I’ve frequently mentioned and posted material from Dr. David Nowell here before, and this is another great piece from him, this time describing the many ways that “cloud computing” can help those of us with ADHD to manage our symptoms a little better.
The full article is available on www.psychologytoday.com and can be read in its entirety here: The Cloud Is Here to Set You Free.
(From Ed the editor/webmaster): My only gripe with his article is that it doesn’t explain clearly enough what “the cloud” is for the truly technology-challenged. Here’s my quick addendum:
As it relates to helping people with ADHD function better, “the cloud” refers to a variety of web-based (meaning they exist out on the internet, not on your own PC or cell phone) tools that do things like provide us with calendars, to-do lists, alarms & reminders, and instant access to key information anywhere, any time. One good example of this is Google’s GMAIL and Google Docs products. GMAIL is a web-based email system (probably like the one you’re using right now) and Google Docs is a secure, personal folder for your documents, photos, etc. that you can access from any internet-connected computer and most smart phones.
How does this help with ADHD? Say you’ve got a family member who’s taking a lot of prescription medications. You could write all of their meds down in a document and store it in Google Docs so it’s always available through your phone when you’re visiting the doctor or pharmacist. Or maybe it’s the game schedule for your daughter’s soccer team, or your packing list for the upcoming camping trip. You get the idea.
GMAIL and Google Docs tie in together and share a web-based calendar, to do list and address book as well.) Throw in tools that can provide instant maps and driving directions like Google Maps and you start seeing how this could be helpful for those of us who can be forgetful or who are perpetually running behind all through our day.
GMAIL
Google Calendar
Google Docs
The Cloud Is Here to Set You Free
Web-based strategies for an organized and focused life
Published on August 8, 2011 by David D. Nowell, Ph.D. in Intrinsic Motivation and Magical Unicorns
One of the challenges for people with ADHD -- or any of us for that matter -- is having the necessary tools at hand when we need them. My clients who struggle with organization and time management tell me they spend 30 to 60 minutes on a typical day looking for their car keys, their calendar, or their phone. And even if it doesn't entirely "set you free", the cloud does offer some practical solutions for many of these challenges.
Now the cloud is not a real thing, and it's not even a new thing. Much of your social life is already in the cloud (think Facebook) and available to you at your office, home, and on your phone. Your email has been in the cloud since the mid 1990s. Anyone who had a Rocketmail account 15 years ago was essentially engaged in cloud-based communication, and one of the great features of webmail was its universal accessibility. It was always just there.
And there's more that the cloud can do for you. Three common organizational problems with practical cloud solutions are:
How are you using The Cloud to help stay organized, efficient, or at least more or less sane? What’s worked well for you? What hasn’t been as effective? Why?
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