App Spotlight: Remindr

A lot of people with ADHD find conventional organizational systems unhelpful at best. This circumstance isn’t helped by the judgement we feel when we reject these systems. After all, ‘everyone else’ has no problem with it.

The best system I’ve found is to simply accept that we are different, that when it comes to a lot of things, we have to make our own systems. Sometimes this includes a few layers. For example, my memory requires three layers: I use Alarmed for most things, the proprietary Apple alarm app for other things, and for another few, I use Remindr.

Remindr has an Apple-only app (sorry Android users), but it is primarily a web-based service, so anyone can use it. You enter a message for yourself into the online dashboard, select the date, time, frequency of repeat, and mode of delivery. It will text message, email, and/or send you an automated call.

In addition to nuts and bolts reminders, I decided to put Remindr to a more whimsical use. I combed the internet for positive affirmations and entered one for every day of the month. Some days the words were exactly what I needed to hear. It’s like encouragement from me to me.

What layers does your organizational system have?

PokéBlog

There is a specific episode of Pokémon in season one of Indigo League that is remembered by many as a particularly touching example of the universe and its view of animals. In the episode, a Charmander, a fire Pokémon, is abandoned by its trainer out in the open. The main characters overhear the trainer commenting on this act of animal neglect and calling the Charmander “stupid”.

They react to this strongly partially because the information given on the Charmander is that if the flame at the tip of its tail goes out, it will die, and the area is experiencing a violent thunderstorm. After confronting the neglectful trainer, to no avail, they rush out into the, yes, dark and stormy night, to rescue the Pokémon. They are successful.

The overwhelmingly negative reaction to the situation by the main characters, who are themselves Pokémon trainers, was viewed by at least three generations of fans. The message, as I heard it, was that animals in our care are our responsibility. Further to that, they deserve our respect and caring for what they provide us.

In the case of Pokémon, it is of course a fictional world where the animals are caught or bred, then trained to engage in combat. The message is translatable to real life, however, and I believe it was heard and struck a chord with the (mostly) young viewers.

Is it any wonder vegetarianism and veganism are becoming more and more popular among the youth of the world?

Five More Reasons You Want an ADHD Brain on Your Zombie Apocalypse Team (Part 4)

Fourth installment of a four part series. (Part 1 is here.)

Disclaimer: Not every person with ADHD will have any or all of these. Displaying anything in this list doesn’t mean a person has ADHD. The things on this list aren’t unique to ADHD.

16. The sunny side of armageddon

Through a lifetime of negativity that is constantly bombarding us, we have developed a defense mechanism of optimism that is infectious and hard to destroy. We can see a light at the end of the tunnel, beyond the shuffling horde, and we’ll tell you about it.

17. “It’s ok. Go ahead...”

Practical and realistic is something you maybe didn’t expect, but if somebody gets bit, we won’t hesitate to do the right thing, even if it’s us. We’ll understand.

18. What you see is what you get

ADHD people are genuine and authentic. We don’t hide anything. In a situation where secrets end lives we skip the drama.

19. Canary in the coalmine

Our sensitivities mean we will sense and express a problem even before the rest of the team has realized anything is wrong. That seemingly innocent person we just took into the group? We know what that scrape really came from.

20. Maverick

Even before the apocalypse we looked for excitement everywhere. Now that works to the team’s advantage. We will be quick to take risks, volunteer first for dangerous missions, running through zombie-infested streets to rescue babies and all those other hero things. No photos, please.

The Paradox of Accumulative Action

There is a well-known strategy for accomplishing a large task that was first explained to me by the FlyLady. Marla’s essential concept is 15 minutes of decluttering a day piles up over time until before you know it your home is under control. It has many more nuances and helpful layers than that, but that is the core principle.

I have put this into practice in my own life in many ways. Decluttering is one (though I must confess most of my decluttering happens in large, unintentionally overwhelming chunks), knitting is another, and working on goals one step per day. Another way is the restocking list that we use at Ringcrafts to slowly recreate products sold to customers for our next show.

The most fascinating thing about the 15-minutes-a-day principle to me is its paradoxical counterpart. Just as 15 minutes can accumulate to accomplish great things, so can small, inconsequential things wear a human mind down to the point where they are wallowing in a pit, with no idea how they got there.

A critical comment isn't that hard to deal with, for most of us. Or being late for an appointment, once. Or breaking a plate. Or losing your keys. Or hearing of the death of a favourite actor. Or having to cancel time of relaxation in favour of work. All of these things on their own are not noticeably detrimental, in the natural course of things.

What if they all added up? Little things, over time, just poking at us, draining little bits of our energy, wearing down our ability to function. It happens. It happens to everyone, at one time or another. And then what happens if something really huge hits us? What's left in reserve to bring to bear on the new problem?

The one half of this paradox is the other's solution. It does take effort, though, to consciously decide to take that 15 minutes per day for ourselves, to do whatever it is that recharges our ability to function properly. And it takes courage to be honest with ourselves about what that is.

Are you ready for that challenge?