Hannah’s Hacks: My Gifts to You
AcademicAlly, LLC: December, 2025
It’s the season for giving, and images of wrapped boxes dressed up with bows often come to mind this time of year, some of the most meaningful gifts are those that make life easier. Gifts come in all shapes, sizes, and purposes: practicality, sentimentality, experiential, or supportive. They can serve a variety of purposes, including bringing happiness or peace of mind with a solution to a burning problem or challenge. Here’s the Thing: As someone who works with individuals who have ADHD, I have come to appreciate that those gifts that bring some ease to living aren’t just thoughtful, they are authentically life-changing.
That brings us to hacks — the small, strategic adjustments that improve function in the ADHD brain while decreasing the friction. A hack is just a get around that reduces cognitive strain, increases accountability, or makes a task initiation much easier. Neurodivergent brains thrive on hacks because neurotypical strategies often do not. Organizational tools like paper planners are too easy to lose. Timers and calendars don’t work well when used in total isolation from other tools. Reminders are frequently mistimed. Nope, the ADHD brain requires visual reminders, an externalization of information, nuance, tangible sensory triggers, structure and routine, and easy access-qualities neurotypical tools sorely lack.
So, this year, my gift to you is Hannah’s Hacks — a curated collection of tricks and tips created to decrease anxiety, increase self-esteem and improve ADHDer accountability through steps that feel authentic and natural, not forced. These hacks are effective as they lower the executive function load and improve predictability, access, and follow through.
Below are my 33 ADHD hacks included in this season’s gift. Try them out, share them, and see which tricks trigger that huge sigh of “Ahhh, at last, something that works!”
BONUS DECEMBER GIFT
Enjoy 10% off the $5.99 monthly rate for My TOAD™ App using code TOADMONTH10 for the month of December. Go to www.mytoadapp.com and download the app today!
HANNAH’S HACKS — HOLIDAY EDITION
Hacks:
Take advantage of optimal performance times of day and days of the week: if you know Mondays aren’t your peak day of the week but Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays tend to be your prime productivity days, schedule easier work on Mondays and save the more labor and focus intensive obligations for high energy and high focus days of the week.
Stack your tasks: taking laundry upstairs, then also bring up your workbag to your office upstairs-less memory and fewer trips upstairs
Gamification 1: have lots to do? Every Sunday, put all your tasks for one week into a hat or bowl-each one written on separate piece of paper. At first, make no more than 14 for the whole week, 2 tasks per day. Each day, pick a task or two from the hat and execute-creates sense of suspense and fun while promoting accountability and productivity
Gamification 2: Beat the Clock-builds competition and helps to build sense of time
Gamification 3: Beat Your Personal Best-track your performance from each day for each task and next time see if you can beat that time
Body Double-company of others builds sense of productivity and lowers stress levels about performance bc someone is there to keep you company and distract from the dislike for the task at hand
Bracelets: (Alex Partridge suggestion) each night make a list of 5 must do tasks for the next day. Write each one on a rubber bracelet. Next day, put on 5 bracelets and as you complete each task, remove that bracelet. When all five are completed, reward yourself-cup of Starbucks coffee, favorite cup of tea, trip to ice cream parlor, creperie, visit with friend, workout, etc.
Declaration of Intent: research proves that making your intentions and goals public knowledge increases the likelihood of follow through
Request for Follow-Up: after making your intentions publicly known, if you feel shaky about your ability to execute, ask a friend, colleague, partner to follow up with you to confirm you reached your goal
Color code: color code your calendar/planner. Categorize by: household chore, family obligation, academic obligation, class or course you are taking, personal wellbeing, etc
Two-minute rule: if what you need to do will only take two minutes, do it right then and there. Putting it off will only add to the growing list of things you need to do. Get it done!
Three-step minimum: keep your place and workspace organized. At minimum set three steps you must adhere to every day to maintain a level of organization: throw out trash, clear your surfaces (like desk, table, countertops, etc), and put your clothes away. This prevents pileups and organizational overhauls.
Night before hack 1: place your clothing for the next day out on your chair or on the bureau so all you need to do is roll out of bed in the morning and put them on!
Night before hack 2: place all of your things you need to take with you at the door you will walk out from in the morning (ie bookbag, work bag, coat, sports bag, water bottle, a note to remember your lunch!)
Night before hack 3: make your lunch the night before and place any cold items together in the fridge. Write yourself a note on the counter to grab it before you leave.)
Strategic placement: have a task you keep forgetting to do? Place a related objected next to something you automatically do-forgetting to put in that retainer or Invisalign? Place it next to your toothbrush so you see it when you go to grab the brush.
Hard to get out of bed in the morning? Place your alarm clock across the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Stay out of bed thereafter!
Object Reminder: if you need to remember to do something, put out an object related to it to bring this task to your attention. Doing laundry? Afraid you’ll forget to switch the load? Place a sock on the counter or near the door of the laundry room to remind you to finish what you started!
Reading glasses: if you live in a multi-story home, you know that going up and down the stairs to get your reading glasses is a pain. Leave a pair of glasses on each floor, that way they are easily accessible.
Keep it in the bowl: always losing your keys? Place a decorative (and scratch-proof) bowl by the front door and leave your housekeys and car fob there when you walk in the door. Never go hunting for them again!
Phone charger made accessible: similar to the glasses concept-leave a charger on each floor of your home so you can easily charge your phone when necessary.
Busy Brain Hack: busy brain got you distracted and off target? Sit down, set a timer for 1-5 minutes and write down every thought you have in your mind. Alternatively, use the Brain Dump tool in the My TOAD™ App.
Busy Brain Hack Elevated: take the contents from your brain dump and use them to complete a task or obligation.
Cooking Hack 1: meal prep on the weekend for the week.
Cooking Hack 2: take breasts of chicken, pour in your favorite marinade or salad dressing, shake it up, and freeze. Your dish is ready to bake whenever you are!
Cooking Hack 3: keep staples like salt, pepper, vinegar, butter, eggs, spices and herbs you like (garlic, onion, dill, basil, oregano, etc) at the ready. Replenish as needed.
Cooking Hack 4: keep a grocery list on your phone (ie in the Workspace tool of My TOAD™ App) or on a piece of paper hanging on the wall or outside of your cabinet so it is visible. Take a picture of it when you go to the grocery store.
Cooking Hack 5: organize your grocery list into categories of food and items in the order in which you move throughout the store so you save time and energy when you shop. For example, put your produce together, dairy goods, meat, snacks, and cereals and breads together so you can move seamlessly throughout the store.
Get lost in the shower? Create a shower playlist that lasts the length of time you should really be in the shower. When that last song of the playlist comes on, you know it’s time to finish up! Better than using a timer-which you will likely ignore anyway!
Mirror, mirror, on the wall: use your mirror in the bathroom to remind you of what you need to do for the day-use lipstick or pencil eyeliner for fun or use a dry erase marker. Wipe away each task as it is completed.
Save Money-go through your apps and subscriptions and cancel any you are not using.
Break it Down: take large tasks and break them down into smaller chunks, checking off each one as it is completed.
Unmask the Task: masking tape is very portable. Pull off a strip of masking tape place it somewhere you will see it, and write down what it is you want to remember. Be strategic about the location and the description-keep it brief but specific. Peel off and throw away when it is done!