Strategies for daily living
These are suggestions from our Adults with Dyscalculia Advisory Board. We are always willing to update information and provide additional tips so if you have a tip you would like to share, please do contact us!
Budgeting
- Banking apps like Monzo and Starling allow you to split your income into different ‘pots’ and use visual pictures so you can ‘see’ how much you have in each pot. These features can help you save money for bills or things like holidays and purchases you need to make. Peter has found that it has taken away some of his anxieties around finances.
- Plan ahead. The last thing we need is unexpected bills!
- Ask for help - many of us have a family member or friend who help us with our finances.
- Give yourself a treat for dealing with something that feels overwhelming 🙂
Time Management (Apps)
- ‘Fabulous’ - Helps you set and get into a routine for the morning or evening – it sets alarms, tells you what to do to help you keep on track.
- ‘Pomodoro’ - Helps you set time for an activity to completely focus and then have a break (called the pomodoro technique)
- ‘Keep me out’ – blocks you from getting on social media for given periods of time so you don’t get distracted!
- ‘Flexibits’ is a helpful online Calander and task app - https://flexibits.com/fantastical
Around the Home
- We find being organised around the house makes things seem less overwhelming. We try to make sure each thing has a ‘place’. It especially helps to keep important financial documents in one place.
- Cooking – we find electric scales a life saver although some of us prefer to use measuring cups. We also don’t worry about timings too much; we use our common sense- does it smell/ look cooked?!
- If we do need a timer, we use our phones or Alexa.
- Use digital alarm clocks.
- Some of us find using songs for time durations helpful- Rose has Taylor Swift play lists for different time durations so she knows how long she has to get ready or how long until work.
- Whenever possible use pre-set programmes on appliances such as washing machines or on air friers.
- Keep a Note pad by the phone to take down notes or phone numbers – ask for any important information to also be sent by email or as a message. Emily always has a note pad with her!
- Did you know you can get electronic or actual sticky notes for the back of your iphone here - https://ilovehandles.com/
Exercise and Health
- Medicine -If you aren’t sure on the dosage or instructions ask the pharmacy to write down the exact times and the dosage clearly for you.
- Dieting/ calorie counting – ask for photos of what amounts look like on a plate so you can compare rather than having to measure and weigh – Joe says this would have helped him as he couldn’t imagine what a ‘small’ or ‘large’ portion would look like.
- Exercise – Acknowledge that it can be challenging in the gym with all the different numbers on the different machines but it’s okay to ask for help and no-one knows what a lot of those numbers mean at the start!
- You might find it easier to use timers rather than counting in the gym e.g. 1 minute per exercise rather than do 20 of this exercise. You can then focus on the exercise and not the counting!
Out and About
- Pay by card from only one of your ‘pots’ so it is harder to over-spend/ get in debt e.g. have pots for bills, rent, saving, day to day money so you know when it is gone it is gone!
- Ask friends to help work out bills or tips in restaurants etc – Josie always tells asks her friends to help!
- Use historical dates, birthdays or words for passwords so that you have something to remember other than numbers!
- Use Equatio/texthelp can help with calculations and explanations.
Strategies for Work
- Use tools like Notion, Asana and Jira to help manage the workday.
- Use a calculator and/or a times tables grids.
- Use the notes function on your phone.
- Utilise assistive technology – Excel, an add on for Outlook to ‘easily’ file and organise emails (this is like One Note only simplified) and use Outlook Calendar.
- Keep clear posters/ notes with key information e.g., the company address, postcode and phone number.
- Keep notepads or coloured paper (white paper doesn’t work for everyone) handy.
- Highlighter pens are really useful!
- Share the site https://accessiblenumbers.com/ with your work colleagues so they can learn about displaying numbers clearly.
