The morning routine can be one of the toughest areas for an adult with ADHD. The morning is time pressured and has a lot of different steps and this type of stressful situation doesn’t bring out the best in many adults with ADHD. However, it does not have to be this way; here are 7 simple steps on how to get your mornings going
Plan The Night Before – Write down just 1-3 of the most important things you need to get done on a to do list. By keeping this list to 1-3 tasks, it becomes easier to get the most important things done, and not to start procrastinating by doing the few tasks that are less important.
Prep The Night Before – Reduce the stress of your morning routine by getting the simple details out of the way the night before. For example, pick out your clothes, prepare and pack your lunch, put your keys, wallet ect, in a place where you will not have to be running around looking for them the next morning.
Write A Reminder On Your Bedside Table – What you see in the first few minutes after you wake up can have an effect on your morning and as an extension of your whole day. So try putting a note with a reminder on you beside table. An example of things you can write on your note could be one of your favorite quotes, or write down your most important whys.
Get Some Positive Information Into Your Brain Over Breakfast – While eating breakfast do something that does not depress you or makes you feel powerless to change your life or the world in a small or big way. For example, read a few couple positive posts from a blog or website, listen to a podcast that increases your motivation, and/or read a chapter from a book that inspires you.
Put Together A Right Thing String – Doing something that you think is right will make you feel good, boost your self- esteem and put a spring in your step for an hour or more. One way that this can be done is by creating what I call a right thing string. Here is how it is done, give a compliment to someone you work with or someone in your life, unclutter your work space for five minutes. Then add another thing that you think that is right to do, for instance, have a piece of fruit instead of a bag of chips, when you feel like judging someone in your life or TV try to find a kinder and more understanding perspective. Then add another and another… If you break the string, don’t worry or beat yourself up. Take a deep breath and start over.