(Following ADHD Awareness Month, we’re continuing to give space to the voices that matter most those with lived experience. This special feature is written by our guest contributor)
I can be the first to admit that the bad days really are bad. There are times when I know I’m going to wake up soon, so I actively try to sleep longer. And when my eyes finally open, the day ahead feels heavy and impossible. I have mentioned before that I use a list to get me through each day, but I would be lying if I said even that doesn’t become daunting at times. For some reason, it’s always when I have to do something out of routine that I struggle.
The idea of booking doctors’ appointments or having to call someone important always keeps me in bed longer. My struggle mixes with guilt for not doing much, and it’s only when I feel that pressure that I often get moving. The feeling that everyone else is moving but not me is normally when I get on my feet and start the day.
Another thing that my bad morning routines consist of is often missing breakfast. You might have noticed by now I haven’t given a clear structure to a bad morning routine, and that’s because there really isn’t one. Sure, there are small things I do to get a jumpstart on my ADHD brain. I force myself to make my bed and take a shower and tell my brain that is its first victory of the day. Sometimes that makes the rest a little easier. Sometimes it doesn’t.
But bad starts to my day doesn’t mean that I’m failing. They just mean I need a little more patience, a little more grace. They remind me that not every day is the same, and that tomorrow can feel easier.
