OT Tips for Living Well with ADHD | Occupational Therapy Strategies

There is something about September that feels like a fresh start.

Summer vacations are winding down, kids are returning to school, workplaces are getting busier, and many of us are settling back into more predictable schedules. After a summer of later evenings, travel, social activities and disrupted routines, fall often brings a natural desire to get organized and “back on track.”

As occupational therapists, we know that routines matter.

The way we structure our days can have a significant impact on our energy, productivity, stress levels and overall well-being. And you don’t need to completely overhaul your life to see a difference.

Sometimes, a few small changes to your daily habits can make your days feel much more manageable.

Why Are Routines So Important?

Most of us have dozens of things competing for our attention every day. Work. Family. Appointments. Exercise. Meals. Household responsibilities. Social commitments. Emails. Phone calls. The list is endless.

When everything feels equally important, it can become exhausting simply deciding what to do next. Routines reduce some of that mental workload.

When healthy behaviours become part of our regular schedule, we don’t have to make a new decision about them every day. We know when we exercise. We have a plan for meals. We establish boundaries around work. We create predictable times for rest and recovery.

A good routine isn’t about scheduling every minute of your day. It’s about creating enough structure to make the things that are important to you easier to accomplish consistently.

Start by Looking at Your Energy

One of the strategies we frequently use in occupational therapy is helping people understand how they use their energy throughout the day.

Think about your own day. When do you have the most energy? When do you typically experience an afternoon slump?

If you concentrate best in the morning, consider protecting some of that time for tasks requiring problem-solving or focused attention. Save routine administrative tasks for periods when your energy tends to be lower.

If you’re someone who works through lunch and realizes at 3:00 p.m. that you haven’t moved from your desk for several hours, schedule breaks just as you would schedule meetings.

Energy is a resource. How you use it matters.

Take a Closer Look at Your Work Habits

Returning to a regular fall work schedule is also a good opportunity to evaluate habits that may have gradually become part of your day.

Ask yourself:

Am I sitting for long periods without moving?
Am I regularly working through lunch?
Do I check emails constantly throughout the day?
Am I trying to multitask too often?
Do I continue working after my energy and concentration have significantly declined?
Is my workstation comfortable?
Am I taking work home mentally even when the workday is finished?

Small habits repeated every day can have a surprisingly large impact.

For example, taking a few minutes to stand, stretch or walk periodically throughout the day may help reduce physical discomfort and provide a mental reset.

Similarly, setting aside specific periods for focused work rather than continuously switching between tasks can help reduce cognitive overload.

Stop Treating Breaks as Lost Productivity

Many people believe that being productive means working continuously. It doesn’t.

Our bodies and brains need opportunities to reset. Short breaks can be particularly important when your work involves prolonged sitting, computer use, concentration, decision-making or emotionally demanding interactions.

A break doesn’t need to be long. Stand up, stretch, walk down the hallway, refill your water.

Take your eyes away from the computer.

Re-establish Healthy Boundaries Around Work

Technology has made it increasingly easy for work to follow us everywhere.

We answer one more email after supper. We check our phones before bed. We think about tomorrow’s problems while we’re supposed to be relaxing.

Over time, the boundary between work and personal life can become very blurry.

Fall is a great opportunity to re-establish some boundaries.

Consider creating a simple end-of-workday routine. Before finishing work, review what you’ve accomplished, identify your priorities for tomorrow and write down anything you’re worried you might forget. Then close the computer.

This simple practice can help give your brain permission to stop rehearsing tomorrow’s responsibilities all evening.

Get Back to the Basics

When life gets busy, the basics are often the first things we neglect.

But they are also the things that support our ability to manage everything else.

This fall, consider checking in with yourself in a few key areas.

Sleep: Are you getting enough rest and maintaining a relatively consistent sleep schedule?

Movement: Are you moving regularly throughout your day, not just during planned exercise?

Nutrition: Are busy workdays causing you to skip meals or rely on convenience foods?

Hydration: Are you drinking enough water during the workday?

Recovery: Do you have periods in your week when you’re genuinely able to rest and recharge?

Connection: Are you making time for the people and activities that are important to you?

Health isn’t created by one perfect workout, meal or productive day.

It is largely influenced by the habits we repeat.

Don’t Try to Change Everything at Once

September can sometimes feel like January.

We decide we’re going to exercise every day, meal prep every Sunday, stop eating takeout, get eight hours of sleep, organize the house and become dramatically more productive at work—all at once. Usually, that doesn’t last very long.

Instead, choose one or two changes that would make the greatest difference in your day.

Maybe it’s taking a 10-minute walk at lunch. Maybe it’s preparing lunches the night before.

Maybe it’s standing and stretching every hour. Maybe it’s protecting the first 30 minutes of your workday for focused work instead of immediately opening your email.

Small changes are easier to maintain.

Your Fall Reset: Start With Three Questions

As you settle back into your fall routine, take a few minutes to ask yourself:

1. What’s working well in my current routine?

Keep it.

2. What’s consistently making my day harder than it needs to be?

That’s where you may need a new strategy.

3. What’s one small change I could make this week?

Start there.

You don’t need a completely new routine. You need a routine that works better for you.

A Healthier Fall Starts Here

For additional information, please visit https://harboursiderehab.ca/ or reach out to us for personalized assistance.