10 Things My ADHD Brain Can’t Live Without

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10 ADHD Favorite Things Making My Life Easier This Fall

Every few months I sit down and ask myself the same question: what’s actually been helping lately? Last week I made that list again, and it landed at ten ADHD favorite things, both big and small. As we move through this season change, I wanted to share what made the cut and why, because a lot of what ends up on a list like this isn’t glamorous. It’s a small tweak or the right tool that removes friction for an ADHD brain instead of asking it to do more.

ADHD favorite things: A clean, organized desk with two computer monitors, a keyboard, and art on the wall.

This list covers three areas: what’s been helping with sleep, what’s been carrying my workday, and what I’ve been turning to purely for rest and joy. If you want more ideas along these lines, I shared a different round of favorites back in episode 289; this list picks up with what’s changed and what’s new since then.

Listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app. Prefer to read? No problem. Keep scrolling for a summary of key takeaways.

In Episode 371 we’re exploring:

  • Sleep tools that solved problems I didn’t know I had
  • The productivity systems and tech supporting my workday right now
  • A callback to an old favorite and why jigsaw puzzles have become my go-to way to rest

ADHD Sleep Tools I’m Relying On Right Now

1. Sleep Mask

I recently learned that one of the reasons people wake up in the middle of the night is that the room isn’t dark enough, and when the room isn’t dark enough, our bodies don’t make enough melatonin to keep us asleep. That was probably my problem, because I like to keep my curtains open so I have sunlight in the morning before winter hits.

So I went looking for a sleep mask, and I tried a handful of them. Most weren’t comfortable for me as a side sleeper. They’d slip around all night. Then I found this one that wraps completely around the eyes and back of the head, and because of that, it doesn’t slip. When I lay on my side, it just feels normal. I’m obsessed with it. I got it on Amazon, it doesn’t have a particular name brand or anything. It’s just a cotton sleep mask, but here’s the link: Cotton Sleep Mask for Side Sleepers.

2. Adjustable Pillow

I’ve had a memory foam pillow for years that I love, cooling on one side, especially nice in summer. But recently the firmness has started hurting my ears, which sounds strange, but here we are. So I went looking for something new and found a brand of pillow that’s actually adjustable density. It’s made of cut-up memory foam pieces you can adjust yourself. You unzip it and take foam out or leave it all in, depending on whether you want it stuffed and firm or fluffier and lower in height. I can adjust it to exactly how firm I want it, and I’m absolutely obsessed with it: Accuratex Adjustable Pillow with Shredded Memory Foam.

3. BedJet

I’ve mentioned this one before, and it’s still going strong. With how ridiculously hot it’s been this summer, the BedJet has been a game changer for keeping me cool when our air conditioner just can’t keep up on those 90 to 100 degree days. It’s the reason I’ve actually been able to sleep. (10% off if you use the link above.)

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ADHD Productivity Tools Carrying My Workday

Now let’s move into the office and work space.

4. Todoist

Sticking with another tried and true classic that I share often, I can’t ever imagine this one going anywhere, is my task manager, Todoist (two months of Pro free at that link). This is my one source of truth, the place I keep literally everything that pops into my mind. I have a simple capture button on my phone’s lock screen, so the second a thought hits, I tap it, speak it in, and it lands in my task inbox to sort later. It sits open on my second monitor, so I know what’s there without having to go dig for it.

What makes it more than just a list is how it integrates with everything else. During coaching calls, my note taker Fathom is running, and any time an action item comes up, it gets added to Todoist automatically. I don’t have to think about it at all.

5. Claude Cowork

This has been a really fun one to play with this summer. A few ways it’s been showing up for me:

It runs my daily and weekly briefings pulled from Todoist, so I can see what’s coming, what’s overdue, and how I want to space out my week. It even notes what I’ve migrated from one day or week to the next, which is a helpful nudge: if something keeps getting pushed, is it actually a priority, or can I let it go?

It also helps me spot the questions and topics that keep coming up across the audience in comments on YouTube and things like that, so I can build more resources and episodes around what people actually want. It’s even pulled newsletter open rates to show me which topics people are clicking into most.

And it’s taken over some of the more tedious parts of my work, like formatting blog posts with proper headings, breaking long paragraphs into shorter, easier-to-read chunks instead of the original seven or eight sentence blocks. Small stuff, but it adds up.

6. Tile Planning System

I brought this one back because it’s still going strong. I first talked about this tile system in episode 359 on time blocking for ADHD, and it remains one of the most effective ways for me to plan realistically, because I have such a clearer feel for how much time I actually have. I’m far less likely to overschedule myself than I used to be, and I love the flexibility of being able to physically move things around.

Here’s how it works for me each week: I look at Todoist for the week ahead, use the tiles to block in anything with a set time (coaching calls, calls with my own coaches), then lay out the tasks I want to tackle from Todoist along the side of my weekly plan. Each day, I estimate what I can realistically move over from that pile.

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7. Grid Notebooks

I love these for taking notes, writing podcast outlines, and journaling. There’s something about the grid I’m just drawn to. I actually mentioned discovering grid notebooks months ago when I talked about the Alastair planning method back in February (episode 342). I’d apparently forgotten that graph paper existed after using it in math in high school or whatever. But I’ve rediscovered the graph style paper this year and fell in love with it.

What I’ve learned since is that the notebook itself matters a lot. I’ve gotten some with grid lines so dark that your brain has to work overtime just to tell the lines apart from your own handwriting. A notebook with a light grid is the difference between fighting the page and just writing on it: Graph Paper Spiral Notebook.

8. Blackwing Pencil and Sharpener

I’ve long preferred pencils to pens. I like being able to erase instead of scribbling things out. I discovered Blackwing pencils at the start of the year when my sister got some for Christmas, and there’s something about the density of the lead that makes writing with them feel completely different. It’s soft enough to grip the paper instead of sliding around the way a harder lead does, without being so soft that it smudges everywhere like charcoal or something.

I also love pausing to sharpen it. I know that’s not exactly efficient, it would honestly be faster to type or use a pen, but that pause is often when I’m thinking through what I want to write next, and I really like it for that. The sharpener itself is a two-stage design: one hole sharpens the wood around the lead, the second refines it to a fine point, and it hasn’t pulled the lead out or broken the tip on me yet. There’s something about finding quality in an everyday object like that for me that is absolutely delightful: Blackwing Matte Pencils and the Two-Step Long Point Sharpener.

What I’m Turning to for Rest and Joy

9. A New Favorite Author or Series

This is more of a general category, but something that has absolutely been making my ADHD life better over the last several months is discovering a new author you love who has a huge backlist of books, or a series with a stack of books already out and waiting. I don’t love waiting for the next book to release. I want five of them ready to go.

This summer was all light, fun reads for me. Some of what I’ve been into: Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez (a lot of her books have a Minnesota connection, which is fun since that’s home for me too), the Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies series by Heather Fawcett, anything by TJ Klune. I love fantasy, sci-fi, world-building, all of it.

The one thing I steer clear of is anything scary. Life in my head is already dramatic enough without adding intentional scares to it. I’m currently reading The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, a standalone book I’m just under halfway through and really enjoying so far.

If you have a favorite author or series, especially one with a deep backlist, I’d love to hear it.

10. Jigsaw Puzzles

All summer, when it’s been too hot to want to go outside, I’ve been doing puzzles, and it’s been amazing. I’ve always loved doing puzzles, and this summer I’ve been on a serious kick. There’s something about letting my mind wander and decompress after a day of deep thinking that feels like exactly the right kind of rest.

It’s a callback to a Rabbi Heschel quote I’ve shared before: if you work with your hands, Sabbath with your mind. If you work with your mind, Sabbath with your hands. Puzzles have become my way of resting with my hands since I spend most of my working hours in my head.

The specific brand I’ve fallen for is the Magic Puzzle Company, and if you haven’t tried one, here’s the fun twist. Each puzzle is actually built in three separate sections that only connect once you line up the outer edges, so you’ll find edge pieces showing up in the middle of the puzzle, which throws things off quite a bit.

Plus, once you finish, you open a sealed envelope with a final set of pieces and instructions. The three sections rearrange to open up a space in the center, the artwork still lines up perfectly across all of it, and that’s where the secret ending pieces go. There are hidden Easter eggs tucked throughout too.

The one I did recently was called The Awakened Artifacts, and I’d also worked on the Harry Potter Hogwarts Map for a more traditional 1500-piece puzzle session.

The Pattern Behind This List

So that’s my list of ten favorites: sleep mask, adjustable pillow, BedJet, Todoist, Claude Cowork, my tile system, grid notebooks, my Blackwing pencil and sharpener, a new favorite author or series, and jigsaw puzzles.

Now I want to hear from you. What’s been making your ADHD life a little easier lately? Send me an email at paula@imbusybeingawesome.com or leave a comment, and I may put together a follow-up episode with listener favorites and tips.

Resources From This Episode:

Work With Me:

More ADHD Resources:

Paula’s Favorite Resources

  • Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial. Personalized music, backed by science, designed to help you get and stay in the zone.
  • Speechify: my go-to text-to-speech app. One-month free trial plus $60 off a premium subscription if you decide to keep it.
  • Todoist: my favorite task manager. Simple, easy to use, and incredible integration with other platforms. Get two months of premium free. No credit card required.
  • Wispr Flow: The best tool for talk-to-text. Awesome for verbal processing and saving time. Free trial, no credit card required.

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Paula Engebretson - ADHD Coach and Pdacster

About Paula Engebretson

ADHD COACH | PODCASTER

I spent the first 31 years of my life thinking I just needed to “try harder” while dealing with crushing self-doubt, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome. Then I was diagnosed with ADHD.

Finally understanding the missing puzzle piece, I discovered how to work with my brain, build upon my strengths, and take back control of my life.

Now I help others with ADHD do the same. Learn more.

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