Disordered eating is common among people with ADHD; it exacerbates our symptoms and contributes to the longevity gap where we tend to die younger than those without ADHD. People with ADHD need to establish external supports to maintain healthy eating habits due to weak interoception, which affects our ability to interpret hunger signals.

• Set alarms to remind yourself to eat at consistent times
• Prioritize protein and healthy fats which help you feel full longer and support brain health, and learn the appropriate serving size.
• Limit simple carbohydrates and sugars but allow small treats to prevent rebound overeating
• Use the pause-scan-ask method before eating to identify if you're truly hungry
• Store unhealthy snacks out of sight, preferably behind healthier options
• ADHD medication helps control impulsivity that leads to unhealthy eating, but it needs to be combined with sufficient sleep, daily exercise, and mindful eating habits.
• Practice mindful eating by putting your utensil down between bites
• Document everything you eat for a week to uncover unconscious patterns
• Implement a standard rotation of 7-10 easy-to-prepare meals to reduce decision fatigue
• Always shop with a detailed list heavily weighted toward healthy staples, and write your food-related goals on the list!
• Read food labels and avoid ingredients your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize (I think this tip is from Michael Pollan)

Credit for the nutritional and physiological information to Dr. Roberto Olivardia, a clinical psychologist specializing in ADHD and nutrition. Any errors are on me.

Remember to be kind to yourself on this journey and celebrate all successes. Let us know how you're doing in the comments! Come back next Tuesday for more Thoroughly ADHD.

Having ADHD doesn't mean you need more discipline; it means you need external motivation and structure. Accountability creates the urgency and external pressure that helps ADHD brains initiate and complete tasks.

• ADHD brains struggle with internal motivation and executive functions (planning, prioritizing, initiating tasks)
• Our dopamine system doesn't respond well to long-term or future rewards
• Accountability works because it creates external deadlines and commitments to others
• Find the right accountability partner who understands ADHD without judgment
• Be specific with your goals and timeframes when setting up accountability systems
• Schedule regular check-ins and celebrate all progress, no matter how small
• Body doubling (working alongside someone else) provides subtle external pressure that helps overcome task initiation paralysis
• Using accountability isn't a sign of weakness but a brilliant strategy for giving your brain the structure it needs

Try finding a partner this week, set a specific goal, and check in to report your progress. I know your time is valuable, so I hope you found something useful here and that you'll like, follow, subscribe and come back next Tuesday.

Limiting beliefs about ourselves stem from early experiences of criticism and misunderstanding of ADHD symptoms, but these harmful narratives can be rewritten with awareness, self-compassion, and consistent practice. The journey begins by identifying negative thought patterns and challenging their validity with evidence from past experiences that contradict these beliefs.

• Building self-acceptance by reframing ADHD as a difference, not a deficit
• Shifting perspective to see traits as strengths - distraction as curiosity, impulsivity as creativity
• Cultivating self-compassion through kinder self-talk and challenging negative thoughts
• Creating empowering beliefs by identifying personal strengths and celebrating small achievements
• Maintaining the four cornerstones of ADHD treatment: quality sleep, healthy eating, regular exercise, and mindfulness
• Building a support system of understanding people who offer genuine praise and constructive feedback
• Working with specialists who understand ADHD and can provide objective perspectives

Your ADHD brain is a source of incredible strengths. It's time to stop letting old stories define you and start believing you are capable, creative, and uniquely brilliant.

What do you do when a task is interesting, novel, or urgent, and you still aren't getting it done? This episode covers some strategies for completing difficult, but important tasks, such as using "reset" techniques, reframing tasks from a values perspective, breaking intimidating tasks into smallest steps, recognizing productive procrastination and working through discomfort with action.

Feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of endless decisions, unfinished tasks, and the nagging sense that you're forgetting something important? You're not alone. For those of us with ADHD, our days often feel like a constant battle against our own minds.

The game-changer? Routines. Yes, I said it—the dreaded R-word that ADHD brains typically resist because it sounds boring, repetitive, and restrictive. But what if I told you routines are actually the secret weapon that could reduce indecision paralysis, minimize wasted energy, and ensure you're focusing on what truly matters? As someone with ADHD who's currently going through a motivation slump, I can personally attest that my routines are the only thing keeping my life from descending into complete chaos.

Structured routines work brilliantly for ADHD brains because they provide the external scaffolding we desperately need. They compensate for our executive function difficulties by eliminating constant decision-making, reducing procrastination, easing transitions, and freeing mental energy for more complex thinking. When we successfully follow routines, we gain a genuine sense of accomplishment without the shadow of forgotten tasks hanging over us. Plus, consistent routines improve sleep quality, which positively impacts concentration, memory, and overall well-being.

Ready to develop your own ADHD-friendly routines? Start small with just a couple of important tasks, arrange them in a logical order, and link them to something you already do automatically every day. Write out your plan, post it somewhere obvious, and remember to reward yourself when you follow any part of it. Approach it as an experiment—keep what works, adjust what doesn't, and build gradually. Your future self will thank you. Subscribe to Thoroughly ADHD for more strategies to transform ADHD challenges into strengths, and join me every Tuesday for new insights!

Have you ever experienced that sinking feeling after locking yourself out, misplacing something important, or saying something you immediately regret? For those with ADHD, these mishaps can accumulate into significant wasted time, money, and emotional energy.

In this episode, I share what might be the single most powerful technique in my ADHD toolbox: Pause, Scan, and Ask (PSA). This deceptively simple three-step approach creates intentional checkpoints throughout your day that counteract the ADHD brain's tendency to rush through transitions without awareness. By pausing at doorways, before leaving spaces, or prior to switching tasks, you give yourself the gift of a moment's reflection that can prevent hours of frustration later.

The beauty of PSA lies in its versatility. I demonstrate how to apply this technique to prevent common challenges like forgetting items when leaving home, losing possessions in public places, and showing up unprepared for activities. Beyond physical items, the method extends surprisingly well to social situations by helping you "read the room" before speaking and maintain awareness of others' reactions during conversations. This social application alone can transform relationships by allowing you to consider others in the moment rather than beating yourself up hours later for saying the wrong thing.

With regular practice, PSA becomes second nature, creating a powerful safety net for your ADHD brain. Whether you're newly diagnosed or have been managing ADHD for years, this straightforward technique could be the missing piece in your daily management strategy. Try implementing it this week, and let me know if it saves you from a locked door, a forgotten wallet, or an awkward social moment!

Motivation isn't just elusive for those with ADHD—it operates fundamentally differently. As someone living with ADHD and coaching others through similar challenges, I've seen how conventional advice to "just push through" consistently fails us.

The ADHD brain needs specific conditions to engage: urgency, interest, or novelty. This explains why we often start projects at the last possible minute and struggle with tasks others find simple. Rather than fighting this neurological reality, we can work with it. For urgency, you might create artificial deadlines, use timers, or schedule accountability check-ins. To boost interest, try playing music, using colorful tools, or transforming mundane tasks into games. And for novelty, simply changing locations or methods can make a tremendous difference in your ability to start and sustain work.

Social strategies prove particularly effective for many with ADHD. Accountability partnerships create external motivation when internal drive is lacking. Body doubling—having someone present while you work, even virtually—can dramatically improve focus without requiring their direct help. Combined with breaking tasks into smaller steps, implementing modified time-management techniques, and creating personal reward systems, these approaches form a comprehensive toolkit for ADHD motivation. The goal isn't to force neurotypical motivation patterns but to honor your brain's unique wiring while still accomplishing what matters to you. Take a moment to try one strategy this week and notice the difference it makes in your productivity and wellbeing.

Like, follow, or subscribe to Thoroughly ADHD and join me each Tuesday for more practical strategies to not just cope with ADHD but to truly thrive with it.

Ever considered asking for a clean house instead of gifts for your birthday? That's exactly what I did for my 50th, and despite my mother's horror, those few hours of help made a world of difference. This deeply personal admission opens our conversation about why maintaining our living spaces matters, especially for those of us with ADHD.

The struggle is real—executive function challenges can make housekeeping feel like an uphill battle. But here's the truth: you deserve to live in a safe, comfortable environment. Throughout this episode, I share practical strategies that actually work with our ADHD brains rather than against them. From finding accountability partners to gamifying cleaning tasks, these approaches make maintenance feel less overwhelming. My "plus one" method—handling everything you used today plus just one additional item—can gradually transform your space without triggering avoidance.

When things get truly overwhelming, I recommend prioritizing health and safety first: clear pathways for emergency access, a clean shower to prevent mold, an uncluttered bed for quality sleep, and a safe kitchen to prevent accidents and illness. And don't miss my "one-dish solution"—the surprising approach that finally broke my endless dirty dish cycle and taught me that "the fewer things you have to take care of, the easier it is to take care of everything you have." This principle has revolutionized my approach to housekeeping with ADHD. If what you're doing now isn't working, don't give up—try something different. Your future self will thank you for the effort. Subscribe, like, or follow to catch new episodes every Tuesday!