ADHD and The Holidays: The Ultimate Gift Guide (Full Top 10 Edition)
- Eliza Barach
- Dec 4
- 7 min read
Your 2025 List of the Best ADHD-Friendly Gifts for Adults– Vetted By a Cognitive Neuroscientist & ADHD Coach.
ADHD and the holidays means not just how do I get gifts for the people I love, but what are some good gifts for my ADHD brain!
To no surprise, I often get that question from loved ones all the time.
So I pulled together 10 truly ADHD-friendly gifts — some I swear by personally, others come from clients and colleagues who understand this brain inside and out.
A quick note before we dive in: Some links are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them. I only use affiliate links for products I personally own and believe in, and this helps support the newsletter so I can keep creating research-backed ADHD content for you.
What It Is
A physical square paired with an app that blocks whatever apps you choose. To unlock them, you have to physically tap your phone to the brick — which you can strategically place somewhere inconvenient.
Why It’s Great for ADHDers
This tool uses our low frustration tolerance strategically. By creating a physical barrier between you and the time-sucking apps, it becomes harder to give in to temptation than to stay on task. You can customize which apps to block, keep essentials accessible, and give your future self the gift of fewer rabbit holes.
Why It’s Still My Ride or Die
I have no shame admitting I occasionally (okay it's more than occasionally) need to treat myself like a distracted teenager. The Brick helps me do that with compassion and humor. Using The Brick dramatically improves my mental health and presence — as a coach, parent, partner, friend, and human. That alone gives me buy-in to keep my phone bricked.
What It Is
A 30-ounce insulated stainless-steel water bottle with a patented 2-in-1 spout (straw or chug!!), hygienic push-button lid, lock, triple-layer insulation, carry handle, and — crucially — cupholder compatibility.
Why It’s Great for ADHDers
This bottle hits several ADHD design principles: novelty, variability, sensory satisfaction, and low friction.
Sometimes your sensory system wants a straw. Sometimes it wants a full, icy chug. The FreeSip lets you switch instantly, and the cold water + easy handle + car compatibility = you actually bring it with you. That alone increases hydration — one of the most underrated ADHD supports.
Also… collecting water bottles is basically a sanctioned ADHD hobby.
What It Is
A beautifully structured Notion system built specifically for ADHD brains. It keeps tasks, ideas, routines, and life admin in one intuitive place. Even better — creator Braelyn offers fully custom builds and is the mastermind behind my own Notion knowledge-management dashboard.
Why It’s Great for ADHDers
ADHD brains function better with externalized structure. Working memory isn’t meant to juggle dozens of competing tasks or hold onto shower-thought solutions. This template becomes your outsourced prefrontal cortex.
It reduces cognitive load with clean visuals, clear pathways, and customizable layouts that fit your brain. As a result you'll have fewer mental tabs and more sustainable clarity.
If your brain feels like 47 browser windows open at once, this is the system that gently brings them into one calm dashboard.
What They Are
Tiny programmable stickers your phone can tap to instantly trigger an action — open an app, launch a checklist, play a routine playlist, start a Pomodoro timer, and more.
Why They’re Great for ADHDers
ADHD challenges often show up at the point of performance — the moment when intention needs to turn into action. NFC tags collapse all those micro-steps and give your brain a single, clear cue: tap here and let the magic unfold!
They remove friction, support initiation, reduce working-memory load, and help routines become automatic.
Want Setup Ideas?
I wrote a full guide with ADHD-specific use cases, examples, and how-tos:[Check It Out Here]
5. Claire’s ADHD-Friendly Organizing System
(Two-Piece Gift!)
Created by my incredible colleague, Claire Wieman, LCSW — therapist, ADHDer, and organizational genius.
What It Is
This gift is actually two complementary items that function as one powerful system:
Mesh Document Pouches — waterproof, zippered pouches you label for micro-categories: supplies, project components, paperwork, etc.
Large Semi-Transparent Storage Totes — zippered, durable totes that hold all the related mesh pouches together as a macro-system.
Think of the pouches as your micro-categories and the tote as the home base they all live in.
How It Works (Using Claire’s Construction Example)
The large tote is labeled “Construction / Finishing Projects.” Inside are the smaller pouches labeled:
Nails
Brackets
Hooks & Fasteners
Tension Hardware
Levels
Stud Finders
Picture Hanging Supplies
You can even include an “Unsorted Construction Items” pouch for the random bits you haven’t categorized yet — an in-between step for when you're too tired to organize more or just don't feel like it .
Why It’s Great for ADHDers
This system works because it aligns with actual ADHD cognition:
Externalized memory: Labels hold information so your brain doesn’t have to.
Low cognitive load: Micro-categories feel manageable; giant catch-all categories can get overwhelming.
Built-in flexibility: The unsorted pouch keeps things contained even when decision-making is low.
Supports working/prospective memory: Semi-transparent totes provide visual cues, preventing “out of sight, out of mind.”
Dopamine-friendly: Zipping, labeling, dropping pouches into the tote all create little hits of satisfaction.
It’s structured, forgiving, and genuinely usable — even on your lowest-executive-function days.
What It Is
A guided, neuroscience-informed habit-building journal that helps you create a morning routine using small, structured, consistently reinforced steps.
Each day includes:
A short educational snippet
A concrete prompt
Space for reflection
Built-in accountability cues
Why It’s Great for ADHDers
ADHD brains benefit from structure that is:
Predictable
Bite-sized
Motivational
Emotionally engaging
Habit Nest journals do this beautifully. They lower the activation energy required to start, keep tasks clear and contained, and reinforce progress with visual and emotional feedback. For ADHDers who want a morning anchor without the punitive “perfect routine” vibe, this is an excellent fit.
What It Is
A compact, under-desk walking pad with:
0.2–3.8 mph speed range
Walking + light running modes
A vibration setting
LED metrics display
Optional app syncing
Lightweight, couch/bed/desk–friendly portability
Why It’s Great for ADHDers (And Why It Got Me Exercising Again Post-Baby)
This walking pad is what got me moving again after having Nina. It works because the entry point is microscopic. Put on sneakers. Walk for five minutes. Done. Check out cozy cardio for inspo.
Point being: Exercise need not be painful.
Low-bar entry is ADHD gold — it reduces friction, bypasses the emotional overwhelm of "full workouts," and increases the likelihood of follow-through.
Science supports the benefits:
Walking → natural dopamine + mood lift
Increases BDNF (Essentially, Miracle-Gro for the brain) → boosts learning & neuroplasticity
Supports creative thinking → something ADHDers often rely on for problem-solving and flow
It’s movement without the mental fight.A workout that doesn’t feel like a workout.
What It Is
The leading publication for ADHD education, research translation, and lived-experience wisdom. Subscribers receive:
Quarterly magazines
A free issue with subscription
Instant access to a 76-page eBook, How the ADHD Brain Works
A massive index of articles, webinars, and expert interviews
Evidence-based parenting, clinical, and adult ADHD strategies
Why It’s Great for ADHDers
ADDitude is one of my most recommended resources — for ADHDers and practitioners. I subscribe. I read every issue. I reference it constantly. It’s comprehensive, accessible, and genuinely life-improving.
What It Is
A membership for adults with ADHD that includes:
Access to an enormous archive of articles, webinars, and expert lectures
Free weekly and monthly live webinars
Virtual peer support groups
A searchable directory of ADHD-affirming professionals
A community calendar for events
Access to ADDA’s mobile app + support resources
Why It’s Great for ADHDers
ADDA is one of the organizations closest to my heart — both personally and professionally.
As a volunteer with the Education Committee and a clinical curriculum designer, I’ve seen firsthand how committed ADDA is to evidence-based, neurodivergence-affirming resources.
Membership gives you:
Information
Community
Connection
Hope
Empowerment
It’s one of the best investments an ADHDer can make in their well-being and sense of belonging.
What It Is
A soft, cotton cooling mask filled with tiny ErgoBeads that provide gentle pressure and soothing sensory relief. It blocks light, molds comfortably to the face, and can be chilled for a refreshing cooling effect.
Why It’s Great for ADHDers
This mask = instant regulation.
Cold sensory input increases norepinephrine, helps downshift emotional overwhelm, and offers grounding during overstimulation. It’s like a mini cold plunge… but for your face.
Uses include:
Bedtime regulation
Overstimulation recovery
Migraine relief
Travel
Meditation
Midday sensory reset
ADHDers often need accessible emotional regulation tools — this one is simple, soothing, and surprisingly effective.
ADHD and The Holidays: The Gift of ADHD Coaching
If you, or someone you care about, has been considering ADHD coaching, this season can be a meaningful time to explore it — a supportive gift to your future self (or a loved one) heading into the new year.
Work With Dr. Cheryl Browne
Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. Cheryl (developmental psychologist + ADHD coach) to get a feel for her style, ask questions, and see whether coaching is a good fit.
Work With Dr. Eliza Barach
Book a 30-minute discovery call with Dr. Eliza (cognitive psychologist + ADHD coach) to get a feel for the approach, ask questions, and explore whether coaching is the right fit.
If you’ve been craving clarity, structure, and a more brain-friendly way to support yourself (or someone you love), ADHD coaching can be a powerful next step.
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