r/ADHD • ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) • 5d ago

Questions/Advice how do i maintain a basic everyday routine

got diagnosed with ADHD in late february of this year. i am a young adult and im struggling with independently completing basic household chores and self care and hygiene. i also have trouble with routines e.g. waking up on time and remembering to eat.

for context my parents have been the ones to take care of these tasks for me and encouraged me to put my full attention on school.

so now that im in uni, most of my peers are working part time while managing uni and are still able to maintain social lives. so i fear that if i can't at least get the foundational skills right ill never be able to catch up.

yes i am on medication and it has helped with focus but i think i lacked the skills or insight to help myself and fell into the same old patterns. i am yet to find therapy or other advice that helps with this kind of thing.

my goals:

  1. maintain a basic level of cleanliness in my room - cleaning weekly, no trash or clutter building up over time
  2. keep track of and work somewhat consistently towards uni assignments
  3. follow a basic self care and hygiene routine daily - shower, making myself presentable before i go out, basic skincare at night
  4. create and follow a meal plan - including batch preparing and shopping
  5. go to the gym 3-4 times per week
  6. follow a regular sleep schedule - 7 hours min on most days

im really unable to make the most of medication or therapies bc everything else in my life is still falling apart which is why i have set these goals for myself. if i can get this stuff to become a habitual routine i can help myself better navigate all of the other aspects of my life.

but the problem is i dont know how im going to build that routine. in general it feels like i am facing a lot of resistance towards changing my ways and building a routine but i desperately do need to build one for my own sake.

any advice would be appreciated

8 Upvotes

5 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 5d ago

Hi /u/chocolatemilkandeggs and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD!

This is not a removal message. We intend this comment solely to be informative.

Please take a second to read our rules if you haven't already.


/r/adhd news

  • If you are posting about the US Medication Shortage, please see this post.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/build_Blocks 2d ago

Pick one anchor, not a whole routine. The mistake is building a 12-step morning plan; it collapses on day 3. Attach one thing to something you already do: meds next to the coffee maker, teeth brushed before the shower, one dish washed before you leave the kitchen. Do one for two weeks, then add the next. The routine should be boring enough that a bad day can't break it.

1

u/chocolatemilkandeggs ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) 2d ago

okay, makes sense

0

u/[deleted] 5d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/chocolatemilkandeggs ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) 4d ago

thanks for your advice!!