3 ADHD Habits That Help Me Stay Focused as a Mom (Even on the Wild Days)
Honesty is the key of every relationship.. there are affiliate links in this blog. Feeling Scattered as a Mom with ADHD? These 3 Simple Hacks Have Helped Me To Focus.
You know those days when you have 7 tabs open in your brain before you even get out of bed? Yeah, that’s where this started. Some mornings I feel like I’ve already lived a full day before 9 a.m. The to-do list is as long as my kiddos Christmas list, the house is loud, and my brain? Scattered.
If you’re a mom with ADHD (or just a lot on your plate), you know what I mean. Over the years, I’ve found a few simple things that help me feel a little less chaotic and whole lot more grounded.
Here are the simple habits that keep me focused, even on the craziest days.
1- Brain Dump (ADHD Strategy that is backed by science)
I hate this phrase… it’s just gross to me. Kinda like the word Moist… ewwwwWhile, I hate the phrase. I love what it does! I will just write down everything that is floating around.
According to Google these are the top 3 things it helps with:
Reduces Cognitive Overload
Improves Focus and Concentration
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
And I believe it! I feel like I have a plan, my brain is a little freer, its like journaling… but for your tasks.
It doesn’t have to be pretty, super organized. It just has to BE OUT OF YOUR BRAIN.
2- Pick 3 Tasks You Are Able To Focus On (Or Have To Finish)
After you are done with getting it all out. Review all of the things you just wrote down and pick 3 tasks only.
Don’t freak out because everything on the other list (we will call it B.D.), shouldn’t be tasks to be completed today.
Pick 1 simple task
Pick 1 task you HAVE to complete today.
Pick 1 task you’ve put off for too long.
3- Planning Your Day
Now, this is where the magic happens… ha!
I have B.D. my tasks, I have chosen 3 tasks from the criteria above. I will look at my calendar to see what meetings/appointments I have for the day. Then this where I have created my own system.
I will use time blocking… but for the 3 tasks on the sticky note. Not for each individual tasks. By doing it this way, it is giving me structure, but still flexible. There are days, I will have 4-5 sticky notes of completed tasks. When I complete all 3 tasks, I will date it and either add it to the back of the page (out of sight, out of mind), OR I will just add a new sticky on top.
And there you have it moms! This has been a complete game changer for me & people I have shared this with.
The Planner That Came Out of This
Eventually, I stopped trying to fit myself into systems that didn’t work and started building my own. It wasn’t fancy. Just honest, clear and created for a brain like mine. And when I shared it with a few other moms, the feedback was better than I expected:
“Her organizer is so much more detailed than my off the shelf Target planner, and she actually built it herself.”
I didn’t set out to sell a planner. I just needed something that would help me function without chaos & without sticky notes everywhere.
Want to Try the ADHD Planner I created?
It’s undated, digital or printable and built for real-life ADHD brains. It includes:
Daily, Weekly, Monthly Pages
Budget
Goals
Self Care
And many many more.
