Power Up Your Mornings With Six Simple and Easy ADHD Habits
These ADHD Habits will start your mornings off the right way. A successful start to your day will set you up for success. If you’re productive first thing in the morning, you pave the way for a healthy, active, and productive day. By implementing a few small habits, you can transform your whole day, which will then transform your whole life. The habits themselves are small, but the results of your efforts promise to be tremendous.
1. ADHD Habit: Make your bed.
Tick an accomplishment off of your list right away by making your bed as soon as you get up. This will set you up for a successful, productive day by getting your blood flowing and telling your mind it’s time to start moving. It may seem a small gesture, but starting with this simple habit will influence you to keep moving and checking things off of your list throughout the day. You will feel less stressed and more organized. It may also lead to better sleep, which leads to better mornings.
2. ADHD Habit: Hydrate.
We all know the importance of drinking water, but it’s even more essential to hydrate in the mornings due to the prolonged fast our body has been through. Drinking water promotes blood circulation, carrying nutrients to your body’s cells and eliminating waste from them. It also provides body lubrication, ensuring that your joints and organs are optimally functioning. By drinking a glass of water soon after you wake, you’ve set yourself on the path to better health and a better mood.
3. ADHD Habit: Say no to screens.
When you first wake up, you’re more sensitive to outside stimuli due to the waking transition of your brain waves. As you move from delta, the deep sleep state, to theta and then alpha, you are rising from the subconscious state. When your brain waves are at alpha, you are awake, but not necessarily alert or attentive. By immediately checking your smartphone or other device of choice, you’re immediately setting yourself up for stress and distraction. Tapping and clicking screens also gives you short-lived dopamine hits, which will leave you feeling depleted and low-spirited by the end of the day.
4. ADHD Habit: Hold out on the caffeine until after breakfast.
Caffeine impacts your blood sugar levels, resulting in an unpleasant crash later in the morning. If you eat a healthy breakfast before imbibing your morning brew, you give your body a chance to stabilize blood sugars and provide sustained energy throughout the morning.
Drinking a caffeinated beverage on an empty stomach can not only cause an upset stomach, but can trigger anxiety in some people. Food will affect how quickly the caffeine takes effect, meaning it will take longer to feel the initial jolt, but you’ll experience a more sustained effect of the caffeine. Because your blood sugar will be stabilized, you’re also less likely to feel the dreaded post-lunch crash.
5. ADHD Habit: Plan for your day the night before.
Use an ADHD daily planner the night before to plan your day. This preemptive step will help you hit the ground running as soon as you wake up. It promotes better sleep by allowing your mind to relax, knowing that you have your upcoming tasks already laid out and organized. You’ll be able to wake with a clear, calm mind and have more energy available to devote to your work and your well-being
6. ADHD Habit: Positive Affirmations
We all have bad days. Days where we wake up feeling stressed, anxious, or just plain down. But what if there was a way to turn your day around? To start off on the right foot and set the tone for a good day? Well, there is! And it’s called positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are short, powerful statements that you can say to yourself to change your mindset and improve your day. And the best part is, they’re free! So why not give them a try? Here are some positive affirmations to get you started:
“I am worthy of happiness and love.”
“I am strong and capable.”
“I am grateful for what I have.”
“Today is going to be a great day!”
Say these out loud, or even better, write them down and put them somewhere you’ll see them first thing in the morning. Then watch as your days start getting better and better!
ADHD Habits Conclusion
Start your day off by taking advantage of your brain’s natural waking rhythm. Use this time to meditate, exercise or journal, so that you remain calm and balanced throughout the day. You’ll sustain better focus, and function more efficiently from a place of mental and physical well-being.