These simple ADHD and menopause routines are perfect for a sluggish or spinning brain. Minimal prep, no having to think through a process. Perimenopause ADHD strategies that work!
A typical morning: Menopause brain fog/ADHD wreaking its havoc.
You wake up to the sound of your phone playing Beethoven’s Fifth. Dragging yourself up into a sitting position, you yawn, then run a hand through your tangled hair.
No sooner have you put your feet on the floor, than a million thoughts begin swirling around inside your head. Was it today you were supposed to pick up the dry cleaning? Will you have time before work? Because didn’t you plan to go grocery shopping after work?
Wait. Shouldn’t you have awakened thirty minutes earlier if you were going to go to the dry cleaners?
Snatching your phone from the nightstand, you scroll to your reminders. Whew! No. The dry cleaning errand is tomorrow. Might as well check your email while you’re at it.
Thirty minutes later, you look up from the phone with a jolt. Shoot! You’re going to be late!
Shower. Need to shower. Or did you shower last night?
Who cares. You barely have time to rinse your mouth with mouthwash and run a brush through your hair. Forget breakfast.
You snatch up your bag from where you dropped it on the sofa last night, but your keys are nowhere in sight.
Your heart, which began doubling its rate ten minutes ago, doubles it again. Your breath starts coming in short gasps as you race through the house.
There! On the bathroom counter. How did your keys get there?
ADHD + Menopause = More need for structure than ever.
If that depiction rings true for you at any level, you have a gut-level idea of estrogen decline ADHD symptoms. it’s past time for you to get into some new habits. Time to create a few routines that will, in turn, calm and soothe you, keep you focused, and help you wind down. These gentle systems for neurodivergent women work well for many neurotypical menopausal women, as well.
In my how-to post about daily routines for neurodivergent women, I offer five steps to creating your own routines. But if you’re like me, some days you just want someone to hand you routines and good habits on a silver platter.
In that case, welcome to your silver platter. This article provides three different three-step routines for various times of the day. You can:
- Choose one routine from each set and use them as-are. Do not try to use all three options at once! That will defeat the purpose of helping your mind remain calm and focused. For at least the first couple of months, each routine should only have three steps.
- Next, you could mix and match the steps from different routines to create new routines that will work for you (but keep them at three steps). Or…
- You might rotate through the various routines to keep things interesting.
You probably already have a couple of things in place at various times of the day, such as showering in the morning or watching an hour of T.V. in the evening with your spouse. If so, don’t change them, just incorporate the new habits around them.
I’ll cover:
- early morning routines,
- breakfast-and-beyond routines,
- homemaking routines,
- work routines,
- midday rest routines, and
- evening routines.
You might also consider DIYing your own morning and evening routines using this printable I created just for you.
The ultimate goal: habit stacking for ADHD.
I’m offering three-step routines because that’s an easy place to start. They are also easy to stick to if you’re dealing with ADHD and/or menopause brain fog.
However, your early morning routine doesn’t have to contain only three steps every single day. The goal is to follow the simple routines until they become a series of habits you begin to follow automatically. After that, you can add one or two more elements to each routine that you can follow on days when you have more energy and mental bandwidth.
That said, if three-step routines are what hit your happy-and-calm spot, by all means, stick to them.
One more thing: I strongly recommend that, barring an emergency or your boss/the Pope/the President of the United States calling, you don’t touch your phone until you’re mostly finished with the first two morning routines.
That settled, let’s get to those daily routines for ADHD and menopause.
Simple wake-up morning routines for ADHD and menopause brain fog/fatigue.
First option.
- Hydrate. First thing upon awakening, take a few sips of water. This is a great ADHD morning habit also perfect for menopause, as it helps reduce the fuzziness in your brain.
- Five minutes of gentle stretching. This loosens your muscles and gets blood flowing to your brain.
- Brush your teeth and splash water on your face. Both activities provide “just enough” stimulation, as well as the feeling of being clean.
Second option.
- Body check. How do you feel? Hot? Cold? Thirsty? Hungry? Do what you need to do to feel comfortable. This keeps you from going into sensory overload, a bad way to start the morning.
- Read a few minutes from a spiritually nourishing book. This is not only calming and grounding, but helps fight against the common menopausal struggle with feeling lost or feeling generally negative about life.
- Practice mindfulness as you shower.
Third option.
- Create gentle wake-up lighting by turning on a warm lamp or by diffusing sunlight with shades or blinds. This helps your senses slowly adjust to a new day.
- Take five deep breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Mentally repeat a positive mantra as you do.
- Slowly work through various gentle stretches as you make your way to the bathroom.
Simple breakfast-and-beyond morning routines for ADHD and menopause brain fog.
First option.
- Hot drink and sunshine: Sip your favorite hot beverage outside just after the sun comes up. This exposure to early morning light helps to reset your circadian rhythm.
- Have a basket or plastic storage container either in the refrigerator or on the counter (depending on the food items) with quick breakfast items: fruit; natural-sugar protein bars; string cheese; nuts, seeds, or nut/seed butter; yogurt. Grab what you feel like eating that day, making sure to get both protein and carbs.
- Make a list of the top three things you must get done today, adding one thing that you want to get done today. This helps to quell anxiety over the day.
Second option.
- Blend up a smoothie. Have all the necessary ingredients assembled the night before so you don’t have to cut up fruit or search for things.
- After eating, take a mindful morning nature walk.
- Check your phone for today’s reminders as well as any texts or emails you may have received last night or early this morning.
Third option.
- If you enjoy and have time for a cooked breakfast, prep as many of the ingredients as you can the evening before. While you’re cooking, enjoy quiet conversation with your husband or teenage children, or listen to a podcast or uplifting music. Do the same while eating.
- Gratitude stretching: inside or outdoors, perform some gentle stretches while mentally listing the things in life you’re grateful for.
- Take a five-minute mindful stroll. If the weather doesn’t allow, march in place to uplifting music for five minutes inside the house.
ADHD work routines.
Which routines you select will depend on whether you work outside your home or in.
Option 1.
- Use the Pomodoro technique: set a timer for twenty minutes and focus on your work during that time. Then take a ten-minute break. Repeat. (Switch it to 25-5 if your boss prefers it.) This is one of the top hacks for ADHD productivity.
- Drink water at every break.
- Answer non-urgent requests and questions from colleagues during the break.
Option 2.
- Check and answer emails first thing. (Ditto for social media if your job/business heavily depends on this interaction.)
- Work ten minutes on, two minutes off. Use the two minutes to stretch, walk, and take care of physical needs.
- After you’ve achieved your work goal for the day, check and respond to work-related emails and texts again.
Option 3.
- 30-5-30-5 sprint. Jump feet-first into your main work goal for the day. Go for thirty minutes. Take a five minute break, go for another thirty minutes, then take another five minute break. This takes advantage of your morning energy levels, and can knock out much – or all – of your primary work goal for the day.
- Check and reply to work-related emails and texts.
- After returning to work projects, dial back to 15 minutes on, five off; or twenty on and ten off.
Homemaking routines for ADHD and menopause.
If you listen to music or entertaining podcasts while you do housework, you’ll be far more motivated to both begin and finish the tasks.
Option 1.
- 10-minute daily reset: Set a timer for ten minutes. Choose one area of the house and reset it. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just good enough. The goal is to ease your mental load.
- Complete a “must-do” daily chore.
- Cross the completed items off your to-do list and have a silly mini-celebration. This spikes your dopamine, producing a positive association with the tasks.
Option 2.
- Two-step laundry routine: Load the laundry into the washer in the morning. Switch to dryer and start a second load, if necessary, right after lunch.
- Vacuum, sweep, or mop while the washing machine is going.
- Cross the items off your to-do list and celebrate.
Option 3.
- Micro-task bundles (to prevent overwhelm): Ahead of time, make a list of two-minute or less long tasks. This can include watering plants, wiping counters, refilling your water bottle, taking meds, and so on. Group two to three of those tasks together. Begin accomplishing those task groups at a certain time each day so that the tiny jobs get bundled inside your head as one habit.
- Tidy one room, or part of the room
- Clean that same space, then celebrate.
Midday routine hacks for ADHD and menopause brain fog.
Neurodivergent brains (that includes menopausal brains!) require some down time a couple of times per day to prevent executive function and nervous system overload. After lunch is a great time to wind down for thirty minutes to an hour. If you’re still working outside the home, the routines can fit in between arriving home and fixing dinner.
The following routine options are for that precious space. How you want to time the individual activities is up to you.
Option 1.
- Lie down and listen to relaxing music.
- Get up and do some gentle stretches.
- Settle in your favorite chair with a book.
Option 2.
- Settle in your favorite chair with a coloring book and color to peaceful instrumental music with nature sounds.
- Drink some water while you stand outside and enjoy the day.
- Write something encouraging to yourself in your journal.
Option 3.
- Sit and meditate or pray for five to ten minutes.
- Watch a non-violent nature documentary.
- Take a slow, mindful stroll outdoors.
ADHD and sleep, menopause and bedtime: both require good evening routines.
These evening routines for neurodivergent adults don’t include dinner, as you have all the info you need for keeping meal prep simple in my post, “Seven Steps to a Simple and Healthy Diet You Will Enjoy.” However, the routines do all have an extra step, one that I’m going to write once here and be done with.
That step is, about an hour before bed, turn off all screens and dim the lights. This not only encourages melatonin production, but also prevents you from getting keyed up right before bed via overstimulation from entertainment or social media controversy.
After that, what can you do to help you wind down and reduce menopause sleep disruptions?
Option 1.
- Prep your bed for menopausal hot flashes or other comfort needs: a fan with a timer, the appropriate covers, a water bottle, a plush pillow or stuffed animal to hold.
- Take a warm bath.
- Listen to music by the light of a lamp and a few vanilla and/or lavender-scented candles.
Option 2.
- Sit in a cozy chair and do a “brain dump” into your journal. This helps to externalize racing thoughts and quiet your mind.
- Lay out clothes and assemble breakfast food for tomorrow. This reduces a bit of your morning executive dysfunction in menopause.
- Listen to a bedtime podcast.
Option 3.
- Change into comfy pajamas.
- Color or zendoodle while listening to relaxing instrumental music.
- Do some gentle stretches.
ADHD-friendly routines: perfect for the sluggish menopause brain, too!
I hope these simple daily routines for ADHD and menopause have given you a starting place on how to structure your day loosely, but effectively. Having a restless brain is sometimes more than a little inconvenient; adding menopause brain fog on top of it makes life even more challenging.
I suggest starting with an early morning routine, and when that starts to become second-nature, begin either a breakfast routine or evening routine. Remember to start off with no more than three tasks per routine. You can dial back to two if you need to. But don’t have more than three per routine until the original three have become habits to you.
Has anything in any of these ideas sparked something inside? Or do you have any daily routine/rituals that have made your menopausal/ADHD life go more smoothly? Please let us know in the comments!
