A smart watch is the ultimate ADHD tool
Yesterday, I wrote about how I use my smart watch to set timers for literally everything. I even have a whole section on it in Getting Shit Done with ADHD.
I have an Apple Watch, but most smart watches will do the job just as well.
I was extremely skeptical about getting one. After all, when you have ADHD, the last thing you need is another device chiming with notifications and interrupting you mid-task.
In reality, most smart watches do very little and just enough.
Because they generally don’t run games or a full web browser, you’re less likely to get sucked into other things when you use it. And because it provides haptic feedback on your wrist, your less likely to miss important notifications.
What do I use mine for?
- Stop missing meetings. Even with the calendar app on my phone notifying me about meetings, I would still frequently miss meetings because I was so deeply hyperfocused on a task. Have a watch buzz on my wrist instead snaps me out if in a way that a phone chime does not.
- Timers. Anything I need to do after N amount of minutes? Timer.
- Notes. Sometimes, you need to remember something, but don’t have your notebook or second brain with you (like, say, in the shower). You can use your smart watch to send an email, text message, or set-a-timer-as-a-reminder so you can write the thing down later.
It feels weird to say a $200+ device is an essential ADHD tool.
I bought mine fully expecting I’d return it within Apple’s 15 day return window. But it has truly been a game-changer for me.