Why NoRush looks and works the way it does

A note on evidence: the research below is about ADHD and about how people work. It is not research on NoRush itself. NoRush has not been tested in a clinical study. Where the evidence for an idea is thin, we say so.

1. The reminder has to be where you are working

Russell Barkley describes ADHD as a problem of doing what you know, not of knowing what to do. His view is that help works best at the point of performance: the place and moment where the task happens. His main tools are externalizing information (put it in front of you) and externalizing time (make time visible).^{1 2 3}

In NoRush:

• A floating bubble on every tab, with your current task, its icon and timer.
• Every new tab opens on your one thing.
• The bubble glows slowly when a reminder is due. It never pops up over what you are reading.
• When a timer ends, the bubble opens by itself and asks "Did you finish?".

2. Make time visible and concrete

Differences in time perception are among the most consistent findings in ADHD.^{4 5} On top of that, people in general underestimate how long their own tasks will take.⁶ Useful tools show time shrinking and use exact numbers, never vague words like "soon".

In NoRush:

• A shrinking disc timer, in the app and in the bubble.
• Clock times everywhere: "ends 2:04 PM", "done around 3:45 PM".
• NoRush learns your real pace and adjusts projections quietly.
• A note two minutes before the end helps with the switch to the next thing.

3. One thing at a time, with few choices

A long list can freeze people. In classic experiments, more options made people less likely to choose at all.⁷ Comparing many options also leans on working memory, which is weaker on average in adults with ADHD.⁸

In NoRush:

• A "Right now" view with one task, its next small step and one main button.
• Today shows up to 5 tasks. Later and Done are folded away.
• Every choice has one default and a few quiet alternatives.
• Shuffle picks for you when deciding feels impossible.

4. Break it down, with the depth you choose

Starting is easier when the next action is concrete. If-then plans that name the exact action have strong evidence behind them.⁹ Breaking tasks down is also taught in cognitive behavioral therapy for adult ADHD, which has been tested in randomized trials.^{10 11 12}

The idea of letting people choose how much a task gets broken down comes from Goblin Tools, and we are grateful for it. The same task can be easy one day and impossible the next.

In NoRush:

• Three levels: A little (3 chunks), More (4 to 6 steps), Tiny steps (8 to 12 very small actions).
• It uses the AI built into Chrome, on your computer, when available.¹³
• Only the next step is shown on the main view.

5. Start and end the day on purpose

Planning is a skill that structured ADHD therapies teach directly.¹¹ Making a specific plan for an unfinished goal also stops it from intruding on your thoughts.¹⁴ Guided daily planning and shutdown, as in Sunsama, are among the features ADHD users praise most.

In NoRush:

• A 2-minute plan: say how your energy is, pick a few things, see when you would finish.
• A kind warning when the plan is more than the day can hold.
• Close the day: see what you did, then send leftovers to tomorrow or Later.

6. Calm, sensory-friendly design

Tiimo's public writing on sensory-friendly design is a model here: slow, subtle animation that guides attention, colors and icons for quick recognition, and sound you control.¹⁵ Reading difficulties are also common alongside ADHD,¹⁶ so type has to be easy on the eyes.

In NoRush:

• A warm cream and sage palette, a soft serif for task titles, light and dark modes.
• Motion is slow and has meaning. Nothing bounces. Reduce motion turns it all off.
• An easier-to-read font option.
• Sound only when you choose it, and thunder that never cracks.

7. A clear, gentle end to the day

Adults with more ADHD symptoms report hyperfocus more often,¹⁷ and "one more thing" can run late. Sleep is already a weak point: ADHD is linked to a delayed body clock.¹⁸ A longer out-breath is a simple, tested way to lower arousal.¹⁹

In NoRush:

• A heads-up 10 minutes before the end of your day.
• After hours, the new tab shows a still scene with a sun that breathes 4 seconds in and 6 out.
• One tap to keep going. Nothing is ever locked.

8. Kind, shame-free wording

Emotional dysregulation is common in ADHD.²⁰ Adults with ADHD report lower self-compassion than other adults, and that is linked to worse mental health.²¹ Guilt makes people avoid an app, and that is how apps get abandoned.

In NoRush:

• No red, no "overdue", no nagging.
• Streaks forgive missed days. Nothing you earn is taken away.
• "Not today" moves a task without judgement. "Fresh start" clears the list, with Undo.
• Plain, short sentences.

9. Rewards that arrive right away

People with ADHD choose small immediate rewards over larger delayed ones more often than people without ADHD, and experiments point to a real dislike of waiting.^{22 23} Imaging studies link ADHD to differences in the dopamine reward pathway.²⁴ Habits take about 66 days on average to become automatic.²⁵

In NoRush:

• A collectible card flips open the second a task is done.
• Effort raises the odds of a rarer card, and a little luck keeps it surprising.
• At 66 days of showing up, NoRush offers to turn rewards down.

10. Capture first

Working memory holds a thought briefly, and switching away from a task has a cost.^{8 26 27} The path from "I just remembered" to "saved" should be a few seconds, in the place you already are.

In NoRush:

• Alt+K opens a command bar on any page. Type and press Enter.
• No dead ends: anything you type becomes a task.

11. Privacy on shared screens, quiet during calls

Notifications cost attention even when you do not open them.²⁸ Remembering to switch things off before a meeting is exactly what slips with ADHD, so NoRush notices the call and asks.

In NoRush:

• Meeting Mode recognizes 15 meeting apps and asks once per call.
• While it is on, there are no task names, counts or timers anywhere.

12. Momentum without noise

Research on gamification finds small, real effects that depend heavily on design.²⁹ Constant celebration gets tiring and can start to feel childish.

In NoRush:

• A soft chime and a kind line when you finish. Confetti is off by default.
• A quiet footer with things done, time focused and days shown up. Nothing more.

Tools we learned from

NoRush stands on other people's good ideas. Thank you to Tiimo (calm, sensory-friendly design), Llama Life (one task at a time with finish times), Goblin Tools (adjustable task breakdown), Sunsama (daily planning and shutdown), Structured (the day as a timeline) and Time Timer (time as a shrinking disc). See how NoRush compares with each.