Thoroughly ADHD

When Good Habits Fall Apart: Getting Back on Track with ADHD

• Alex Delmar Coaching • Season 2 • Episode 2

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Managing ADHD effectively requires consistent systems, but sometimes even our best strategies collapse. Sometimes we mistakenly believe our success means we no longer need all our strategies. More often, external disruptions—from minor interruptions to major life changes require us to recalibrate our approach. During this adjustment period, chaos can reign. When this happens, we need to identify what's changed and shore up our foundations.

• Sleep about 8 hours nightly and get morning sunlight to reset circadian rhythms
• Prioritize nutritious eating with fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins
• Incorporate daily physical activity, starting small if needed
• Practice mindfulness, yoga, or journaling to stay present
• Use pause-scan-ask technique during transitions to prevent losing items
• Maintain a reliable system for tracking appointments and responsibilities
• Review your schedule each night and prepare tomorrow's to-do list
• Establish designated places for belongings to minimize searching
• Track behaviors to quickly notice when you're neglecting something
• Set non-negotiable self-care and essential responsibilities
• Use the scientific method to identify and solve specific ADHD challenges

If you found this useful, please like, follow, subscribe, and come back next Tuesday.


Alex Delmar:

You've been doing great, managing your ADHD, and then suddenly you realize you're just not. You're double booking or showing up late to activities, missing deadlines, eating junk, you're short-tempered with everyone, you can't find anything and you're so tired all the time. "How could this happen, you think to yourself, after I've been doing so well? It happens to all of us.

Alex Delmar:

In this episode, I'll list some common reasons we fall off our good habits, so you can be on your guard, and I'll reveal how to get yourself back on track. I'm Alex Delmar, a certified ADHD coach and person with ADHD. Welcome to Thoroughly ADHD, where I share what I've learned to help other people with ADHD enjoy better lives.

Alex Delmar:

Because of the way the ADHD brain stacks or links productive behaviors, even a slight shift in your routine can make a dramatic change in how well you get through the day. Occasionally, things start to fall off because we're doing so well we think "maybe I don't need to use all my strategies all the time. Spoiler alert, we do, but usually it's external forces that interfere. A seemingly small thing like being out sick a few days, a vacation or even a long weekend might knock you off your game. But if you have a major change of circumstances, such as additional responsibilities, a move, the start or end of an important relationship, a change in employment or a shift in your priorities. You will almost certainly have to make adjustments to your ADHD management strategies and while you figure those out, all the beautiful structure you've been relying on to get things done falls apart and suddenly you're living in chaos.

Alex Delmar:

When this happens and it will the best way to get back on track is to get back to basics, starting with the cornerstones of ADHD symptom management. You need to make sure the scaffolding for your strategies is resting on strong foundations. So ask yourself the following:

Alex Delmar:

Are you getting around eight hours of sleep every night and getting some sunlight before 10 every morning to reset your circadian clock? Prioritize getting sufficient sleep.

Alex Delmar:

Are you feeding yourself nutritious food every day, including a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and lean protein? If not, get back in the habit of planning and preparing meals to decrease your reliance on junk food.

Alex Delmar:

Are you getting some form of exercise every day? If you've skipped this for a long time now, commit to just a few minutes and then do more as your stamina increases.

Alex Delmar:

Are you practicing mindful activities every day or doing yoga or journaling? Find ways you can pay attention to the present moment without judgment.

Alex Delmar:

Among other things, maintaining these four cornerstones will increase your focus, energy and stamina, reduce emotional dysregulation and give you a strong base for managing

Alex Delmar:

your

Alex Delmar:

ADHD

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symptoms

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.

Alex Delmar:

There are also some essential techniques that minimize the impact of common ADHD traits on your life, freeing up time and behaviors, you'll more important things. These are the most basic steps you can take. Ask yourself are you using the pause scan ask technique every time you have a transition in is, crucial to avoid misplacing items or forgetting important actions? overwhelm. And system for keeping track of time working well? It's crucial that you interruption, have a reliable method for remembering your day-to-day responsibilities, due dates and appointments. Are you . reviewing

Alex Delmar:

it each night and writing up your to-do list area, use next day? Can you locate the things you need to get through the day reasonably quickly? If not, figure out where your belongings should live and put them there to save yourself the time and frustration of having to look around for them.

Alex Delmar:

There are some general rules for minimizing the impact of a breakdown in your systems, including if you track your desired behaviors. You'll notice immediately if you are neglecting something. If you have already set your non-negotiable must-do, self-care and rotating household and job responsibilities, no matter how chaotic your life is. Crucial tasks won't pile up to the point of overwhelm and it will be much easier to pick back up after a system interruption if you can refer to your life operations manual rather than having to reinvent the wheel If you have only fallen behind in a particular area.

Alex Delmar:

Use the scientific method of ADHD symptom management to find solutions. First, try to identify the underlying issue causing the problem. Let's say the problem is that you're showing up late to everything. Is it taking you longer to get ready because you can't find things? Has something changed on your route that you haven't made extra time for? Are you procrastinating because you hate your job or the people that you're going to meet? Test out potential solutions to the issue. Then drop the ones that aren't helpful, tweak the ones that get you closer to your goal and finally implement the one that works. If you are not familiar with one of the points mentioned here and how it can help you overcome ADHD-related behaviors, you can find an in-depth episode on each of them on the Thoroughly ADHD channel or just drop me your questions. I'm Alex Delmar and this has been Thoroughly ADHD. I know your time is valuable, so thanks for listening and if you found this useful, please like follow, subscribe and come back next Tuesday.