My ADHD and How Fabulous App Has Been Helping Me

I grew up not knowing why I took longer than most people to understand, learn, and catch on to things. Things that would be common knowledge for the majority of my peers and family members weren’t so common for me. I never got formally diagnosed with ADHD. (I’m working on getting that done.) Instead, I married a mental health nerd. Everything he knows, he’d learned from school and books. Now that he experiences how someone with ADHD functions daily firsthand, he occasionally gets frustrated.

I’d learned throughout grade school that not everyone has a lot of pent-up energy during the day. I’d learned that not everyone has something to talk about every second of the day. I may have been well-known at school and church, but inside I felt like I was the only person who understood my perspective on life, my ideas, and most of all my form of common sense. There was only one other person, but even they thought I was weird.

I hadn’t learned how to memorize and prioritize things until my firstborn son was 7 years old and diagnosed with ADHD. I had to learn how to prioritize what he needed (nutrition, mindfulness, learning methods, energy outlets, etc.) over what he wanted (video games, TV, playing with all of his toys at the same time, etc.) as well as creating structure in the home. I had to create a schedule for him to follow, every moment of the day.

Then I had an epiphany. What if I could do the same for myself? Flash forward a few years and I’m now barely reading about an app called Fabulous. So far, it’s been six days and it’s eased my anxiety of keeping to a timed schedule while trying to keep up with my 10-month-old and 9-year-old. Mind you, what I’m about to tell you is not new. You can find a pretty good review of Fabulous App here.

The app starts with one simple task: drink water first thing when you wake up. On day 2 or 3, it will tell you to prepare your water by your bed when it’s time to go to sleep. On day 5, the app will suggest drinking water prior to going to sleep so that you are more relaxed. Either way, after three days of drinking water upon waking up, you will “earn” a new task: breakfast.

The purpose of this app is to basically create routines specifically for you based on your behavior. (Noom creates behavior-led habits to help with weight loss.) Upon realizing how easy this is, I stopped stressing over what I can’t accomplish in one day. I now dedicate time for things that need to be done. For example, I love writing. So I set aside an hour a day for writing.

At this point, even if my little one wakes me up three or four times a night, I can still wake up early, give him milk, have my breakfast, give him solids, prepare him for a nap, write during his nap, and do a mandatory task or two during the day while he’s awake. I’m not overwhelmed by the housework and tasks that need to be done anymore. Thanks to this app, I’ve finally learned to breathe and take things one step at a time.

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