Daily life with AuDHD is often a struggle with too much: too much noise, too much light, too many sensory inputs and too many things I forget.
Over the years, I have found a few things I genuinely need every day. They are not fancy life hacks that claim to transform your life forever. They are simply things that make my days much more manageable. These are my six daily essentials.
1. Loop earplugs, because the world is too loud
Noise is a constant source of stress for me. The supermarket, a train, a café, or sometimes just the dishwasher running while the television is on in the background.
Loop earplugs do not remove all sound. They simply turn the volume down. I can still hear what is happening around me, but the world shifts from “aaah” to “okay, I can handle this.” For me, they belong in every trouser pocket.
2. My photochromic glasses, because too much light is stressful
Brightness is my second major sensory trigger. When the light is too intense, I become restless and stressed, often before I even understand why.
My glasses darken automatically in sunlight. I do not have to switch between two pairs, which I would constantly forget anyway. They are always with me and adapt by themselves. It may sound like a small detail, but it is extremely important to me.
3. My key chain, because I would otherwise lose my keys
My brain is not good at keeping track of physical objects. Leaving keys behind, forgetting them and searching for them used to be part of my daily life.
Now all my important keys are attached to a chain clipped securely to my trousers. I cannot forget them or leave them somewhere. That is one of the best principles I know: do not depend on remembering; design things so that forgetting cannot cause the failure in the first place.
4. meinsystem.app, because I get lost in daily life without it
All right, this is a little promotion for my own work. I admit it. But I would be dishonest if I simply left it out of this list.
meinsystem.app is the app I built because no other system worked for my brain. And yes, I really use it every single day. Without it, I lie in bed in the morning and do not know where to begin. With it, I can see what is coming up and tick things off.
You can explore it for free at meinsystem.app. Promotion over, I promise.
5. My smartwatch, because I cannot hold time and reminders in my head
Time is a separate challenge for me. I miss appointments even though I can see them in my calendar, and hours disappear while I am in hyperfocus. I wrote a whole article about that experience: time blindness with AuDHD.
My smartwatch catches some of those gaps. I receive notifications from meinsystem.app directly on my wrist, and I can set a timer with two taps whenever I need to avoid becoming absorbed in something. The watch does what my brain cannot do reliably on its own: it keeps track of time so that I do not have to.
6. My water bottle, because I otherwise forget to drink
In hyperfocus, I forget not only time but also my body. Drinking, eating and taking breaks fall away until I suddenly have a headache and cannot work out why.
A large water bottle that always stays within view solves that surprisingly well. It is the same principle as the key chain: I do not rely on remembering to drink. I place the water directly in front of me, where I cannot overlook it.
Your essentials may look different
Perhaps these are exactly the things you need. Perhaps your list is completely different. Both are entirely valid.
The point is not to copy my list. It is to discover what reduces the load on your brain. Needing tools or aids is not a sign of weakness. It is a thoughtful way to work with your brain instead of against it.
What are your daily essentials?