Healthy ADHD Habits and Exercise Routines

healthy adhd habits and exercise routines

 

Research has long shown that exercise and physical activity have a strong positive impact on the brain and for areas related to ADHD.  Exercise boosts executive function, attention and working memory.  So what is it that keeps us from regular exercise?  It is getting organized and creating better habits to incorporate exercise and movement into our daily lives. Creating new habits can be daunting. The consistency of habits are the most difficult. Think of all the ways to incorporate exercise that can engage you in multiple positive ways. Check out these many ways to incorporate exercise habits.

Use transition time for self care

Early in the day or early evening can be good times for self care. These are when other transitions occur, such as dropping off kids at school or coming home from work. Use this existing transition as a time for exercise.

 

Creating rules that reinforce goals

You can start exercising with small changes to what you already do. Make rules that enforce your commitment. These rules can be park farther away from the store to walk a longer distance when shopping.  Take the stairs when possible instead of an elevator. Walk to the farther bathroom in your home and office.  Any of these strategies accomplish the goal of walking more steps in a day.

 

Track your success

Our devices have built in trackers for us to acknowledge our success. You can see how many steps you walk in a day on any of these devices. Make it a goal to walk 10k a day from just your usual activities. Look each evening at your step count before you place your devices in the common charging area. Aim to improve rather than set a lofty goal.

 

Make it fun

Have you longed to go kayaking or play pickleball? Start a new exercise routine that includes competitive sports or games. This is especially valuable for brain health as you are learning a new skill and physical activity.

 

Buddy up

Work out as a family, join a Pilates class, or join a fitness group. There are many ways that people are partnering to get more exercise and create connections. As hybrid work continues, there are exercises groups continuing that started during the pandemic.

 

Start or continue with a challenging sport

Technically difficult sports have technical movements that include an array of brain areas that control balance, timing, sequencing, and concentration. These sports include ballet, martial arts, white water rafting, and gymnastics. As an athlete of a challenging sport, you are both overcoming symptoms of ADHD and building coordination.

 

Mix it up

Make exercise more engaging by having a variety of options. If you belong to a YMCA, you can try a variety of classes. At home you can play basketball or football with your kids, take a walk with your partner, or have a family dance party.  Variety keeps you going, especially if you decide you are tired of one type of exercise.

 

Make the commitment

The moment you realize that you are missing something in your day, you know you are committed to exercise. It’s a game changer for how you feel about your work and your day.

 

Remember its good to experiment

Looking at a variety of options helps you commit to exercise. The habit you are building is the habit of lifetime exercise rather than the rote activity. It’s not that you must be perfect at the routine, you are aiming for small daily commitment to exercise.

 

What is my exercise strategy?  I love my weekly Pilates and my class, as well as my daily walks listening to podcasts. On weekends I hop on my bike with my husband and check out the greenbelts in my neighborhood. When you look forward to this self care time, you love to exercise and work hard to never miss a day.

6 Habits that Productive People with ADHD Use to Get Stuff Done

October is National ADHD Awareness Month.

To “celebrate” this month, I am sharing 4 very important habits for living your best life with ADHD

in 4 blog posts throughout the month.

We think that in order to be more productive we need a new app, digital tool or planner.  The role of habits is often overlooked as a way to get more stuff done. Habits are powerful productivity tools because these bridge the gap to getting started, creating a work flow or finishing up your tasks and projects. Check out these habit productive people use to get stuff done.

 

Write dates and tasks in a planner

Productive people use their planners with skill.  They write all the tasks and dates in their planners to be sure they are accountable for their work. By making it a habit to write stuff down, they are able to work on deep work without having to remember all the details.

 

Work as a team

Team work makes the dream work. Together everyone achieves more. Working as a team, productive people do what they do best and delegate the rest. They are accountable to each other in accomplishing assignments because everyone relies on each other.

 

Get organized just good enough

Productive people organize papers, digital files, and emails just good enough to get your work accomplished.  Being overly organized with complicated systems or not organized enough with distractions can stall you out and prevent getting started. Productive people start a work session with a warm up of getting materials together to get stuff done.

 

Break tasks and projects into manageable chunks

It is overwhelming to see so many tasks and projects ahead, especially if there is a lot do for one project. Productive people break tasks and projects into manageable chunks. They act on one task or step at a time to keep moving forward with work.

 

Set up time blocks for email and administrative tasks

Email becomes a distraction as much as social media.  Administrative tasks are boring and can be neglected.  Productive people set a time block for these tasks throughout the day and week.  They check email just often enough and work from the Two Minute Rule (If the task takes less than two minutes, do it.) Setting up time blocks keeps you from getting distracted and allocates time for what might be missed.

 

Prioritize every list

Lists grow and grow. Productive people know that every list requires prioritizing. That is they choose the three Most Important Tasks each week. They limit the number to three tasks that align with their Quarterly Objectives. Some projects on the list  also move to the “Parking Lot,” waiting for a better time to begin or determine importance. Productive people know that not everything can be done at the same time.

 

Use one of these tips productive people use this week. See how much more productive you can be!

 

Healthy Habits and Morning Routines for ADHD

healthy adhd habits and morning routines

October is National ADHD Awareness Month.

To “celebrate” this month, I am sharing 4 very important habits for living your best life with ADHD

in 4 blog posts throughout the month.

 

Establishing a successful habits and positive morning routines make for a great day! Successful habits are those that are consistent.  A positive morning routines gives you the foundation for a productive day. A smart morning routine consists of a series of habits.

 

Prepare and organize the night before.

A productive day always starts the night before with preparation. Mornings can be less stressful when you are already set up for success.  Being ready to go in the morning means having your backpack or bag packed with everything already stashed in it.

Pro tips to prepare:

  • As your kids get in the door, unload and reload athletic bags and lunch boxes.
  • The final step for homework is to load the backpack and place it by the exit door.
  • Connect your and your kids’ devices to the central charging spot by 8 pm.
  • Everyone do a quick calendar check to be sure there are no surprises the next day.

 

Simplify meal prep.

Easy, quick and on the go food insures good nutrition. Protein is most important for everyone to do their best.

Pro tips to meal prep:

  • Set up a lunch station for your kids to pack their lunches. Use pantry and refrigerator bins to stay organized.
  • Pack lunch primarily the night before. Most items can be grouped together so lunch is all set.
  • Prep breakfast and keep breakfast simple. Breakfast could include healthy fruits and nuts, a smoothie, or a microwave egg bite. Stay away from sugary cereals or carbohydrates.
  • Limit the meal options. Rotate the what is offered rather than give a range of options at a single meal.

 

Build in extra time for your morning routines.

Distractions and sluggishness slow down you and your family in the morning. It is unlikely that everyone in your family is a morning person.  Not to worry – add in extra time for your morning routine.

Pro tips for extra time:

  • Give everyone extra time to get up. Be sure there are multiple alarms set. Use alarms like the Sonic Boom to help wake deep sleepers or use wake up light with Sunrise alarm clocks.
  • Be proactive about time awareness. Allow three times as much time as you think to eat breakfast or get dressed. Work backwards to set time lines for leaving the house to arrive on time at work and school.
  • Take medications immediately upon waking up to kick in as you and your family are getting ready.

 

Set early bedtimes for everyone.

Getting to sleep and getting rest are difficult for those with ADHD. Setting an earlier than required bedtime means you will be prepared to rest regardless of whether you fall asleep quickly.

Pro tips for best rest:

  • Place everyone’s devices in the common charging station earlier than you think.
  • Use a gratitude practice, meditation and prayer before bed as a transition to bedtime.
  • Keep consistent for the time of bedtime each day. You might need to leave early from an event in order to keep consistent.
  • Know what works best for you and your family.

 

Place visual reminders to help your routine.

Hair brush, tooth brush and grooming tools can be strategically placed for everyone to look and feel their best before they leave.

Pro tips for looking your best:

  • Keep your kids’ grooming tools in first floor area to get this done immediately after eating and before leaving.
  • Organize your grooming tools for easy access. That includes make up and hair products for kids and parents.
  • Check lists for grooming, writing on a mirror or post it notes are visual reminders for each step of grooming.

 

Remember what not to do in the morning.

If you have one thing that immediately takes you off track, be sure you eliminate this. Once you go this direction, you know your routine will be off track.

  • Check email
  • Turn on the tv
  • Play a video game

 

Your morning routine will take a bit of work and time to become consistent. Don’t worry if it takes longer than you think. Recognize baby steps and successes for everyone!

Healthy ADHD Habits and Gratitude Practices

healthy adhd habits and gratitude

October is National ADHD Awareness Month.

To “celebrate” this month, I am sharing 4 very important habits for living your best life with ADHD

in 4 blog posts throughout the month.

Throughout these uncertain times, gratitude has improved our quality of life and general well being. When we are grateful we are energized and connected. Gratitude strengthens relationships, a part of our personal and business lives.

 

The Value of the Habit of Gratitude

Everyone wants to experience more joy in their lives.  Gratitude predicts hope and happiness. Grateful people are happier overall, have a more positive outlook on life and feel more connected to others. Gratitude elevates your mood, increases optimism, and improves your well being.

 

We’ve been growing in our knowledge about gratitude and habits. Science shows we can train ourselves to experience thankfulness by intentionally being aware of the differences in our lives. The practice of acknowledging abundance and connections can help us experience happiness. Practicing gratitude is a skill and a routine that we can add to our daily lives.

 

Practice of gratitude is especially important for those with ADHD. People with ADHD can think negatively about themselves and their experiences.  They are critical of their themselves in terms of achievements and lack perspective on all the positive accolades. Practicing gratitude is like practicing self care.  Gratitude will focus your thoughts on specific parts of your day and life that are going well currently and in the past. In addition, gratitude helps with sleep in pushing negative and anxious thoughts back. A better night’s rest helps your executive function.

 

Habits can be difficult.

Habits require consistency, which is one of the most difficult actions for people with ADHD. You might get off track or change the plan after a short time despite the intention and goals. If you miss a day of the routine, negative thoughts creep in with discouragement.  Finally it is easy to give up too soon on a habit. The key is to be intentional about follow through and knowledgeable about how long it takes to create a habit.  Research shows that creating a new habit can take from three to eight weeks. Track your success, allow yourself an occasional “oops,” and remind yourself why the habit is important.

Commit to a gratitude practice.

Life is ramping back up and it may be hard to find a time for your gratitude practice. Researcher Brene Brown says that more than feeling gratitude, we must have a practice that shows this. Here are several times throughout the day you can spend time in gratitude. To start a gratitude routine, choose one of these times to be intentional about your gratitude practice.

  • As you start your day during a time of meditation
  • During your morning or evening shower
  • Waiting in traffic
  • Waiting in the car pool line
  • As a prayer before a meal
  • Before bed with your family

Starting your gratitude practice can be a joyful action. Here are eight ways you can intermittently share your gratitude for yourself and with others. Just like a smile is “contagious,” so it gratitude.

  • Write a thank you note to someone who made a difference for you and mail it.
  • Write a note to a family member in your home sharing what you appreciate about something they helped you to complete.
  • Volunteer at a local philanthropy to share your skills and acknowledge your gratitude for that option for people in need.
  • Take a 5 minute walk and acknowledge the beauty of the greenery and scenery around you.
  • Write in a gratitude journal each evening.
  • Write a note of gratitude and place it in a gratitude jar.
  • Create a photo album in your phone named Grateful. Add photos to it each day.

 

Start to notice how gratitude is impacting your life in creating joy and cultivating resilience.