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Ep 99: 5 Essential Routines for ADHD Adults (That Make Life Actually Work)

Author
Mande John
Published
Thu 31 Jul 2025
Episode Link
None

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Do you ever feel like you're always behind, always reacting, and never really ahead of your day? Like you're stuck in a cycle of chaos and catch-up, no matter how hard you try to get organized? If you've ever thought routines were boring, rigid, or just "not for you," this episode might completely change your mind.

In this episode, Coach Mande shares the game-changing moment when she heard the quote: "You can't be mentally healthy without routines" - and realized she didn't have any real ones. What followed was the creation of 5 essential routines that transformed her ADHD life from constant overwhelm to calm control.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

  • Why routines actually free up your brain instead of boxing you in
  • The ONE routine Coach Mande wishes she'd started with first (it's not what you'd expect!)
  • How to go from "I have 57 things to do" to clear daily priorities
  • The "brain sweep" technique that reduces mental loops and open tasks
  • Why your routines should organize what already needs to happen, not add more work
  • How to make routines stick without relying on perfectionism or willpower
  • The difference between rigid schedules and freedom-creating systems

The 5 Essential Routines Covered:

  1. Evening Routine: Start tomorrow tonight with proper wind-down
  2. Morning Routine: Include something you genuinely look forward to
  3. Planning Routine: Cut overwhelm before it starts with clear priorities
  4. Work Routine: Open and close your day with intention and brain sweeps
  5. Reset & Tidy Routine: 10-minute visual clarity sessions for mental calm

Key Takeaway: "Routines don't need to be perfect. They just need to start. You'll refine them over time."

Coach Mande gets real about her own routine evolution - from falling asleep to TV to putting a television in her bathroom for multitasking baths. She shares exactly how she plugged her morning routine into Google Calendar when she couldn't rely on memory, and why breaking down "get ready" into specific steps prevents ADHD wandering.

Whether you've tried routines before and they didn't stick, or you think you're "too spontaneous" for structure, this episode shows you how to build rhythms that work WITH your ADHD brain, not against it.

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Coach Mande:

Tell us in the comments: Which of these 5 routines could change everything if you started it tomorrow?

Click here for full show notes.


CLICK HERE for more resources. We're on this journey together!

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