How One Word Plays a Valuable Role in My Life as a Person With ADHD

As a person with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one of my major stressors can be the frustration, and sometimes guilt, of procrastination and the feeling I’m never accomplishing enough. It takes very little to knock me off course sometimes, and the freewheeling, relaxed, socially abundant atmosphere of summer, while wonderful, doesn’t help.

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There’s always someone doing something somewhere that sounds so much better than the work project that’s due on Monday or that errand you promised your spouse you’d take care of for the kids over the weekend. In short, there are plenty of “squirrels” to steal your focus.

For someone with ADHD, the word “routine” can conjure up a series of repetitive, logistical tasks and seemingly “mundane” obligations that are about as exciting as watching a new cable channel called “Haircut TV.”

That’s not to say they aren’t important. In fact, they’re often vital, and I sometimes regard those who can manage them with an almost mystical reverence. But for me, they can be painful. So in this context, I use the word “routine” simply as an unbiased descriptor — an adjective.

But while these “routine” tasks often assume the persona of my sworn nemesis, I’ve also come to realize over the years that the word “routine,” in an alternate context, has come to play an extremely valuable role in the management of my ADHD life. “Routine” as a noun — a word that refers to the regularity of activities that can help bring order and stability to an otherwise chaotic mind.

For someone living with ADHD, adding a certain amount of routine (in noun form) to their life can be a very effective coping strategy. It can help provide external cues that make it easier to transition between tasks. 

When faced with a task that needs to be accomplish regularly (but always seems to get put off due to its mundane nature), you can build a “routine” around it. Creating a ritual of sorts can trigger your brain to know when its time to start shifting your focus towards that activity. In other words, establishing a routine as an external prompt can, in some cases, help build “muscle memory” of the brain.

Let’s face it: A lapsed routine during the summer can be fine. It’s expected. It’s the time of year when we get to slow down and enjoy some of the rewards of our hard work. The trick for many individuals with ADHD is to take advantage of the downtime without allowing it to consume you.

But there’s no denying that for me — and for many who deal with the challenge of ADHD — there is a certain amount of comfort and safety in knowing that when September roles around and the kids head back to school, everything can get back to its normal routine.

So although it may be wise to recognize and appreciate the difference between “routine” as both an adjective and a noun, the truth is that while we may never desire one to be more than a casual acquaintance that we learn to accept and tolerate out of necessity, the other can become one of your best friends.

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