🌟 Sharon’s Guide to Using HabitGPT for ADHD 🌟
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Hey there, Shelpful community! It’s Sharon here, CEO and co-founder of Shelpful. Diagnosed with ADHD at 38, I’ve lived the chaos of missed appointments, forgotten tasks, and the notorious graveyard of planners. Like many of you, I’ve started countless systems with bursts of hyperfocus, only to feel overwhelmed and drop them soon after. We created HabitGPT to solve these very problems for me, and now, I want to share how you can use it to cut through the noise and manage your ADHD effectively.
📘 1. Easy Start – Dive Right In
Proactive pings: HabitGPT pings YOU. It’s not an AI tool you have to remember to open up, it’s coming at you when you need it.
Jump In Without a big Ramp-Up: Unlike other apps that involve a big ramp-up. It gets a draft plan all ready for you. You can edit it if you want, or just plow through and have it send you a message to dive right into supporting you.
PRO TIP for ADHDers signing up for first time: do NOT start by putting everything you want help with into HabitGPT. Baby steps, people. If you put all your hopes and dreams, you’ll be overwhelmed quickly and you’ll feel like you are living in someone else’s mess. Inspiration on starting small:
Just start with to-dos — have it send your list to you in morning and night, and get clever with asks for mid-day check ins, like “add core reminder to send me one to-do list item and break that down into 5 steps for me”
Start with Movement and reminders to eat
Start with reminders to drink water and take desk breaks
Start with reminders to walk and managing to-dos
Just do water reminders and to-dos, have it get creative like “tell me a joke to try and get me to drink water at 3 random times each day”
📝 2. To-Do Lists that come back at ya
Easiest and most dynamic to-do list EVER: Just send a text or voice memo with a task you need to do. HabitGPT stores your lists, weekend task, and even grocery lists. Personal to-do lists, work lists, weekend lists, packing lists — all of it.
HOW TO: To create a list, just say “Make a new list called XYZ and add ZYX”
Here’s some more help on to-do lists: https://shelpful.com/cheat/#lists
Your to do list comes to YOU: It doesn't just store your lists; it texts you your list on the regular.
HOW TO: create a core reminder - examples:
“Send me my latest lists Monday-Friday at 8am”
“Send me my Procrastination List on Wednesday at 4pm”
Proactive Follow-Ups: It doesn't just store your lists; it follows up with you to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
HOW TO: create a tailored core reminder - examples:
“at 2pm Mon-Fri, pick one thing off my Work to do list and come up with a way I could psych myself up for it and reward myself afterward.”
“at 9pm on Wednesdays, send me one task off my Online Errands list and estimate how long it will take to do it”
“every day at 11am, send 2 related tasks on my list that I could knock out together”
🎯 3. Core Reminders for Key Habits
Personalized for Your Needs: Define core reminders for key habits like hydration, exercise, or any specific routine. It helps you stay on track with personalized reminders for your core tasks.
Fewer Reminders are Better: Start with a few key areas, you can always add more!
Strategically keep bar low for reminders: Instead of “Go on a 45 minute walk” … have HabitGPT ping you to just take a few steps outside. Because it’s asking for a small thing, you train your brain on feeling good about doing it! Behavioral Science shows that feeling good about a small version gives you a better chance at keeping a new habit (vs setting a big goal and not hitting it).
Adaptable Scheduling: Set one-off reminders for upcoming tasks or recurring prompts for daily habits. You can ask for reminders to come at random times so you aren’t anticipating or dreading them. Find more inspo at shelpful.com/faves.
🌈 4. RSD Friendly Interactions
A lot of ADHDers also have Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): this can make commands feel really painful. HabitGPT’s tone is more like “Hey, what type of movement do you feel like today?”
Customized Tone: You can further customize how HabitGPT talks to you. You can make it sound extra friendly, or even Shakespearean or Yoda-like. Keep things interesting and engaging! Customize at shelpful.com/customize.
⏰ 5. Reduce Overwhelm by Breaking Things Down
Break up tasks to itty bitty steps: One setup I use is having HabitGPT pick something from my Work To Do list and break it into 5 steps with estimated times. This helps me see my big tasks as smaller things.
HOW TO - examples of asks you can toss into your chat with HabitGPT:
“Break down steps and times for me clean my kitchen in 10 mins”
“I need to have a tough convo with my boss about _________. Break down how I could approach it.”
“I have a presentation in 30 mins and feel nervous, break down what I can do beforehand to chill”
Lower the bar on what HabitGPT reminds you about: Instead of asking it to remind you to workout for an hour or do a 10-step skincare routine…. have it remind you to do one of these:
“Remind me at a random time each day to take 3 steps outside.”
“Add a core reminder to put on my face-wash wristbands after washing my hands (these help water not run down my wrists, so help me with willingness to wash my face!)”
“Edit my Bedtime core reminder to be a check in that I turned the tea kettle on”
🎉 6. Celebrate Wins with Custom Rewards / Praise
Emoji Parties and More: You could add custom instructions to have it throw a little emoji party for you when you say you've gotten something done. 🤸♂️🎉🥳🤸♂️🎉🥳🤸♂️🎉🥳🤸♂️🎉🥳🤸♂️🎉🥳
Reward Suggestions: Customize it to suggest a reward when you finish a task. Celebrate your achievements with style!
Here’s how to add customization to how HabitGPT responds and “thinks” about you :) —> shelpful.com/customize
🛠 7. Voice and Photos: Spit it out and Snap It
‘Verbal Vomit’ Your Tasks: Use the microphone in WhatsApp to speak out your tasks. It’s a relief to just say everything you have to do, and have it come back to you in a nice an neat list.
Snap and Solve: Send a photo of your list to make a grocery list or a photo of your fridge and ask what to make for dinner. It’ll respond in text, but it’ll get what you said!
⏸ 8. Flexibility and Pausing
Pause on Demand: Feeling overwhelmed? Just tell HabitGPT to “pause” and say “continue” when you’re ready. It’s all in your control, giving you the space you need without any guilt.
Automatic Pauses: If you aren't replying, HabitGPT pauses your reminders after 24 hours, which can be helpful if you have burnout. We do have it ping you again every few days to try and bring you back!
🔋 9. Get Check-ins on Your Energy Level
Use Spoon Theory: HabitGPT can help you track your energy using Spoon Theory. Ask HabitGPT to check in each morning by saying, “How many spoons do I have today?” This can help you plan your day according to your energy levels. what is spoon theory?: “individuals start each day with a certain amount of energy — or number of spoons — that daily tasks and activities deplete. Those living with chronic conditions have fewer spoons than do their neurotypical counterparts.” more from ADDitude Mag
Percentage Check-Ins: You can also set it to check your energy as a percentage. For example, you might say, “Add new core reminder for HabitGPT to ask me each morning, ‘What percentage are you operating at today?’” Use this to inform your custom instructions so HabitGPT adjusts the difficulty of tasks based on your energy.
Custom Instructions: Give HabitGPT instructions to keep your energy level top-of-mind. “If I have told you my energy level (or amount of spoons I have) today, take that into account when asking me to do other tasks.” — Here’s how to Add Custom Instructions: shelpful.com/customize
🤝 10. Optional Upgrade: Real Human Support
Upgrade for Extra Accountability: While the format and tone of HabitGPT are super compatible with ADHD folks, adding a real-human accountability coach (Shelper) provides an extra layer of motivation. No one feels too terrible for ghosting a robot, but the idea of letting down a human who is rooting for you can be a very powerful motivator.
We crafted HabitGPT because I was at a breaking point; I needed something that worked differently because conventional tools just didn't cut it. Now, I want to share this tool with all of you who might find it just as transformative. We’re still fine-tuning everything, and your feedback is invaluable—especially from my neurodiverse community. Please share feedback! Let’s make this tool the best it can be, together.
We're not just trying to manage tasks—we're learning to manage them in a way that respects our unique brains and emotional landscapes.
All the best to you and your spicy brain!
-Sharon
cofounder / CEO, Shelpful
here’s the same guide in BIONIC READING format 👇
Hey there, Shelpful community! It’s Sharon here, CEO and co-founder of Shelpful. Diagnosed with ADHD at 38, I’ve lived the chaos of missed appointments, forgotten tasks, and the notorious graveyard of planners. Like many of you, I’ve started countless systems with bursts of hyperfocus, only to feel overwhelmed and drop them soon after. We created HabitGPT to solve these very problems for myself, and now, I want to share how you can use it to cut through the noise and manage your ADHD effectively.
📘 1. Easy Start – Dive Right In
Proactive pings: HabitGPT pings YOU. It’s not an AI tool you have to remember to open up, it’s coming at you when you need it.
Jump In Without a big Ramp-Up: Unlike other apps that involve a big ramp-up. It gets a draft plan all ready for you. You can edit it if you want, or just plow through and have it send you a message to dive right into supporting you.
PRO TIP for ADHDers signing up for first time: do NOT start by putting everything you want help with into HabitGPT. Baby steps, people. If you put all your hopes and dreams, you’ll be overwhelmed quickly and you’ll feel like you are living in someone else’s mess. Inspiration on starting small:
Just start with to-dos — have it send your list to you in morning and night, and get clever with asks for mid-day check ins, like “add core reminder to send me one to-do list item and break that down into 5 steps for me”
Start with Movement and reminders to eat
Start with reminders to drink water and take desk breaks
Start with reminders to walk and managing to-dos
Just do water reminders and to-dos, have it get creative like “tell me a joke to try and get me to drink water at 3random times each day”
📝2. To-Do Lists that come back at ya
Easiest and most dynamic to-do list EVER: Just send a text or voice memo with a task you need to do. HabitGPT stores your lists, weekend task, and even grocery lists. Personal to-do lists, work lists, weekend lists, packing lists — all of it.
HOW TO: To create a list, just say “Make a new list called XYZ and add ZYX”
Here’s some more help on to-do lists: https://shelpful.com/cheat/#lists
Your to do list comes to YOU: It doesn't just store your lists; it texts you your list on the regular.
HOW TO: create a core reminder - examples:
“Send me my latest lists Monday-Friday at 8am”
“Send me my Procrastination List on Wednesday at 4pm”
Proactive Follow-Ups: It doesn't just store your lists; it follows up with you to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
HOW TO: create a tailored core reminder - examples:
“at 2pm Mon-Fri, pick one thing off my Work to do list and come up with a way I could psych myself up for it and reward myself afterward.”
“at 9pm on Wednesdays, send me one task off my Online Errands list and estimate how long it will take to do it”
“every day at 11am, send 2 related tasks on my list that I could knock out together”
🎯 3. Core Reminders for Key Habits
Personalized for Your Needs: Define core reminders for key habits like hydration, exercise, or any specific routine. It helps you stay on track with personalized reminders for your core tasks.
Adaptable Scheduling: Set one-off reminders for upcoming tasks or recurring prompts for daily habits. You can ask for reminders to come at random times so you aren’t anticipating or dreading them. Find more inspo at shelpful.com/faves.
🌈4. RSD Friendly Interactions
A lot of ADHDers also have Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): this can make commands feel really painful. HabitGPT’s tone is more like “Hey, what type of movement do you feel like today?”
Customized Tone: You can further customize how HabitGPT talks to you. You can make it sound extra friendly, or even Shakespearean or Yoda-like. Keep things interesting and engaging! Customize at shelpful.com/customize.
⏰ 5. Reduce Overwhelm by Breaking Things Down
Break up tasks to itty bitty steps: One setup I use is having HabitGPT pick something from my Work To Do list and break it into 5 steps with estimated times. This helps me see my big tasks as smaller things.
HOW TO - examples of asks you can toss into your chat with HabitGPT:
“Break down steps and times for me clean my kitchen in 10 mins”
“I need to have a tough convo with my boss about _________. Break down how I could approach it.”
“I have a presentation in 30 mins and feel nervous, break down what I can do beforehand to chill”
Lower the bar on what HabitGPT reminds you about: Instead of asking it to remind you to workout for an hour or do a 10-step skincare routine…. have it remind you to do one of these:
“Remind me at a random time each day to take 3 steps outside.”
“Add a core reminder to put on my face-wash wristbands after washing my hands (these help water not run down my wrists, so help me with willingness to wash my face!)”
“Edit my Bedtime core reminder to be a check in that I turned the tea kettle on”
🎉6. Celebrate Wins with Custom Rewards / Praise
Emoji Parties and More: You could add custom instructions to have it throw a little emoji party for you when you say you've gotten something done. 🤸♂️🎉🥳🤸♂️🎉🥳🤸♂️🎉🥳🤸♂️🎉🥳🤸♂️🎉🥳
Reward Suggestions: Customize it to suggest a reward when you finish a task. Celebrate your achievements with style!
Here’s how to add customization to how HabitGPT responds and “thinks” about you :) —> shelpful.com/customize
🎤🤳7. Voice and Photos: Spit it out and Snap It
‘Verbal Vomit’ Your Tasks: Use the microphone in WhatsApp to speak out your tasks. It’s a relief to just say everything you have to do, and have it come back to you in a nice an neat list.
Snap and Send: Send a photo of your list to make a grocery list or a photo of your fridge and ask what to make for dinner. It’ll respond in text, but it’ll get what you said!
⏸ 8. Flexibility and Pausing
Pause on Demand: Feeling overwhelmed? Just tell HabitGPT to “pause” and say “continue” when you’re ready. It’s all in your control, giving you the space you need without any guilt.
Automatic Pauses: If you aren't replying, HabitGPT pauses your reminders after 24 hours, which can be helpful if you have burnout. We do have it ping you again every few days to try and bring you back!
🔄 9. Daily Check-Ins and Routine Building
Consistent Engagement: Set up daily check-ins to review your tasks and adjust your plans. This helps build a routine that fits your lifestyle.
Routine Tailoring: HabitGPT adapts to your feedback, allowing you to adjust reminders and tasks as needed. Build a routine that works for you.
🤝10. Optional Upgrade: Real Human Support
Upgrade for Extra Accountability: While the format and tone of HabitGPT are super compatible with ADHD folks, adding a real-human accountability coach (Shelper) provides an extra layer of motivation.
No one feels too terrible for ghosting a robot, but the idea of letting down a human who is rooting for you can be a very powerful motivator.
——————————-
We crafted HabitGPT because I was at a breaking point; I needed something that worked differently because conventional tools just didn't cut it. Now, I want to share this tool with all of you who might find it just as transformative. We’re still fine-tuning everything, and your feedback is invaluable—especially from my neurodiverse community. Please share feedback! Let’s make this tool the best it can be, together.
We're not just trying to manage tasks—we're learning to manage them in away that respects our unique brains and emotional landscapes.
All the best to you and your spicy brain!
-Sharon
cofounder /CEO, Shelpful
