For me – and likely many other people with ADHD – distractibility when working on tasks is one of the biggest everyday challenges. Therefore I made an app, the ADHDFocus app, which helps me address this problem to some extent: it supports me in reducing distractions and working in a more focused way.
Whether it is useful for others as well, I obviously cannot say – but I would be happy if it helps someone.
The app is loosely based on a Pomodoro-style system. My approach to dealing with distractibility was to design a very rigid, low-decision workflow. Because of that, there are hardly any settings: only the duration and interval can be configured. After that, a fixed process runs.
Tasks can be created and worked on during an interval with supportive brown noise (ideally via headphones). Completed tasks can be checked off, and unfinished tasks are automatically carried over into the next interval.
Between work sessions there are short recovery breaks. During both intervals and breaks, the goal is to minimize distractions – this also includes intentionally avoiding traditional countdown numbers. Instead, there is only a simple visual time indicator (a kind of “disappearing egg timer”), which is intuitively understandable and not distracting.
I will continue using the app in its current state, but I cannot and do not want to actively develop or maintain it. Based on experience, that would pull me back into a deep rabbit hole.
Since it is still genuinely useful for me, I hope it could be for others, too, and would be happy if someone else is interested in taking it over, fixing bugs, or possibly publishing it. Therefore, I am offering it here for adoption:
Of course, there are a few small things that could be improved:
- A better icon
- Better handling of the remaining time
- Things that don’t immediately come to mind
Disclaimer: The app was entirely generated using Claude Code. Without this tool, it would not exist, so I do not want to engage in discussions about AI coding, the risks of AI, drying rivers (a portion of the CO₂ footprint of the app has been “offset” through compensation measures), and similar topics. No, I do not understand every line of code, and yes, that is suboptimal. But that is the situation, and I do not intend to debate it.
