7-step

ADHD-management plan
Getting started 2

Welcome 2

How to Start with Effecto 2

7-Step Plan to Take Control of Your ADHD 2

Your Bodily Needs 3

Sleep and ADHD - How to Improve It 3

How Exercise and Movement Help Manage ADHD 6

You Are What You Eat 9

Nutrition and ADHD: How to Find a Diet That Works for You 9

Managing Your Medications, Vitamins & Supplements 12

Strengthen Your Mental Health 13

Dealing with Depression & Anxiety 14

Dealing with Overwhelm 16

Build Healthy Relationships With ADHD 20

Mindfulness & Self-improvement to Manage ADHD 23

Calming Exercises and Relaxation for Your Mind & Body 23

The Habit of Gratitude 25

Keep Focused and Productive 27

Turn Procrastination into Productivity 27

Improve Your Focus and Concentration 30

The Importance of Habits and Routines 33

How to Break the Bad Habits 33

Finding the Ultimate Routine 34

Final words 35
Getting started

Welcome!

We are glad you have chosen Effecto to aid you in your journey to improve your ADHD. We understand
that ADHD is a complex disorder that affects your physical and mental health and personal &
professional life too. That’s why we are here to help you make complex things more simple. We believe
that the best way to understand our mental health is by tracking it, figuring out what improves or
worsens it, and making the right choices in order to steadily improve it.

We understand that focus is something people with ADHD might struggle with, and reading this plan
might seem like a task that requires a high amount of effort. That’s why we designed it to be easy to
read and contain plenty of visual examples for our words. We also urge you not to try and read your plan
all in one go. Take your time, don’t rush it!

How to Use Effecto for Managing ADHD

Starting with Effecto the right way is very important, yet pretty simple. First, think about which of your
ADHD symptoms, or symptoms that are affected by ADHD do you want to improve the most. This can
be stress and anxiety, focus, procrastination, burnout, overwhelm, fidgeting etc. The next step would be
customising and personalising the app according to your needs. Only then you will have the
commitment and motivation and will truly be able to reach your personal goals. And remember, even
though every little aspect of your ADHD matters, tracking everything is not always the best idea. It’s
sometimes better to gradually improve yourself step-by-step than to try everything at once. To ensure
a smooth start with Effecto, here are some tips

Decide on your physical and mental health goals and priorities and then customise & personalise the
app according to your needs
Keep the most important parts of your mental & physical health at the top of your app’s homepage,
leaving secondary health preferences lower on the homepage or even completely turned off.
Especially at the beginning
Set up daily logging notifications (our recommendation would be at least twice per day) and
schedule reminders for your medications, vitamins, or supplements
Adjust the symptoms and custom tracking widgets by adding or keeping only the things that are of
interest to you.
Similarly, adjust your factors (these can be found under the factors, sleep, and nutrition widgets) so
that they would match your lifestyle. A factor can be pretty much anything - your behavior, habits,
activities, relationships, sleep or nutrition-related things, etc.

Once you’re done with that, only more entertaining things are left to do. Jump on the app one or two
times a day, log your preferred health, wellness, and productivity trackables, and get interesting and
effective insights & correlations that will help you bring your best self and reveal your full potential.

7-Step Plan to Take Control of Your ADHD

With Effecto you can track anything you like - mood, symptoms, sleep, medication, energy levels,
nutrition, activities, habits, productivity, motivation, focus, etc. However, you can easily get lost in the
details. That’s why we created a 7-step plan, that will help you manage the exact symptoms you need
to take care of your ADHD. 

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Based on the human’s hierarchy of needs your plan is meant to cover every aspect of your life. The
program acts both as a guide on how to use the app, as well as a plan that will help you utilize Effecto to
improve your ADHD. We’re very glad to have you onboard. Let’s start making the right choices for your
ADHD!

Your Bodily Needs

Sleep and ADHD - How to Improve It

Research suggests that ADHD can have a significant impact on sleep. People with ADHD often
experience difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and feeling rested upon waking up. This can lead to a
range of negative consequences, including increased daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and
decreased overall quality of life. The exact mechanisms for these are not fully known, but scientists
believe that this happens because of several reasons:
People with ADHD often have trouble calming down and may have difficulty relaxing at bedtime.
This can make it hard to fall asleep, and individuals with ADHD may be more prone to tossing and
turning throughout the night
Individuals with ADHD may experience racing thoughts or an overactive mind, making it difficult to
"switch off" and fall asleep. This can lead to difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep throughout
the night
Many medications used to treat ADHD can interfere with sleep, either by causing insomnia or by
disrupting the natural sleep cycle. Medications used to treat ADHD, such as Adderall can be
particularly problematic.

Sleep is incredibly important for your health. In fact, it’s just as important as eating a balanced, nutritious
diet and exercising. Though sleep needs vary from person to person, most adults require between 7
and 9 hours of sleep per night. However, up to 35% of adults in the United States don’t get enough
sleep.

If you still think that sleep isn’t as important as everyone is talking, think again. Here are some reasons
why you should take a more serious look at your sleep habits
Getting enough sleep helps improve attention, concentration, and memory, all of which can be
challenging for people with ADHD. Better sleep quality helps reduce symptoms such as
forgetfulness, fidgeting, and difficulty concentrating
Lack of sleep can increase hyperactivity and impulsivity in individuals with ADHD. Improved sleep
can help regulate hyperactivity and impulsivity, leading to better self-control, reduced impulsivity,
and fewer accidents
People with ADHD often struggle with low energy levels, which can be made worse by sleep
problems. Better sleep quality can help improve energy levels, making it easier to stay active and
productive throughout the day
Sleep has a direct impact on mood and emotions, and getting enough sleep can help improve overall
mood and reduce negative emotions like anxiety and irritability. Better sleep quality can help improve
coping mechanisms and increase resilience to stressful situations.
Poor sleep is also linked with mental health issues. Therefore, to strengthen your mental health and
avoid stress, depression, and anxiety, good sleep is always a good idea.

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Despite that, a smooth transition between wakefulness and sleep still remains one of the cruellest and
most challenging parts of everyday life. For example, it is late, and you are exhausted. You hardly had
enough time to eat your dinner and shower after a gruelling day at work. Perhaps you just binged your
favourite TV show while mindlessly having a meal during the first episode. Now you are in your bed and
you know that you should sleep, but… for some reason you keep scrolling or staring at one dot in the
darkness while still awake.

Sleep hygiene may sound like a boring and overused stereotype that does not really exist, but it just
may be the best way to get a night of perfect sleep in this age of being constantly on the move and
bombarded by digital content that is depleting your attention. Getting enough good quality sleep by
following good sleep habits can help people with ADHD feel better during the day, think better, and be
less sleepy. That is exactly what Effecto helps you to learn.

Using the Effecto app, you will be able to develop the ultimate bedtime routine and eliminate other
factors that are negatively impacting your sleep.

To start, it’s really important to track how much time and how well you sleep on a typical night. The main
widget to use inside the app is the "Sleep" widget, which can be found on the homepage (if not, please
enable it in the Settings → Customize Homepage)

A great benefit here can be obtained by connecting any smart gadget that you own with either Google
Fit or Apple Health and sharing that data with Effecto. This way, you can automatically gather all your
sleep data from the gadget and use it to generate powerful insights.

To start with, you should either automatically track your sleep duration, or manually enter the amount
you have slept each day by making inputs in the sleep widget. Additionally, it is very important to also
subjectively rate the quality of your sleep (on a scale from 1 to 10) to enable the Effecto app not only
see the duration, but sleep quality, which encompasses the subjective feeling of being rested, fresh,
awake, and full of energy in the morning.

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Keep tracking your sleep metrics everyday and start adjusting details of your sleep routine to find the
optimal sleep routine. Let's start with an example:

For many people, drinking too much coffee or ingesting caffeine too late in the day is a reason why it's
difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep, resulting in a cycle of poor sleep, then having more caffeine the
next day, which in turn results in poor sleep again. A great and fun way you can see this for yourself is
by trying our “Caffeine detox” experiment. Go to the experiments tab on your Effecto home screen, and
try the “Caffeine detox” experiment to see how caffeine is affecting your sleep.

It is well-known that a significant portion of ADHD sufferers struggle to wind down or even desire to go
to bed. Establishing and adhering to a regular bedtime routine can help manage ADHD symptoms by
giving the brain a structured and predictable schedule and letting it know it's time to start winding
down. This results in better overall sleep quality and a decrease in symptoms like impulsivity and
inattention during the day. To assist you achieve good sleep hygiene, we strongly advise that you
complete the "Consistent bedtime experiment" under the Experiments page.

We’re happy to say that Effecto approach helped to improve sleep for many of our users! Some of them
agreed on sharing their experience with you, so here’s a quick look at their insights and experiments.
You should try these too!
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Other tips to increase your sleep quality

Avoid alcohol and nicotin

Keep your bedroom quiet and dar

Read a book before slee

Reduce screen time 3 hours before be

Stay hydrate

Keep pets out of the bedroo

Get some exercise dail

Avoid large meals before bedtim

Be consistent with your sleep

Or try anything else that you suspect might be killing your sleep quality. Our experience suggests that

performing 5 experiments for at least 10 days each is almost guaranteed to find and build the optimal

bedtime routine. Start feeling rested and energetic and never look back!

How Exercise and Movement Help Manage ADHD

Exercise is important for managing ADHD because it has a variety of positive effects on the brain and

body that can help to improve ADHD symptoms. There are many ways in which exercise can help one

to manage ADHD symptoms.

Firstly, exercise is crucial for someone struggling with ADHD, because it increases neurotransmitter

levels. Exercise has been shown to increase the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, including

dopamine and norepinephrine, which are essential for regulating attention, focus, and mood. These

neurotransmitters are essential for enhancing executive function, memory, and processing speed, all of

which are frequently compromised in people with ADHD. In fact, most ADHD medications prescribed by

doctors enhance the levels of these neurotransmitter in the brain. So think of it this way - exercise is a

natural medication for ADHD, that does not require a visit to the doctor, and is completely free.

Furthermore, Exercise is a powerful stress reliever and can aid in lowering anxiety, which is frequently

linked to ADHD. Stress and worry at high levels can exacerbate ADHD symptoms, making it harder to

focus and rein in impulsive behavior. Endorphins, which can improve mood and foster a sense of well-

being, are released during exercise and can assist to lessen these symptoms.

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As mentioned in the previous chapter, people with ADHD frequently experience sleep issues, such as
trouble falling or staying asleep, which can further increase ADHD symptoms. This is another huge
reason why someone struggling with ADHD should implement exercise into their daily routine, as it can
help to improve sleep quality by promoting a regular sleep routine, reducing stress, and increasing
physical fatigue.

What is more, people with ADHD often struggle with excess energy, hyperactivity, and impulsivity,
which can lead to impulsive or risky behavior. Exercise provides a healthy outlet for this excess energy,
allowing individuals to engage in physical activity and burn off energy in a safe and productive way.

Finally, regular exercise can aid in boosting motivation and self-esteem, two factors that are crucial for
managing ADHD. Exercise can be a satisfying experience that produces feelings of achievement and
can boost general self-confidence, which can result in better results in other areas of life.

Using the Effecto app, you can learn how different physical activities effect your mental and physical
health and create the ideal workout routine that suits you best.

In this exercise, the main widget to use inside the app is the "Factors" widget, which can be found on
the homepage.

To start with, you should customize the activities and workouts in the factors widget so that they would
match your workout plan. Turn off the activities that you’re not planning on doing and keep the widget
personal. Additionally, it is very important to track other health trackables, such as mood, energy levels,
symptoms, sleep, or any other. This way you will start getting insights on how different workouts, even
the most simple ones like walking in the park, affect you. This will help you identify what’s really working
personally for you and track the health improvement movement brings you!

Keep experimenting on your daily workouts and tracking them to gain real insights on the effect of
exercise, find what’s working the best for you, and create your ultimate physical activity routine to keep
you in the best shape. Let's start with an example:

Some people are just created for sports and there’s really no big difference on what to do and when to
do. Others, however, are more selective, but it’s up to them to figure out what works the best for them.
So, for example, from time to time you do different exercises, such as walking in nature, jogging, going
to the gym, walking in the city, and others. While doing any of them is already good for your health,
some may really fit you more than others, thus be more valuable and effective toward your health
improvement.

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Conduct little experiments for 7 days each with different exercises. For each day of the experiment,
mark the exercise factor you have done that day. After a couple of weeks of different exercises, you will
be able to see the effect of exercises in general or specific exercises had on your mental & physical
health. Identify which of the activities make you feel the best and track your progress.

An example in the picture shows you the effect of different activities on your mood. You can see that
walking in nature improved your mood by +16%, while walking in the city had a negative -3% impact on
your mood. You can see the effect of different workouts on the sleep quality too.

You’ve made it! You have successfully identified your best personal exercise list. Keep doing those more
often, increase the duration of them, and finally get in the best shape you’ve ever been.

We already witnessed some successful stories with Effecto. Many great exercising routines were built
with the help of our app. Some users agreed on sharing their experience with everyone just to let other
people know the real effect of physical activity. Here’s what they found:

These are just a few tips on how to stay motivated to exercise regularly. However, some of them might
work better than the others, but trying these out is worth it. Cheers to your success on building the
ultimate exercising routine!

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You Are What You Eat

Nutrition and ADHD: How to Find a Diet That Works for You

Nutrition is extremely important for managing ADHD symptoms because it can affect brain function,

mood, and behavior.

The brain needs essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids, to function

properly. A diet that is lacking in these nutrients can affect brain function, leading to a range of cognitive

and behavioral symptoms, including those associated with ADHD.

Furthermore, a healthy diet can help reduce inflammation. Inflammation in the body can lead to a range

of physical and mental health problems, including those associated with ADHD. A diet that is high in

anti-inflammatory foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, can help to reduce

inflammation and improve overall health.

Lastly, it’s important to track your diet because certain foods may trigger ADHD symptoms in some

individuals. These may include foods that are high in sugar, artificial colors and flavors, and processed

foods. Avoiding these foods may help to reduce symptoms and improve overall health.

To better understand what are the other benefits of good nutrition, see the image below.

Lowers risk of heart disease, type 2

May help you live longer

diabetes, and some cancers

Keeps skin, teeth, and eyes healthy

Helps achieve and maintain a

healthy weight

Supports muscles

Helps the digestive system

function

Boosts immunity

Supports healthy pregnancies and

Strenghtens bones
breastfeeding

W ith E
ffecto app you are able to understand how different diets, specific meals and drinks, even the

amount of coffee affect your mental & physical health. This way you’ll be able to understand what food

makes you more energi z

ed, what triggers you to crash and feel sleepy on some days, what’s the right

daily amount of water for you, or how many alcohol units in the evening before don’t cause you feeling

hungover ?

The main widget to use inside the app in this exercise is the " "
Nutrition widget, which can be seen on

the homepage. If you can’t find the widget, go to the app’s Settin g →C
s usto mz
i e Hom p g
e a e and turn

on the Nutrition widget.

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The first step you should take is customizing the Nutrition widget and the factors inside it. Every person

has their own perspective on food and drinks, that’s why you should make this widget personal. Include

the factors that are associated with your current food habits, your meals, snacks, and beverages. Track

your daily nutrition together with other health aspects, such as mood, energy levels, sleep or

symptoms, and other, and you will soon figure out which foods make you feel worse and which of them

give you the power for your whole day’s tasks.

Try different experiments with your diet, track them, and find what food and drinks make you feel the

best. Make the right food choices for your health and you will be able to achieve more and feel better.

Here’s a short example:

Just continue eating the way you used to eat before. Once you eat your breakfast, log it in the nutrition

widget. After you eat lunch or dinner, mark them in the app too. Don’t forget to do the same with your

snacks, drinks, and geeneral food-related factors, such as intermittent fasting, keto diet, cheese, dairy

products, and so on. Try tracking your day to day diet factors for a couple of weeks and you will soon

start seeing the effect of different nutrition factors (meals, snacks, drinks, etc.) on your mood, sleep

quality, energy levels, symptoms, and overall mental & physical health. Identify what kind of food works

best for you and try to stick with it.

A great way to figure out which diets work best for you is by completing experiments. Go to the

“Experiments” tab on your homepage. Here you will find a couple of experiments such as “Get

Hydrated!” or “Vegetarian Diet”. Conducting experiments like these can be a very fun and engaging way

to play around with your diet and figure out which foods work best for your ADHD.

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An example in the picture shows you the effect of different breakfast meals & snacks on your energy
levels. You can see that Watermelon Feta salad improved your energy levels by +21%, while eating
Yogurt made you -7% less energized. You can see the effect of different breakfast meals on your mood,
productivity, or other metrics too.

Congrats! You’ve found yourself a meal plan that works. Keep tracking your breakfast, lunch, and dinner,
different beverages, or even number of cups of coffee or glasses of water and find the perfect diet in
no time.

Our users already managed to make important nutrition habit changes with Effecto. Some of them
agreed to share their results with us to spread the word about the importance and differences of
nutrition. Let’s take a look at what works the best for them:

If you’re still wondering how to start tracking your food habits, don’t worry. Just follow your regular diet
and track it. The results will speak for themselves.

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Managing Your Medications, Vitamins & Supplements

Medication prescribed by healthcare physicians is commonly used to help manage the symptoms of

ADHD, including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Supplements and vitamins can also

potentially help with ADHD by providing additional nutrients and compounds that may improve brain

function and reduce symptoms of ADHD. Research has shown that supplements such as omega-3 fatty

acids, zinc, iron, magnesium and vitamin D can improve ADHD symptoms by increasing brain function. A

common symptom of ADHD is forgetfulness. And if you forget to take your medications or supplements,

you don’t really get the full effect of the treatment.

That‘s why for this part the main widget will be Medications. You can find this one in the homepage

(make sure it‘s on in the app‘s settings - Customise homepage). This widget will allow you to make

schedules for all your medications, vitamins, and supplements, and never miss a dose any more.

Remember, every missed pill might be important! Here’s a quick look on how to schedule your meds to

get reminders.

Now all you need to do is stick to your schedule and drink everything on time. If you’d like to better

understand what effect your medications, vitamins, and supplements really have on your health, track

them with Effecto longer. Quite soon enough you’ll be able to start seeing how well you did with your

schedule. In addition to that, you’ll be able to see how you were feeling on the days that you’ve skipped

or missed the specific medication vs. when you took the pill.

This might be very useful for you and your doctor. Seeing how well you’ve managed to stick with the

schedule and understanding the effect it has on your body and overall health, or maybe identifying

which medication works for you the best, you’ll start seeing why medications, vitamins, and

supplements really matter.

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Strengthen Your Mental Health

Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being all contribute to our mental health. It has an impact
on how we think, feel, and act. It also influences our decision-making, the way we deal with stress and
interact with people, and the amount of energy and motivation we have in our lives. Mental health is
essential throughout life, from childhood to old age. Therefore, mental health is an equally important
component of our overall health and well-being.

When we are talking about mental health, we have many different aspects in mind. Overwhelm, stress,
burnout, mood, and anxiety are just a few examples of our mental health. Moreover, you should
understand that mental illness and poor mental health are not synonymous. A person might have poor
mental health without being diagnosed with a mental disease. Similarly, a person with a mental
condition might have times of physical, mental, and social well-being.

ADHD can have a significant impact on a person's emotional and psychological well-being. ADHD
symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity can make it difficult for a person to
navigate daily life and form healthy relationships.

People with ADHD are more likely to experience co-occurring mental health conditions, such as anxiety,
depression, and substance use disorders. This is because ADHD can cause significant stress and
frustration, which can lead to feelings of low self-esteem, hopelessness, and difficulty coping with
everyday challenges.

Additionally, people with ADHD may struggle with social skills, which can impact their ability to form and
maintain relationships. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can further impact
mental health.

That is why maintaining good mental health and addressing any mental health issue are critical for
restoring and maintaining constructive behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and ideas. Focusing on mental
health care may boost productivity, improve our self-confidence, and strengthen our relationships.

Nurturing mental health not only improves our everyday functioning, but it may also help us control
some of the physical health issues that are directly related to mental health difficulties. For example,
because heart disease and stress are linked, stress management may have a good effect on your
health.

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Dealing with Depression & Anxiety

Ever felt sad, hopeless, or let down? Had a feeling that the activities you used to enjoy are just not that
fun anymore? It is common for people with ADHD to experience feelings of depression, and what’s even
worse is that they often coexist with stress and anxiety.

Feelings of sadness or depression and anxiety are like two sides of the same coin. Sadness brings us
anxious thoughts, which in turn often make us feel depressed, and being depressed often feels like
we’re stuck and makes us feel even more anxious and sad.

But don’t be let down, you’ll be surprised to find how small habits can reduce our feelings of depression,
sadness, and anxiety. The positive thing is that when you reduce one, the other tends to decrease in
intensity as well. Two birds with one stone.

First of all, we encourage to track your mood at least 3 times a day using Effecto, and factor in your
emotions like “sad”, “hopeless”, “frustrated” etc. You can do this on the widget “Mood” which you can
find on your home screen (if not, please enable it in the Settings -> Customize Homepage). Rate it on a
scale of 1-10.

The next step is to rate your symptoms on the widget “Symptoms” which can be found on the home
screen. We are suggesting tracking symptoms like anxiety, tiredness, overwhelm, and any others that
you are experiencing. Rate these symptoms on a scale of 1-10 at the same time after you’ve tracked
your mood.

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This might seem redundant at first, but trust us, you will notice the effects of this practice after a while.
Tracking your mood and symptoms after a while will give you valuable insights into what affects them
the most.

Experiencing stress is often called the “fight or flight” state. Our daily worries related to work, studies,
and relationships often make our bodies release stress hormones, that are responsible for preparing us
for a fight to the death or a run for our lives. Our blood vessels constrict, glucose is transported to our
muscles, our pupils dilate, we get ready for action.

If we do nothing, experiencing this state can lead to chronic health conditions like heart disease. That is
why it is critically important to exercise if you often experience stress. We strongly suggest finding an
activity that stimulates your body and is suitable for you. The importance of physical activity and how to
find your ultimate exercise routine was outlined in the 1st chapter.

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Track your activity level, as well as what activities you do for 30 days, and see how it affects your mood
and symptoms you’ve tracked using the app.

Another important habit we recommend is to start some type of mindfulness practice like meditation.
Meditation can help you build new skills to manage your stress and anxiety. It can reduce negative
thoughts and feelings, improve sleep quality, and help you focus on the present. Most importantly,
meditation helps you gain a new perspective on your feelings of anxiety and depression, and perhaps
find a new way how to disentangle from them. We recommend doing at least 10 minutes of meditation
each day, and tracking it using the Effecto app. After a while you will be able to see how it impacts your
other symptoms.

Here are some other habits our users reported to have helped them decrease feelings of sadness,
worry, and depression and feel happier again:

Spending time in natur

Meditation and mindfulness practic
Spending time with loved one
Spending time with animal
Eating healthy

Just like tracking exercise, try tracking these habits and see what effects they have on your mood and
symptoms!

Dealing with Overwhelm

For those who have ADHD, feeling overwhelmed is a typical symptom because the condition can make
it challenging to manage several tasks and stimuli at once. Someone with ADHD frequently finds it
difficult to block out distractions, which causes them to feel easily overburdened by the demands of
everyday life.

Overwhelm can occur for people with ADHD in a variety of contexts, including the workplace,
classroom, or family. They may find it difficult to prioritize and concentrate when faced with numerous
duties or stimuli, which can cause frustration, anxiety, and stress.

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As people with ADHD may find it difficult to break projects down into doable stages and instead feel
paralyzed by the amount of work ahead of them, overwhelm can also result in procrastination. This
could intensify your sense of overwhelm and start a stressful pattern of delay.

Using the Effecto app there are many ways in which you can implement new habits and behaviors that
can reduce the feeling that you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.

The first thing we encourage to do, is track how overwhelmed you’re feeling multiple times a day.
Enable the “Symptoms” widget on the home screen of Effecto. Track the intensity of your feeling of
overwhelm on a scale of 1 - 10 each day for a month. This will allow you to get a better understanding of
how this symptom fluctuates during the day. Enable the “Symptoms” widget, which can be found on the
homepage (if not, please enable it in the Settings -> Customize Homepage).

Good job! You’ve done the first step. It may not seem like much, but believe us, this will be of

tremendous value during your journey.

Research suggests that feelings of overwhelm are tightly associated with lack of proper rest. In today’s
day and age, we are working non-stop, allowing very little time for rest and little time for ourselves. We
end up being tired all the time, which in turn makes us not able to concentrate on our daily tasks and
feel like we’re not able to do our work, complete our studies etc. This results in a vicious cycle of even
more work and less rest, resulting in increased feelings of being overwhelmed.

That is why we strongly suggest prioritizing sleep and rest, and developing sleep hygiene. We have
already outlined the main principles of good sleep habits in the first chapter. All of them are incredibly
important for improving your sleep quality and reducing feelings of overwhelm.

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At the same time, we encourage you to go out and do things that you love! If you’re constantly thinking
about things you’re worried about, it’s not surprising that you easily get overwhelmed. Enable “Activities”
and “Hobbies” on the “Factors” widget, and keep track of all the interesting things you do each day.

And last, but not least, we strongly suggest you start writing in the gratitude journal. It is widely known
that keeping a gratitude journal has many benefits. It makes you a more kind, loving person, it helps you
appreciate your environment and the people surrounding you. A gratitude journal teaches you that even
in your darkest hour there is still something that makes you smile, something that you are grateful for.
This is of tremendous value if you often feel overwhelmed. Try to write something you’re grateful for
each day. Enable the “Gratitude widget” widget, which can be found on the homepage (if not, please
enable it in the Settings -> Customize Homepage)

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To let you better understand how it can affect your health & well-being, we asked a few users to share
their experience with Effecto. Their results are below.

We still understand that improving your different mental health aspects might be difficult. So here are
some tips how to recharge your mind and feel better

Track gratitude and achievement with a journal. Add a couple of things you were grateful for and a
couple of things you’ve managed to achieve. Do this at least once every second day
Don’t forget a good night’s sleep. Not only it helps to recharge your body, but it makes you feel
fresher emotionally
Relationships. Spending time and showing love to you’re the ones you care boosts your mental
health
Don’t forget your hobbies. Doing the things you like during your free time make. you relax and feel
much more rested
Set up a getaway. Taking some time off for yourself is crucial for everyone. It lets your mind & body
to recharge and get ready for new challenges
Exercise, meditate, and do yoga. Physical activity releases active substances in your brain and body,
and helps you feel better
Stay on a healthy diet to get enough nutrients every day. Adequate nutrition ensures proper amount
of different nutrients in your body. Those are important for your physical and mental functions

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Build Healthy Relationships With ADHD

One of the deepest experiences we have in our lives is the connection we have with other human

beings. This connection can bring feelings of intense joy, happiness and bring colour into our lives. But

sometimes, it can feel like we have a difficult time connecting to other human beings, like we are not

able to communicate our feelings. We have all been there, you are not alone!

Relationships can provide important emotional support, which can be particularly helpful for someone

with ADHD who may struggle with emotional regulation. When a person with ADHD is in a supportive

relationship, they may feel more understood, accepted, and less isolated. This can help to reduce

feelings of anxiety and depression, which are commonly associated with ADHD.

You’re probably wondering what could healthy relationships bring to your mental or physical health. In

short, people who have healthy relationships are more likely to feel happier and more satisfied with their

lives, and be more self-confident and productive. They are less likely to have physical or mental health

issues too.

Additionally, healthy relationships can

Strengthen your sense of value and belonging, making you feel less alone

Boost your confidence

Encourage you to do new things, learn and understand more about yourself.

Happily, there are several habits you can develop to improve your relationships and bring back the joy in

talking and sharing your experience with another person.

First of all, track your social experiences using the Effecto app. Enable “Social” on the “Factors” widget

which can be found on your home screen (if not, please enable it in the Settings -> Customize

Homepage). Track your social encounters for 30 days: who you spend time with, your friends, family, or

significant other, whether you were highly sociable or not during the day, etc. At the same time, track

how your mood changes on a scale of 1-10 before and after social experiences.

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This is important for various reasons, which may not seem apparent at first. Firstly, you will learn to
notice and appreciate how spending time with certain people increases your mood.

Secondly, you will learn what amount of social interaction suits you best. We are all different by the
amount of time we need to spend with other people. Some of us need more time alone, while others try
to spend as much time with others as possible. Like in all things, finding the right balance is really
important to achieve a feeling of contentment.

And lastly, this practice helps you identify which relationships are perhaps not suitable or even toxic to
you. If you are feeling dreadful and anxious before meeting a person, and your mood worsens and you
feel self-conscious after you have met with them, perhaps it’s time to considering ending that
relationship.

There are also helpful habits you can use to improve your relationship with your superior other using the
Effecto app. Experiment logging in factors like “Sex” “Sleeping with a partner” and how they affect your
mood, symptoms, sleep duration and quality.

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Lastly, a very important component of each healthy relationship is showing gratitude and appreciation
for the other person and letting them know how much positive impact they have on your life. We
suggest writing something that you are grateful for that person each time you each time you meet them
using the Effecto app. Enable the “Gratitude journal” widget which can be found on your home screen (if
not, please enable it in the Settings -> Customize Homepage).

Developing these habits are paramount for developing healthy relationships.

Some of our users said that Effecto really helped their relationship and they agreed on sharing their
insights. You can take a peak at them here.

Here are some tips for healthy friendships and relationship with your loved one

Show your friends and your loved ones that you care. Do that simply by spending time with them
Don’t promise others what you can’t do. Keep expectations realistic
Communication is the key to a healthy relationship. Talk with each other, listen, and share. Take the
time and really be there
Respect each other. If you have planned something, make sure you follow through.

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 Don’t forget to take care of yourself. We all have different needs, so don’t forget yours too
Small things can mean a lot. Pay attention to details. They might feel really happy that you’ve noticed
something so tiny.
Spend quality time face to face
Be open and honest with each other
Find something you enjoy doing together. This can take your relationship to the next level
Don’t forget the importance of intimacy in your relationship with the loved one.

Mindfulness & Self-improvement to Manage ADHD

Calming Exercises and Relaxation for Your Mind & Body

Mindfulness can be a helpful tool for individuals with ADHD because it promotes greater awareness of
the present moment and can improve focus, attention, and self-regulation.

In simple words, mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to what's happening right now, without
judgment or distraction. It involves observing one's thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations in the
present moment.

For people with ADHD, mindfulness can help increase awareness of distractions and allow them to
refocus their attention on the task at hand. It can also help to reduce impulsive behavior by increasing
self-awareness and providing a moment of pause before acting.

Also, mindfulness can help individuals with ADHD manage their emotions and reduce feelings of stress
and anxiety. By becoming more aware of their thoughts and emotions, you can learn to respond to them
in a more balanced and effective way.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness, including meditation, breathing exercises, and mindful
movement (such as yoga or tai chi). These practices can be helpful for individuals with ADHD to
develop greater self-awareness, improve focus, and manage their symptoms more effectively.

Many scientific studies have shown that mindfulness has many psychological, cognitive, and physical
benefits. You can see them in the image below.

Increased Increased
Increased Increased Increased life Increased work Decreased
Psychological relationship sense of
happiness compassion satisfaction satisfaction depression
quality meaning

Increased Increased
Increased Increased Increased Increased test Reduced mind
Cognitive
attention memory creativity innovation problem solving scores wandering

Improved Improved Decreased

Reduced Decreased Better sleep Improved neural
Physical immune cardiovascular levels of
hypertension chronic pain quality integration
function factors cortisol

The Benefits of Mindfulness

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To summarise, mindfulness can bring you many benefits.
Mindfulness helps us manage existing stress and reduces psychological and physical stress
Makes you feel better and happier not just about your mental and physical health, but also by
maintaining a positive mindset
Practicing mindfulness improves your memory performance. This way you’re able to recall
information better
Improves your sleep quality by helping you fall asleep faster and lowering the number of times you
wake up during the night
Have you ever gotten back from a workout with new ideas? Mindfulness works even better. It boosts
your focus and creativity. It also improves your problem-solving abilities
It boosts your immune system and improves your physical and emotional performance.

Mindfulness exercises can help you build new skills to manage your stress and anxiety, reduce negative
thoughts and feelings, improve sleep quality, and help you focus on the present. Most importantly, it
helps you gain a new perspective on your feelings of anxiety and depression, and perhaps find a new
way how to disentangle them.

We recommend doing at least 10 minutes of any mindfulness exercise each day and tracking it using
the Effecto app. After a while, you will be able to see how it impacts your other symptoms, such as
mood, energy levels, productivity, focus, anxiety, stress, or any other. You’ll be able to figure out what
kind of mindfulness exercises work the best for you and understand how they can improve your day-to-
day life and general well-being.

We strongly recommend trying our “14 days of meditation” experiment in to get you started with
meditation and see for yourself all the benefits meditation can bring you.

After you decide which type of meditation suits you best, the main widget to use inside the app in this
exercise is the "Factors" widget (more precisely, the Activity group in the Factors widget), which can be
seen on the homepage. Under the activities group, turn on or add new factors and start tracking
yourself daily. Log one of the mindfulness exercise after you’ve done it, do it regularly for a couple of
weeks and you’ll start getting the results.

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We have some users practicing mindfulness and they agreed on sharing their insights. Make sure you
check them below to understand how tracking and finding your ideal exercise can benefit you.

Tracking yourself and understanding the health impact the surrounding environment, your behavior, and
different activities and exercises have is crucial to increase your well-being and overall performance.
Our other users were successful, so we hope you will be too!

Here’s another mindfulness tip. Next time you will find your mind racing with stress or anxious thoughts,
or when you’ll just feel lost, try the acronym S.T.O.P.

Stop what you are doing and put things down for a minute
Take a breath. Breathe in… and breathe out
Observe your thoughts, feelings, and emotions
Proceed with something that will support you at the moment.

The Habit of Gratitude

We have excluded gratitude journaling from the previous part, even though it’s a type of mindfulness
exercise too. A similar practice is ‘Metta meditation’: a type of Buddhist meditation. “Metta” means
positive energy and kindness toward yourself and others.

Gratitude is the practice of intentionally focusing on the positive things in one's life, and expressing
appreciation for them. For individuals with ADHD, practicing gratitude can have several benefits

Improves your physical health and mental well-being

Promotes self-improvement and personal growth
Improves self-confidence and self-esteem
Reduces stress levels
Improves relationships
Helps you sleep better.

To put it simply, gratitude is a way of saying "thank you" for the good things in life, and focusing on what
we have instead of what we lack.

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Firstly, practicing gratitude can help improve mood and reduce negative thoughts and feelings. People
with ADHD may be more prone to negative thoughts and emotions, and gratitude can help
counterbalance this by focusing on positive experiences and emotions.

Secondly, gratitude can help improve relationships by increasing feelings of connection and positivity.
When someone with ADHD expresses gratitude to a friend, family member, or partner, it can help to
strengthen the relationship and foster a more positive dynamic.

Finally, gratitude can help to improve overall well-being by promoting a more positive outlook on life.
Individuals with ADHD may struggle with impulsivity and distractibility, and practicing gratitude can help
to increase mindfulness and promote a more positive attitude towards life.

That’s why we suggest you start writing a gratitude journal. Enable the "Gratitude Journal" widget on
the app’s homepage (if not already enabled, you can do it under Settings → Customize Homepage) and
try writing it at least 1-3 times per week (as recommended). To get into the habit of writing in a
gratitude journal, we highly recommend doing the “Keep a gratitude journal” experiment in the
experiments page.

Don’t forget to log “Journaling” under the factors widget every time you do it. Do it for a couple of weeks
and you’ll start seeing the effects it has on every aspect of your mental and physical health, sleep,
energy levels, and even productivity, focus, or motivation!

It works for others, so you should definitely try it too! See how gratitude journaling helped our other
users below.

If you’ve never done gratitude journaling before, you should at least try it!

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In case you don’t know how to start, here are some tips. But don’t forget, you should find the best
approach to gratitude journaling for yourself

Make it a regular thing. Commit to a regular time for journaling and honor your commitment. You can
write once a week or a few times per week, it’s your choice
It’s best that you don’t overdo it. Psychologists recommend writing gratitude 1-3 times every week
Be as specific as possible. For example, say “I’m grateful that my friends came to visit me when I was
feeling down” instead of “I’m grateful for my friends”. Trust us, it’s a more effective approach
Be personal. Express your gratitude for people to whom you’re grateful, not just for the things you’re
grateful for
Quality over quantity. Going into details is proven to be more beneficial instead of superficially listing
many different things
Record surprising or unexpected events too. These might even bring you more benefits.

Keep Focused and Productive

Turn Procrastination into Productivity

Do you ever feel like you didn’t accomplish the tasks that you had planned at the end of the day? Or like
you were binge-watching Netflix or doing everything except what you really should be doing? You start
with a to-do list of your plans and goals, but end up focusing on low-priority tasks and procrastinating.
We completely understand that for a person struggling with ADHD proper time management and
productivity are difficult to reach. But it is possible, and we are here to help.

Using the Effecto app you can replace bad habits and behavior patterns with good ones that will make
you your best, most productive version. This will increase your performance at work or college, let you
achieve more in less time, and also increase your working quality too. It’s never too late to start getting
more successful. Start doing it today.

The first rule for increasing productivity is to do your most important and hard work when you are at
your best. It makes sense to do the heaviest lifting when you have the biggest amount of energy. For
this purpose, we encourage you to track your productivity levels at least 5 times each day, to figure out
what time is your most productive. Add productivity in the “Custom Trackers” widget (If it’s not enabled,
please go to Settings --> Customize Homepage). And rate it on a scale of 1-10 each time, and don’t
forget to add a timestamp to it!

After a few days of tracking, you can get insights into what time of day your alertness is at its peak. You
can figure out if you are a night owl or an early bird.

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Good work, you’ve done the first step! You’ve figured out what time of the day you are most productive!

Use this time to complete your most difficult tasks. This will allow you to do easier assignments when

you have less energy and as a consequence, you won’t become exhausted trying to do hard work when

you are tired.

The next step is to figure out what surroundings are best for your productivity levels. Do you thrive in

the office, working from home, or maybe in a library, or a cafe? In the factors section, log each day

when working from different places.

Everyone is different and has a special place where their productivity is at its peak. Some find it difficult

to work from home because they start procrastinating easily. Others find the office a place of loud

noises, too many people, and distractions. Track your energy levels, mood, and emotions when working

from different places. After a few weeks, open the insights section to see how working from different

locations affected these things and you will have figured out where is the best place for you to work.

The last suggestion we have, but perhaps the most important is: give yourself a break! We know, it may

sound counterproductive at first. How can taking more breaks increase my productivity? Research

suggests that as much as 80% of people experience burnout. Working more hours and not taking a rest

can make you feel more tired, reduce your sleep quality and as a consequence, reduce your

productivity.

That is why we strongly encourage you to do your hobbies and interests. Watch your favourite TV show,

go out with friends, go to the gym, whatever takes your mind off work and lets you rest.

Enable the hobbies and activities on the factors widget. Track how your mood and energy changes

when you do these activities and see how that impacts your productivity.

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Good work! You’ve just found ways to increase your productivity. We encourage you to keep tracking

and discovering new methods to boost your efficiency.

If you don’t know what’s affecting your productivity, take a look at what our other users found out.

Some other ideas to improve productivity and stop procrastinating

Stop multitasking, focus on the most important task first. Sometimes it’s better to start with the

hardest task first

Set small objectives and complete your tasks step by step

Take small breaks in between important tasks. Don’t forget to move and exercise a little bit. That

makes your body and mind more focused, therefore, more productive too

Spend more time in nature. Not only it makes your mind and body relax and gives you the needed

breath of fresh air, but it improves your physical & mental health

Limit interruptions, such as smartphone distractions, social media, binge eating, and others

Limit your distractions. To better understand what makes you lose focus, try tracking and analysing

yourself

Identify your productive time. Everyone has a specific time when they’re the most productive. Find

yours by tracking and analysing yourself

Use the Pomodoro technique. Make a to-do list and set a timer for 25 minutes. Concentrate on a

single task until the timer rings. When your session ends, mark off one pomodoro, write down what

you accomplished, and take a five-minute break

If there’s something blocking your task or you don’t know how to do it, don’t waste time. Try asking

for help from others or move on to another task

Use the five-minute rule. Commit to spending 5-minutes on the thing you’re procrastinating on. Stop

doing it after the time ends if you want. Trust us, it’s a CBT-based technique and it’s proven to help

kill procrastination.

Or anything else that you think might increase your productivity.

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Improve Your Focus and Concentration

Picture this: you’re having a busy day at work or studying for an exam and you have a lot of work to do

today, but every time you start reading or working on a task, your mind starts wandering and thinking of

random ideas. You snap back and tell yourself you have to focus on your work or studying material only

to notice you’re getting distracted again. Then you start to wonder, how do people become focused, is

it possible at all?

We had this same question, and after looking into what focused people do differently, we noticed a

thing. The only difference between people who are easily distracted from highly concentrated people is

a few small habits. Happily, you can start implementing those today.

By choosing to improve your focus, you can boost your performance at work or in college, improve

relationships by being more present when spending time with others, have a more balanced life and

improve time management and organizational skills. This way you’ll be able to do and achieve much

more.

Firstly, remember that unfinished tasks are harder to get out of your brain than tasks that haven’t been

started. Meaning that starting a project - even if you work for it for just 15 minutes - will make it harder

for your brain dismiss it, and will increase the chance that you are going to complete that project. Once

you start doing it, the big, scary project will turn into an unfinished task - meaning your brain will try to

figure out how to get it done.

Secondly, identify your “overwhelm” triggers. When the ADHD brain gets stressed, it jumps into fight or

flight mode. This looks like a lack of motivation: You abandon your piles of laundry or half-done taxes

and binge-watch Netflix instead. Break this cycle by identifying the triggers that cause you to feel

overwhelmed. For some, it’s hunger; for others, it’s too many conflicting priorities. Getting a handle on

what causes your overwhelm won’t be enough to deter it every time, but you’ll be better equipped to

anticipate its arrival and plan accordingly.

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Look for positive discractions. “Distraction” need not be a dirty word. Certain diversions can actually
help you get more done in the long run. Take, for instance, exercise: stepping away from a project to go
for a walk might seem like avoidance, but physical activity actually boosts the brain and can help you
operate more efficiently when you come back. Seek out the “positive distractions” that work for you;
good examples include meditation, a quick dance break, or a creative art project.

Racing thoughts and hyperactive imaginations mean that ADHD brains are easily thrown off course by
passing thoughts about dry cleaning or returning Uncle Garry’s phone call. Deal with sidetracking
thoughts — and the anxiety they can create — with a “parking lot,” an easily accessible place to dump
unneeded thoughts until a more appropriate time. The parking lot can be the “Notes” widget in your
Effecto app - write any passing thoughts that you want to deal with later in there. You will notice just
how much this will stress this practice will save you and keep your focus unbroken.

Also, let go of perfectionism! Being hyperfocused is not always a positive thing. Sometimes it can cause
those with ADHD to become fixated on minor, unimportant details, which kills their real productivity.
Develop the ability to let go of perfectionism and accept "good enough." Don't expect your perfectionist
tendencies to vanish over night; instead, expect to lessen your anxiety, boost your self-esteem, and
increase your productivity along the way. This is a journey, not a destination.

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Curious to know what might be making you more focused? Check what helps our other users here.

Here are a few other tips to increase your focus

Identify your distractions and eliminate them. Effecto will help you with that

Connect with nature. Spend more time in it or at least try to bring some plants to your office

Practice meditation, or any other mindfulness practice

Get more sleep. If you’ve been hardly sleeping, how can you maintain focus on your tasks? Try to

figure out what makes you sleep worse than usual and improve your sleep quality

Give yourself a break. Focusing on one thing for a long time without any breaks can make your focus

die down

Don’t forget to train your brain. Games and puzzles are worth trying

Drink caffeine (but that’s very individual)

Exercise is always good for both your mental and physical health. It boosts your focus and

productivity too

Try taking supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids

Create spaces for work. This will reduce your distractions

Set a daily priority and try to stick with it. You’ll feel more motivated, therefore, more concentrated

too

Avoid multitasking. While we feel that we’re being more productive, multitasking really makes you

less focused and less productive.

Great work! You’ve started the journey of improving your focus! Remember, by tracking these habits

each day and sticking to the plan, your focus will improve in no time.

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The Importance of Habits and Routines

How to Break Bad Habits

Our behavior and everything we do during our days affect our physical and mental health, professional
and personal life too. You probably understand that by now.

However, finding out what really makes you feel less productive, more stressed or anxious, what makes
your ADHD more severe than usual, or simply what’s breaking your stride on some days is quite a
serious and difficult task.

But we assure you, getting rid of bad habits will benefit every aspect of your life. Better mental and
physical health, improved sleep quality, more energy during days, higher performance, increased focus
and productivity, and many more.

The following question still remains. How to break bad habits? Well, to be honest, it’s pretty easy with
Effecto. Start tracking your day-to-day mood, sleep, energy, or any of the symptoms together with all
the activities you do throughout your days and start seeing how they affect you.

Customize your factors so that they would meet your lifestyle, jump on the app at least one or two times
every day, log your health trackables and all the factors you did on specific days, and make it happen!

Having a personal tool for all your health needs and habits will really help you feel safe towards the
future. And a brighter one indeed!

Here’s a tip from our other Effecto users: “be consistent with the app, track yourself every day, even the
smallest details of your life, and try limiting the identified bad habits”. They also agreed to share which
of the negative habits they managed to cut down or entirely eliminate from their day-to-day things.

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Finding the Ultimate Routine

It’s important to mention that breaking bad habits or at least limiting them is just the first step should
take. The next step you need to take is to find your ultimate routine and always be ready for what’s yet
to come.

Habits and routines create structure and promote mental, physical, and emotional health. The absence
of a routine can often lead to stress and feelings of unmanageability, lower your mental and physical
health, and affect probably every aspect of your life.

Once you have a routine, it already improves your health and well-being. Butt imagine having an
ultimate routine. Curious to see what it can bring?

Despite all the benefits mentioned in other parts of this 7-step self-improvement plan, the routine can
bring even more control over your ADHD, improve your time management and organizational skills, and
help you stay even more motivated towards all the goals in your life.

A few users wanted to share the top-notch routines they managed to identify and implement in their
lives with Effecto.

Therefore, track yourself with Effecto to better understand what’s really working for you and finally
unlock your full potential. Stay consistent with the app and you’ll definitely make it happen.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your habits and routines and remember - only those who seek shall
find. Create the environment to set up yourself for success. Find the ultimate routine and make it stick
for good!

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Final words

Thank you for reading this guide on how you can improve your ADHD with the help of the Effecto app.
We understand the complexity of your brain and that’s why it’s important to improve your health step by
step, touching the most important aspects of your health. By doing so, you will learn how to be present
with your mind and body all the time.

The main point of this plan is to encourage you to track everything you deem important in your life. Only
then will you be able to better understand yourself and move towards change. The more informed you
are about your mental & physical health, the more empowered you are to affect it. Cheers to a brighter
tomorrow!

We hope Effecto will help you figure out what makes you feel better or worse, break bad habits, and
build new and healthy ones. This will lead to a steady improvement of your mental & physical health, as
well as your personal and professional life.

Thank you for dedicating time to self-improvement. Your body and mind will thank you later! We hope
you are successful in implementing these habits into your daily routine and that they will help you
achieve a better, more focused, and happier life. Thank you for using Effecto!

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