Are you a women with ADHD and you feel like you never have enough time in the morning. Or does it feel impossible to get things done when you wake up? Whether you live by yourself, with your family or roommates, mornings can feel chaotic especially having ADHD .Implementing an ADHD-friendly morning routine might seem impossible, but it’s not. You can manage your ADHD while creating a morning routine that works best with your symptoms. Your morning routine really starts the night before. Once you’ve established a solid evening routine, your mornings can become less hectic and easier to manage. (You can read my blog on how to create an evening routine https://www.neverdefeatedcoaching.net/women-with-adhd-how-to-create-an-easy-evening-routine/) Continue reading to learn how to create an ADHD-friendly morning routine that works for your needs.
What does a successful morning look like to you? The answer to this question is going to be different for everyone. For some, a successful morning routine include simply waking up on time, or practicing yoga each morning. Whatever your goals are for the morning, take some time to write them down. Remember to be realistic about your successs and make sure to set aside some time for yourself in the morning. Dedicate this block of time to do tasks that help you set a positive tone for the rest of the day, like exercising, journaling, stretching, meditating, listening to a short podcast or getting a breath of fresh air outside. Getting in the habit of doig these things will help your mornings feel more productive, even if you only accomplish one thing.
Create An Action Step- At this point your morning routine needs a cue that will remind you of what your action steps are for your successful morning routine. You may think the morning cue is to wake up, but simply waking up might not trigger you to go through with your routine. Try and choose a single action as your cue to start your day, such as making your bed or taking your ADHD medication. Even if you sleep in late, continue with your morning cue to let your brain know that it’s time to start the day or get to work. It’s okay if you don’t have time to do the full routine. On days that you’re running short on time, execute the parts of your routine that are most important to you.
Making Changes To Your Morning Routine – If you are finding that the cues and action steps are not working well for you it is time to make some changes. Try a combination of different ideas to see which works best for you. There is no right or wrong answer as long as your routine is helping you achieve a successful morning routine. Do what feels right and see how far your morning routine can take you. Here are some ideas.
–Set different alarms for different tasks. Assign different sounds to each alarm and each task to let your brain know that it’s time to do a specific task. This also helps you avoid time blindness and improve your time management.
-Take some time to exercise. Cardio exercises work best to get your blood pumping and help your brain focus better.
-Take a cold shower in the morning or turn it cold just for 30-60 seconds at the end of your shower. This wakes you up and gets your blood flowing.
-Separate your clothes for work, social, and casual purposes. This helps you avoid ransacking your closet and saves you a lot of time as you get dressed.
-Stay hydrated. Make sure to drink a glass of water in the morning to feel refreshed and awake.
-Track your time. Each morning, write out a to-do list by hand and track the time taken for each task. Use a timer to help you keep track.
-Break tasks down into smaller tasks. Writing out the smaller details and steps of each task can make them feel more manageable.
-On tough days, simply focus on one thing to accomplish that day. This can be anything from cleaning the kitchen counter to dropping off that package that you’ve been meaning to return.
-Do the classic three-point check when you leave the house: Phone, keys, and wallet.
Committing To A Routine – Figuring out what changes you need is easy,, but committing to the routine can be the diffiult part. To motivate yourself to make these changes, identify a positive outcome of the habit. This can be anything from your mornings becoming less stressful and chaotic. Whatever it is, think hard about what positive outcome you can attribute to each change to your routine.Try thinking about it when I wake up, I will take my medicine right away because it helps me feel alert and start my morning routine with a clear mind. The positive outcome in this example is being able to start the routine with an alert and clear mind. Once you know the positive outcome and reasoning behind each action, making improvements to your routine can become easier.
Be Kind To Yourself – As a women with ADHD you may have mornings that are difficult than others, and this is completely normal. Try to accept setbacks when they happen and be kind to yourself along the way. Acknowledge what went wrong during your routine, take note of it, and restructure your routine to address it. If you miss your window of productivity in the morning, think of it as missing only a small portion of your day. Focusing on setbacks won’t help you make changes. Instead, understanding why that happened and learning how to address it will. Once you learn how to free your mind from the guilt of perfectionism, your brain won’t be as overwhelmed.