Daily Routine Tips for ADHD Adults: How to create + keep healthy habits | Q&A with Dr. Sharon Saline

Clinical Psychologist & ADHD expert Dr. Sharon Saline (drsharonsaline.com) offers advice for building and maintaining healthier habits and routines with an ADHD brain that prefers novelty and fights boredom.
This was a Facebook Live Q&A with ADDitude Magazine (www.additudemag.com/) & Dr. Sharon Saline, recorded on 4/1/2022.
Join Dr. Saline & ADDitude on Fridays @ 4 pm ET on Facebook Live or the weekly ADHD Support Group session Q&A! Find the next event here: / drsharonsaline
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Sharon Saline, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 30 years’ experience, is a top expert on ADHD, anxiety, learning differences, and mental health challenges and their impact on school and family dynamics.
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[@Thermopylae2007]

Came here after watching your video on procrastination/avoidance and ADHD. I was starting to get stressed due to a busy season of the work year and noticing those mental triggers that cause me to worry and hesitate about pressing tasks. Caught myself in those negative mental scripts, so I'm really glad to have come across these videos.

[@DrSharonSaline]

I'm so glad these have been helpful to you!

[@bellesebastian012]

I’ve never done much research on ADHD, I’m not sure if I have it, but watching this has made me feel more “normal”… it’s encouraging to learn that strategies and things I’ve learned to do on my own are recommended by a professional!!

[@kirstenweyter4431]

It’s nice that you made this video. I put it on 2x playback to get through it faster (it’s very long and not as succinct as I would like it because of your interactive format). I’m having trouble following the conversation, especially since it constantly gets interrupted by commercials. However, thank you for trying.

[@haniyyahn]

I think some of the difficulty from an ADHD perspective with the issue you're trying to tackle (saving things that are "readily" available) is that for an ADHD person getting things isn't always as easy as you say. Very often we may have spent a lot of time finding just the right thing or navigating what it takes to get it (as logistical and executive function issues are a thing) plus for us when we need something we tend to need/want it right away so actually it is a difficulty to not have those things at hand. I'm speaking generally. I've many times experienced quite a lot of dejection after having let something go only to find that I wanted it or needed it later on and that the store it's at requires an effort to get to, it's snowing outside, etc. In other words, I think that you overplay how irrational the concerns about letting extra things go are for someone who isn't neurotypical and is challenged in certain ways in getting things done and the feelings that come along with that (not just in the letting go). It seems to me better to counsel that that person decide on a number of those things that they think are reasonable AND set aside a designated place for them as a backup and get rid of the rest, rather than to completely disregard their tendency.

[@DrSharonSaline]

Thank you for your thoughtful response. I think both are true and your advice is right on.

[@johnroekoek9864]

​@@DrSharonSalineI found out combining habits works for me. I get dressed in the bedroom and after that I straighten my bed. When I twinkled in the morning I grab the spray bottle with water and cleaning product and dry the seat with toilet paper. Maybe you can work with this and find more.

[@DrSharonSaline]

Great idea! Thanks! @@johnroekoek9864

[@AllThingsConsidered333]

So much of this applies to me- thank you to presenter and folks who asked the questions because I struggle with pretty much ALL the same things! It drives me crazy and I want to change but it’s been so hard! At keast now I know it’s the adhd/executive functions that cause this (recently diagnosed), and it’s not just me being a total failure at home

[@DrSharonSaline]

Start slowly with one thing at a time and be kind to yourself in the process. You are not a total failure, ever.

[@This2isLife]

Adhd here. Managed 1.20 minutes. Got bored, moving on.

[@DrSharonSaline]

Thanks for watching!

[@lindadunn8787]

Thank you! Subscribed.

[@DrSharonSaline]

Welcome aboard!

[@ratzfert]

Yiddish word Muzvah 💓😅

[@lesliewarner9579]

I interrupt a lot when I am telling a story and am interrupted myself. I then get anxious and fee like I need to finish the story

[@lesliewarner9579]

I used to organize my husband's drawers and side of the closet because his look like a tornado hit. But I found out he doesn't care and his drawers would be a mess a week later. So I dont touch them. I used to have a pike of clothes I only wore for a couple of hours. I felt like I couldn't put them with the clean clothes and they weren't quite dirty. I now changed that habit and I decide right away if it is clean enough to go in the drawer or if it should just go in the laundry basket

[@lesliewarner9579]

I pick a couple of tasks but I do always see other things in front of me and it takes much longer to finish the first task. It is hard to tell myself to tackle the other task I saw when I am finished with the first one.

[@lesliewarner9579]

I also need to know how to stop myself from thinking about things I did years ago

[@Blaxit2023]

I'm so bad at that too. I embarrass myself

[@DrSharonSaline]

Thank you for sharing! When you pick a task to work on, put on your blinders and stick with that for a certain preset time. Then take a break and switch. Dong one thing at a time is critical for folks with ADHD.

[@kirantariq2228]

Hi im new to ur channel. Thank u for educating about this as I think I may have adhd but have not yet been to my doctor about this. Do you have any tips on how to get into and create a daily routine and then to also stick with it? At the moment I have no routine at all and struggle to keep up with daily tasks. I tend to write a to do list but I'm never able to do more than 1 task a day. It's really frustrating and feel inadequate because of this. Any advice would be much appreciated!

[@DrSharonSaline]

Hi. I'd start by simplifying your list to two tasks per day, specifying the time to do each one and then setting alarms and alerts on your calendar. Good luck!

[@kirantariq2228]

@@DrSharonSaline thank you! I have bad time management too so I will definitely try this ASAP.

[@ShermanElder-on2gw]

How can I get over add