Zofia Farrell Psycholog-Psychoterapeuta/ Psychologist-Psychotherapist

23/08/2025

15/08/2025

Why Routine Matters for People with ADHD (Even When You Hate It)

If you have ADHD, the word “routine” might feel like a cage. Predictability can seem boring, repetitive tasks feel like a trap, and your brain naturally craves novelty. It’s no surprise that many people with ADHD instinctively resist structure.

But here’s the paradox: the very thing you resist the most is often what frees you the most.

Without some form of routine, life with ADHD can become a constant scramble — missed deadlines, forgotten appointments, late nights that lead to rough mornings, and that never-ending feeling of “I’m always behind.” This isn’t about laziness or lack of effort; it’s simply how the ADHD brain works. Without external structure, it’s easy to lose track of time, priorities, and energy.

When you build even a small routine — like a consistent wake-up time, a fixed place for your keys, or a short daily planning session — you remove dozens of tiny decisions from your day. That means less mental clutter, less panic, and more brainpower for things that actually matter to you.

At first, routine may feel uncomfortable, even unnatural. You might think, This isn’t me, I need variety. But over time, you’ll notice something: routine doesn’t limit your freedom — it protects it. It creates a stable foundation so you can focus on your passions, handle surprises more easily, and recover faster when things go wrong.

In short: you don’t have to love routine to benefit from it. You just have to give it the chance to work.