ADHD RESOURCES I USE AS A THERAPIST (& RECOMMEND TO CLIENTS)

I love resources!! As a therapist, I'm always recommending them to my clients, partly because I'm always using lots of different resources in my own daily life. As someone with ADHD, a lot of the ones I reach for most are about focus, stimulation and getting my brain to settle long enough to actually do the thing.

These are the resources I used in one real week. None of them are magic, but having options I can reach for depending on what my brain needs that day makes such a difference, and every one of them lives in my mental health resource database.

A DOPAMINE MENU

Years ago, after learning about dopamine menus from ADDitude and the YouTube channel How to ADHD, I made my own in Notion. Having it easily accessible helps me remember what actually works for me when I need to focus, instead of trying to come up with ideas in the moment. You can start with ADDitude's free ADHD Dopamine Menu Template and How to ADHD's video How to Give Your Brain the Stimulation It Needs.

ADDitude's ADHD dopamine menu template, a How to ADHD video and a personal dopamine menu in Notion over a photo of a garden

ENDEL

I spent a lot of time in coffee shops this past week trying to get things done. Music distracts me too much, but Endel's focus soundscapes help me hone in on what I need to do. You can try the Endel app here.

LOOP EARPLUGS

And sometimes I need things to be a little quieter instead of adding sounds through Endel. I use my Loops alllll the time, including this past week while reading at the pool. You can find Loop earplugs here.

5-4-3-2-1 GROUNDING EXERCISE

I use this when my brain feels overloaded with ideas and tasks, because it's such an easy reset when I need to calm down. I often guide myself through orienting to my surroundings on my own, but sometimes I use this website (that I recommend to clients) because the prompts help direct my attention when my mind is scattered. You can try the online 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise here.

SHORT BODY SCAN

Doing a body scan is another way I reset when my brain gets overwhelmed and freezes from too many ideas. I usually guide myself through one, but when I need extra support, Insight Timer's library is my go-to. This Short Body Scan is a great one to start with.

ROTATING POMODORO TIMER

I love this timer SO MUCH!! I carry it around the house or keep it next to my laptop while I work, because I need the visual reminder of time passing to stay focused and motivated. You can find the rotating Pomodoro timer here.

BIONIC READING

Bionic reading is a game-changer for me. I had some long documents to read this week, and turning on the Chrome extension helped my brain ~do its thing~ a little more effectively. You can find the Bionic Reading extension in the Chrome Web Store.

WANT MORE RESOURCES LIKE THESE?

Every resource in this post is in my mental health resource database, along with 2,000+ others across 220+ topics. I've been compiling them for YEARS so you don't have to dig through the internet every time your brain needs something different! If overwhelm is part of your story too, you might also like my post on resources for when everything feels like too much.

If you want a whole library of resources like these in one place, explore my mental health resource database →. And if you'd like support beyond resources, I offer online therapy in Alaska, Arizona, Texas, Utah & Washington.