What self-care practices are helpful for ADHD?

PostedDecember 23, 2025

UpdatedDecember 30, 2025

ByMy Patient Advice

Author: Victoria Rowe, MSc | Reviewed by: Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

Self-care for ADHD is not just about relaxation; it is about creating habits and environments that make daily life more manageable. According to NICE guidance, lifestyle structure, healthy routines, and psychoeducation are part of ADHD management, not optional extras. The right self-care supports brain regulation, energy balance, and emotional wellbeing.

Building healthy structure

People with ADHD often find that consistency helps more than intensity. Regular wake-up and sleep times, structured routines, and using checklists or reminders all reduce daily overwhelm. The NHS Dorset ADHD pathway and other UK guidance describe these “environmental modifications”, routines, visual timetables, and clear rules as first-line supports for children and adults before or alongside medication.

Movement, rest, and sleep

Physical activity has some of the best evidence among self-care strategies. Meta-analyses show that regular exercise, especially sports that involve coordination or problem-solving, improves attention, working memory, and emotional control in ADHD (Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2025). Good sleep routines also matter; predictable bedtimes, reducing screens before bed, and calming evening rituals can ease emotional reactivity and next-day fatigue.

Managing stress and emotional overload

Stress and burnout are common in ADHD, often due to constant executive-function strain. Adults describe helpful self-care as planned rest, time outdoors, and deliberately lowering cognitive load, breaking tasks into smaller steps or using reminders to stay on track (BPS Research Digest, 2023). Mindfulness and relaxation techniques may also support self-regulation, with modest but consistent evidence for improved attention and mood.

Support, not self-blame

NICE and the Royal College of Psychiatrists emphasise that self-care works best alongside psychoeducation, therapy, and, where appropriate, medication. Peer-support groups and coaching can help people stay accountable and turn self-care goals into habits. For children and students, families and teachers play an important role in modelling and supporting these routines.

The takeaway

Small, sustainable self-care habits, consistent routines, movement, sleep hygiene, and planning aids make daily life smoother and help treatment work better. Self-care is not a substitute for medical care, but a foundation for it. As NICE reminds us, structured routines and healthy lifestyles are key components of effective ADHD management, practical, empowering, and achievable, one small step at a time.

For adults looking for structured behavioural or coaching support, Theara Change is developing therapy-based programmes that integrate evidence-based self-management into everyday life.

Victoria Rowe, MSc

Author

Victoria Rowe is a health psychologist with a Master’s in Health Psychology and a BS in Applied Psychology. She has experience as a school psychologist, conducting behavioural assessments, developing individualized education plans (IEPs), and supporting children’s mental health. Dr. Rowe has contributed to peer-reviewed research on mental health, including studies on anxiety disorders and the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare systems. Skilled in SPSS, Minitab, and academic writing, she is committed to advancing psychological knowledge and promoting well-being through evidence-based practice.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the author's privacy.

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

Reviewer

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez is a UK-trained physician with an MBBS and experience in general surgery, cardiology, internal medicine, gynecology, intensive care, and emergency medicine. She has managed critically ill patients, stabilised acute trauma cases, and provided comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. In psychiatry, Dr. Fernandez has worked with psychotic, mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, applying evidence-based approaches such as CBT, ACT, and mindfulness-based therapies. Her skills span patient assessment, treatment planning, and the integration of digital health solutions to support mental well-being.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the reviewer's privacy.