as many chores as possible.
Race the clock and treat it like a game: can I beat my high score of tasks done in 5 minutes? The key is to keep the timeframe very short and intense. Tell yourself you can stop when the timer rings if you want.
Why this works
This hack creates a sense of urgency that jumpstarts the ADHD brain. Turning a task into a timed sprint provides the immediate deadline pressure that ADHD brains usually lack until the last minute.
Once you begin, momentum often carries you past the timer; the hardest part (starting) is over, and you might feel momentum to keep going even after “time’s up”.
9. Productive Side-Tasks
When you catch yourself unable to focus on the primary task, give yourself permission to do a different small useful task instead.
Rather than losing an hour to doomscrolling, get up and do a mini chore that needs doing: throw a load of laundry in, water your plants, take out the trash, or make that dentist appointment you’ve been putting off.
This way, procrastination still results in other things getting done.
Why this works
Psychologists note that many procrastinators rarely do absolutely nothing – they do easier or more interesting tasks to avoid the hard one
By consciously choosing a side-task that is useful, you get the benefit of achievement (dishes are now clean, an errand is done) while giving your mind a break from the big task.
10. Annoyance Tactic
If you find yourself hyper-fixated on a distraction (like scrolling on your phone or binge-watching videos when you should be doing something else), try making your environment uncomfortable on purpose.
For example, turn on the brightest overhead lights or play music/noise that is tolerable but slightly annoying.
Making your environment uncomfortable forces you to physically move and spend less time engaging in unproductive patterns.
Why this works
One big ADHD challenge is hyperfocus on things like social media or games – you get stuck in a dopamine loop and hours pass. It’s hard to rely on sheer willpower to break a hyperfocus session (our brains are quite “locked on”).
Introducing an external annoyance essentially jolts you out of the trance. It disrupts the comfort that enables the procrastination.
11. The Easy Start Trick
When a task feels overwhelming and you just can’t get started, tell yourself you’ll do just one tiny piece of it. The trick is to make the starting task extremely easy and non-threatening.
For example: you’re dreading beginning your work project, so you commit to simply opening your email inbox and reading one work email – nothing more.
Why this works
The longer and more complex a task seems, the more ADHD brains resist. By lowering the bar to entry – making the first step tiny – you remove that mental barrier.
Starting is often the hardest part; once you’ve begun, momentum typically carries you into completing more tasks effortlessly. You might find that you are now in the flow of starting work.
It’s much easier to say “I’ll open my notes and title a document” than “I must write a 5-page report now.”
12. Fast-Track Beats
If a deadline is looming or you just want to get a task done quickly, put on some high-tempo, energetic music to get these done faster.
Use headphones if you have to. The idea is to match the music’s tempo to the pace you want to be working at.
Why this works
Music can significantly influence our mood and arousal levels. Fast, upbeat music tends to increase heart rate and alertness – essentially giving you a dose of energy and focus on demand.
For ADHD brains, music is often more than just background noise; it can help to filter out distractions and sustain attention by occupying the restless part of the mind.
13. Pair Chores with a Hobby
Make chores enjoyable by pairing them with a favorite podcast, audiobook, or YouTube video.
By pairing the chore with entertainment or a hobby, the chore itself becomes something you look forward to, or at least don’t mind as much.
You might even find yourself doing certain chores more often because that’s when you get time to indulge in your favorite media.
Why this works
People with ADHD often struggle to do tasks that have no immediate reward. By adding in something pleasurable (music, podcasts, shows), you insert an immediate reward into the task.
This hack also helps with habit formation – if every time you clean the bathroom you listen to an exciting audiobook chapter, your brain starts to associate bathroom cleaning with that positive experience.
14. Designated Task Days
Designate specific days for certain tasks—like Friday evening cleaning or Wednesday watering plants.
This means you’re not constantly thinking “I need to do X sometime this week” and feeling that nagging pressure every day – you know that there’s a set time for it.
Why this works
Routines and habits are crucial for ADHD, but they need to be formed in a way that reduces decision fatigue. By deciding once which day is for what task, you eliminate dozens of tiny decisions later on.
Moreover, designated days minimize overwhelm by breaking chores into manageable chunks assigned to different times.
15. Meal Wheel Spinner
Decision fatigue around meals? Create a spin-wheel with your favorite meal options. Spin it each day to decide dinner, making meal planning quick, fun, and stress-free.
The key is you’re removing the burden of choice – instead of agonizing over options or endlessly scrolling food delivery apps, you let the wheel pick from your pre-selected favorites.
Why this works
People with ADHD often get overwhelmed by too many options – even if you have the ingredients for 5 different dinners, the mental load of choosing can lead to opting for cereal or nothing at all.
The meal wheel limits your choices and makes the decision for you, which significantly reduces the cognitive effort
16. Dog Motivation
Lacking motivation to walk the dog? Ask your furry friend aloud if they’d like to go for a walk.
Their reaction – tail wagging, bouncing around – can be the push you need to put on your shoes and head outside.
Essentially, you’re framing the task (like taking the dog out, which you might be procrastinating on) as a promise to your pet. Once you’ve asked the dog if they want a walk, it feels like a commitment
Why this works
Many people with ADHD struggle with self-motivation but excel when it comes to external accountability.
We will move mountains for others but procrastinate endlessly on things for ourselves.
It also triggers an emotional response – seeing your dog excited can give you joy and a bit of dopamine, improving your mood and energy.
17. Do Cardio Before You Need to Sit Still
If you know you have a long study session or a meeting coming up, try getting your heart rate up beforehand to let out some hyperactive energy.
This could mean doing 10–15 minutes of jumping jacks, brisk walking, jogging in place, or dancing around – anything to raise your heart rate – before a long study period.
Why this works
Exercise, especially aerobic cardio, has been shown to have immediate short-term benefits for cognitive function and self-regulation in ADHD.
In practical terms, doing cardio increases arousal to an optimal level: it wakes up the brain’s attention systems and also reduces the feeling of internal restless energy.
18. Put Your Alarm Out of Reach
If waking up in the morning is a daily battle, change your alarm setup. Place your alarm clock or phone far enough from your bed that you must physically get up to turn it off.
For example, if you normally keep your phone on the nightstand, instead, plug it in across the room.
Why this works
Many people with ADHD have sleep inertia, that groggy, can’t-wake-up feeling that makes it easy to turn off alarms without fully realizing it.
In fact, some will turn off an alarm and fall back asleep instantly, later having no memory of doing it. By putting the alarm out of arm’s reach, you introduce a physical barrier to that impulsive snooze behavior.
