how i use emojis in notion to help keep my adhd brain organized & focused
today we’re talking about how i use emojis in notion to help keep my adhd brain organized & focused!
i talk about how i use emojis within the databases in my Holy Grail HQ Notion system. The Holy Grail HQ is a system for neurodivergent solo-preneurs (like myself) that’s got interconnected databases and is customizable to your unique needs and ways of operation so that you can finally feel organized and get shit done in your business. 🪄 it’s big ass powerful magic according to my clients!
click the link above to learn more and get your own Holy Grail system today!
In this video I go over:
i didn’t like emojis at first
why i use emojis for adhd
why i don’t use aesthetic icons
emojis in the Holy Grail HQ
emojis help with focus on tasks & projects
areas of my system
emoji templates in my inbox
personal life - habit tracker
using these emojis outside of notion
i didn’t like emojis at first
i’m going to be completely honest with you, and say that I didn't really like using emojis when I started using Notion. I've always had this thing about emojis, like I thought they were cheesy and unprofessional, and I was really trying to be super professional to be taken seriously- whatever that means. So I was hesitant to use them at first.
And I was also really inspired by the people online that I saw using custom icons that were very aesthetically pleasing. At that time notion didn't have the option to use icons so if you wanted to use custom ones you had to upload your own, which I thought was a real big pain in the ass so from just not wanting to do all of that work… I chose to use emojis because they were easier at that time.
Now that notion has native icons that are easier to use, I have been introducing them into some of what I do as I move forward, but I’ve mainly been sticking to emojis and i’m gonna tell ya why.
why i use emojis for adhd
the main way I use emojis in my Notion is as categorization and organization. It's really helpful for my ADHD brain to see an image that I can associate something with. so instead of having to type out/read words, i can just use or see the emoji. which cuts down on visual input and clutter.
a reason why i didn’t want to go with the aesthetic matchy matchy icons. as much as they look really cool and i love that, it’s easier for my brain to latch onto and recognize when the images are more distinctly different, like most of the emojis are. using really similar looking icons would look very beautiful, but it wouldn’t help my brain out in terms of quick recall & organization.
The main example that I have of using emojis in this way in my Notion system is within my projects and tasks, which are two related databases inside my Holy Grail HQ. The Holy Grail HQ is a system for neurodivergent solo-preneurs (like myself) that’s got interconnected databases and is customizable to your unique needs and ways of operation so that you can finally feel organized and get shit done in your business. 🪄 it’s big ass powerful magic according to my clients! and me, it’s changed my life. and the ways that i use emojis in it has been super impactful for my adhd brain.
emojis help with focus on tasks & projects
i choose an emoji to be associated with each of my projects. then when i assign tasks to that project, i use the same emoji. so when i see my tasks in my weekly to do list (aka i just call it my monday hour one or mho, which is my weekly planning process) i immediately know what project they’re associated with because of the emoji. this saves me from needing to have additional information showing on my to do list. i don’t have to have the project property shown on the card, because i already know what the project is based on the emoji. that cuts down on my distraction because there’s less that i have look at & process when i’m looking at my to do list. that’s super important because the less i have to get distracted by means it’s easier for me to focus on what i actually need to focus on.
areas of my system
My other favorite way to use emojis within my system is in my areas database, which is the very top level of my organizational system. I have an emoji that corresponds with each area of my system/life. the ones that i use are 🦄 for my personal life, 🌈 for my business, and 🌇 sunset city for home. and if you’ve seen my inboxing video, i talk a little bit about how i use those areas emojis as templates within my inbox so that at a glance, i can peek over the things in my inbox and know what areas of my system they fall into depending on what emoji they’ve got.
personal life - habit tracker
and in my personal life, my fav way to use emojis in notion is within my habit tracker which i view as a calendar and i’ve got templates saved for easy use. i made a short on my habit tracker that you can check out and i’d be happy to make a full length video if you want me to dive more into how i use it.
using these emojis outside of notion
it’s also helpful for me to use the same emojis in other tech outside of notion. for example, i use the 🍋 lemon emoji throughout my notion system if it’s anything food related. then if my partner and i are splitting grocery costs and i send him a request in cashapp, i’ll put the date and the lemon emoji along with the store name. so that later when i’m going through my personal finances & transactions, it’s super easy for me to know what category the transactions are just by seeing that emoji. which then makes the whole personal finance & budgeting process much easier.
that’s how i use emojis throughout my notion system & beyond to help my beautiful adhd brain feel organized and focused. i’d love to know how you use emojis or icons in your notion or if you have other visuals hacks, if you will, to help out your unique brain. please share them in the comments on the video! i’m endlessly fascinated by all the ways that all our unique brains work & like to do things.
and if you’re interested in a customizable Notion system to help you feel more organized in your business, click the button below to check out the Holy Grail HQ!
thanks for being here.
i’ll see ya in the next one.
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