For an adult with ADHD building new habits can be one of the most difficult things you can experience in your life. You tend to get distracted or change your mind after a week, in spite of your best intentions. When you miss a routine, you tend to get discouraged and you convince yourself that forming a new habit is impossible, so you just give up. Here are some ways some of my clients and I have worked building new habits in their lives.
Start Small – The simplest way to disrupt a new habit is by taking an all or nothing approach and going from 0-100 in the first couple of days. When starting small and increasing the frequency of the habit ill make it far easier to keep going in the long term than jumping right in. Setting the bar low reduces the chances that you will get discouraged and stop trying because it is too difficult or because you are not making the progress that you wanted to.
Get Support– Ask your trusted friends or family members for any support they can give you while you are starting this new habit. Getting support can be extremely helpful when you are starting a habit that requires lifestyle changes such as getting up earlier, or setting up a morning routine.
Be Accountable – Telling your friends/family members about the new habit you are starting is a great way of getting support around you, and it is also a great way of adding a healthy dose of accountability to your situation . Being accountable may involve in asking someone to be your accountability buddy that you can check in with on a regular basis.
Set a Regular Schedule – Make your new habit a regular part of your daily or weekly routine will give you the greater chance of sustaining it over a longer period of time. Set a specific block of time to your new habit on the same day and same hour each week will make it easier to incorporate that habit into your life than just waiting until you feel like doing it.