5 Desk Essentials for Supporting ADHD Focus
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Our environment impacts us more than we think. Having a clutter-free space to work and study can really help you lock in. That being said, having the right selection of items in our workspace can actually help support our focus and productivity in the long run. Here are five things that I have on my desk at all times (and I recommend you give them a try, too!)
Sticky Notes
These are so helpful to have on hand, and I use them for two main purposes.
Acts as a “thought parking lot”, which is basically a space that I can write things down that I don’t want to forget (without picking up my phone)
I can then take those thoughts (or other random to-dos) and stick them along the bottom of my computer screen, on my water bottle or on my phone screen to be reminded of later.
Fix it Bowl
This is a bowl where I keep a bunch of little items that will help me fix distracting body-based sensory icks that pop up.
My bowl includes:
Hairclips + hair ties
The bowl can be any old bowl (mine is vintage wooden bowl I thrifted for 50 cents). Have fun with that part! The point of having this contained and on my desk is so that I can easily grab and respond to these distractions without having to get up and go on a scavenger hunt. Because we all know with ADHD going to quickly grab something is not a linear trip!
Fidget Tool
I’ll be the first to admit, I underestimated fidget tools at first. I thought it’s enough to fidget with things I already had, but getting a few has truly changed the game for me! No more torn up/wrinkled papers that were important, or annoying people with my pen clicking. Whenever I’m working and not typing or writing, I pretty much always have a fidget tool in hand. I’ve been amazed at how much it helps me focus on what I should be paying attention to!
Here are my reccomendations:
Visual Timer
For those of you who struggle with time, this is a must! It takes the abstraction that is time and turns it into something more concrete that you can see. I use this most often to help myself combating the iconic “waiting mode”. I’ll set a timer for how long I can work for before I have to go, and it really helps me gauge how much I can get done and reminds me with an alarm when it’s time to go. I use the Time Timer Home MOD. It’s simple, easy to use and does the job perfectly. A bonus is that it looks super cute on my desk!
Big Water Bottle (with a straw)
I put off buying a new water bottle for a while because I already had one. However I never found myself using it around the house, only for trips out. I would fill up a mug of water, and keep that on my desk. The issue is that I would sip through it within the first hour, and then go without for the rest of the day (because getting up and refilling it is just too many steps for this ADHD brain).
That’s when I decided to finally take the plunge and I bought this 32 Oz Hydro Flask. The stand out features of this one that made me decide the purchase was worth it was that it has a straw, a handle and it’s completely dishwasher safe. I think the important thing when it comes to getting a water bottle is that you’re finding one that suits your needs, not just whatever bottle is trendy at the moment.
Personally I’ve found myself carrying this with me all over the house and in the car. The straw makes it easy to take little sips throughout the day. And the fact that it can hold so much water means that it lasts me a while until I’d naturally go back to the kitchen for my breaks!
Finding your Focus
Just like anything when it comes to ADHD, these are the things that have helped me. You’re welcome to play around and see what works for you! As an ADHD coach, one of the many things I can help my clients with is exploring personalized strategies for getting started with tasks (even the boring ones), and making your attention to them last longer than a few minutes. If that’s something you’d be interested in learning more about, let’s meet for a quick chat!
