Are you resolved to change behaviors and accomplish goals in the New Year? Begin by removing the tedious tasks and distractions that are stealing your time. ADDitude’s New Year’s gift guide can help you simplify your life by offering solutions for better time management, self care, planning, and more so you can live your best life.
Whether you’re belting out Taylor’s version or concocting a new business plan, it’s easy to lose precious time in a hot shower. This digital waterproof shower timer can help. The pocket-sized timer counts down and has three adjustable buttons for 10 minutes, 1 minute, and 10 seconds. The alarm turns off automatically and can easily switch from a timer to a clock. It comes with a magnetic back, retractable stand, and hook for hanging, so you can move it from the shower to the refrigerator to the car, or wherever you need help with time management. Maybe buy one for your teen’s bathroom as well.
When your mind races and you feel overwhelmed, the 7 Days of Mindfulness Puzzle Set from Galison redirects your focus and provides a mindful and relaxing activity. The seven small, 70-piece puzzles feature colorful gradient art by Jessica Poundstone. Pieces are color-coded on the back for easy sorting and neatly stored in a box.
That gross, cap-less tube of toothpaste that leaves behind a crusty, gooey mess on your bathroom counter? We’ve got a solution: SqueezMe’s silicon, self-sealing cap keeps toothpaste neat and contained. It also reduces waste by distributing a perfect dollop of toothpaste for each brushing. Just place the SqueezMe cap over the toothpaste tube’s thread and stop wasting time cleaning up caked-on residue or searching for a missing lid.
Did you remember to turn off the lights? Cross this worry off your list with Sylvania Smart Wi-Fi LED Light Bulbs. Simple voice commands turn the lights on and off, dim or brighten the lights, or bask rooms in color. You can choose from more than 16 million colors to match your mood or occasion. Set up is easy using the free product app. Each pack comes with four 60-watt smart lightbulbs, which are also compatible with Alexa, Siri Shortcuts, and Google Home.
No more sponges, buckets, or mops. The Voweek Electric Spin Scrubber makes the dreaded task of cleaning much more manageable. The electric scrubber comes with four brushes (a hard flat brush for large surfaces, a corner brush for curved areas, a small flat brush for detail work, and a pointed brush for gaps). The handle extends from 27 to 43 inches, so you can clean hard-to-reach places without kneeling or bending over. The cordless cleaning brush will work for up to two hours after charging. Though not the most glamorous gift, this one might get the most use.
How often do you pour yourself a hot cup of coffee or tea and forget about it for hours or maybe even days? The Ember Temperature Control Mug will keep beverages at your preferred temperature (between 120°F - 145°F) for up to 80 minutes on a full charge or all day on its charging coaster. The self-heating coffee mug senses movement or liquid and turns itself on and off. (The mug enters sleep mode when empty or after two hours of inactivity.) It also remembers your last-used temperature.
Heavy sleepers are no match for the Shock Clock 2 alarm by Pavlok. The company’s design philosophy centers around motivation, accountability, and physical stimulus to reinforce positive behavior change. Night owls will become early birds after waking up to a customized sequence of beeps, vibrations, or gentle electric zaps. No snoozing! After you wake up, the Shock Clock 2 ensures you won’t return to slumber by having you complete jumping jacks, solve a puzzle or riddle, or scan a QR code in another room to shut it off. It’s sort of mean, but also super effective.
After testing (and ditching) every planner on the market, Alec Ogg designed one specifically for ADHD brains. The Dice Planner (in Kickstarter mode now; not yet available for purchase) captures your to-dos in one place and tricks your brain into accomplishing them. Instead of feeling trapped in the prison of a schedule, your brain is compelled to start tasks because this planner infuses a sense of spontaneity into the process. Here’s how it works:
Brain dump any tasks that come to mind.
Plug up to 12 tasks into the to-do slots.
Guestimate your total task time and see if it matches your time window.
Roll the accompanying 12-sided decision dice. The numbers correspond with your to-do list.
Do the task you rolled!
The Dice Planner fits easily in your pocket, so you can jot down tasks whenever they pop into your head. Each 90-day planner is optimized for the day. What if you miss a day? No problem. Pages are undated. You can restart whenever.
Note: The Dice Planner is scheduled for March 2024 release.
