The ADHD Morning Routine That Finally Works for Me

Key Wellness & Productivity Strategies (ADHD Morning Routine)

• Pre-plan your day the night before (reduce decisions + friction)

  • Decide what your day will look like before you go to bed.
  • Write down every step you want to do in the morning—including:
    • start times
    • chores
    • work blocks
    • breaks
    • errands
  • Keep it realistic, especially if you deal with sleep inertia, vivid dreams, or waking up stressed.

• Use a “notes app” method right after waking (stays you on track)

  • When you wake up, stay in bed and open Notes.
  • Write what you’re going to do next (e.g., what clothing to wear, brushing teeth, coffee, when to start work, lunch TikTok time, etc.).
  • Benefit: you avoid self-criticism for not having a “perfect routine”—you’re following a plan and can “cross items off.”

• Design your morning to be low-friction and decision-free

  • Build a routine that minimizes:
    • mental beating-yourself-up
    • extra choices
    • “where do I start?” decisions

• Allow a planned phone block (so you don’t feel guilty about it)

  • The suggestion is to schedule about ~20 minutes with your phone while still in bed.
  • When it’s scheduled, it becomes a task you complete rather than a temptation you regret.

• “Habit stacking” to create momentum (novelty + satisfaction)

  • Instead of expecting a calm, perfect morning, bundle tasks together to make the sequence more engaging.
  • Example morning flow:
    • After being on TikTok in bed, put on a red light mask
    • Do ab exercises in pajamas while the mask runs (~10 minutes)
    • Then transition to a shower
  • Idea: combining steps helps your brain move through them instead of refusing one boring task.

• Use timers to multitask

  • Example: while your toothbrush timer runs (2 minutes), do a related task (like going downstairs to start the coffee).

• Aim for structure with flexible variation

  • Don’t force the exact same routine every day.
  • Use night-before planning so each day can differ while still having a framework (e.g., if your boss isn’t working, sleep later and do something else).

Presenters / Sources

• Presenter: Not clearly identified in the subtitles (the speaker refers to themself as “Shannon”).
• External sources mentioned: None explicitly named (though Adderall is mentioned as the speaker’s prior medication).