The Productive Edit: My 3 Daily Foundations for ADHD
If you’re living with ADHD, you’ll know that feeling, the constant tug-of-war between your intentions and your reality. You long for ease, clarity, and calm, yet so often the day slips into overwhelm, distraction, and frustration.
But what if a fresh start didn’t have to be an all-or-nothing, pressure-filled endeavour? What if it could be something gentler? More supportive. Something that truly meets your ADHD where it is.
As a holistic health & mindset coach specialising in ADHD, my guiding principle is this: it was never about chasing perfection. Especially with an ADHD brain, that pursuit will only leave you exhausted.
It’s about making intentional choices. It’s about weaving in small, supportive changes over time, rather than attempting a complete overhaul - because let’s be honest, that kind of intense plan rarely sees you through the week.
So, if you’re feeling that pull towards a more grounded way of living, I want to offer you three simple daily habits. They’re designed not to add more to your plate, but to help you build a little more clarity and intention, one day at a time.
Start With Your Foundation
An overwhelmed system makes everything your ADHD affects feel ten times harder. The first step is to help it feel settled.
This isn’t about complex routines. It’s about simple, daily resets that signal safety.
Pause for two minutes and let your breath find a slower, softer rhythm.
Go on a walk outside, even for 5-minutes.
Stretch gently, or simply rest a hand on your heart.
Try not to view these as tasks. Instead, see them as tiny moments within your day to signal to both your body and your mind: it’s okay, we’re safe, I am here.
Create a Daily Framework
We all know our ADHD minds work best with a bit of clarity but resent being forced. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that having a plan can transform not just how you show up each day, but how you move toward your goals.
Start thinking of a plan as a way to protect your focus. It ensures you get what you need done, moving you closer to where you want to be. Even if the steps are small, it doesn’t matter—this practice has been transformational for me.
I always guide my clients to start their framework with the same three steps:
A morning mind-map: Get everything in your head written out, voice-recorded, or typed. It doesn’t matter how.
Write down 1-3 priorities for the day: From your map, decide what truly needs your focus today. Leave the rest.
Schedule It: Use a calendar, planner, or your notes to plan a structure for your day. You don’t need to do it minute-by-minute (I personally can’t do this), but create a guide you can return to so you know you’re on track. For me, this always includes time for proper breaks, check-in’s and an end-of-day reflection.
This is how you build a foundation. The framework isn’t the goal - it’s what tells you that you are on track, allowing your focus to deepen, taking the stress out of remembering, and creating the space for you to truly achieve your goals.
Prime Your Environment
We often forget how much our surroundings steer our focus and energy. For an ADHD mind, a cluttered or chaotic space can pull you in ten directions at once, while one intentionally designed can guide you toward balance and focus.
Think of your environment not as a backdrop, but as a silent partner in your day. Just as a restaurant uses lighting, sound, and layout to shape your experience, you can arrange your own spaces to support your mind.
Softer lighting, a clear surface, or a specific playlist can signal to your nervous system: It’s safe to focus here. This isn’t about a grand redesign. It’s about small, intentional cues that tell your brain what to expect.
It could be:
Lighting a candle when you sit down to work.
Tidying your desk at the end of the day, ready for tomorrow.
Having a box where you place your phone while working.
When you prime your environment, you are building a supportive space for your inner world. You are creating a home that helps you think, rest, and simply be.
Start Where You Are
This is not about doing everything at once. Lasting change is built through consistency, not intensity.
Choose one thing. Try it. Let it be imperfect. Then build from there.
These are small ways to help you start building a life just the way you want it. I know sometimes it may feel like you're behind, but you are not.
You are building a new way, a way that is so much more aligned, one day, one step at a time.
