#125: How To Create an Evening Ritual for the ADHD Mom

Send us Fan MailThis season, we've been been exploring the impact of rituals on the ADHD mom brain. In this Stace and Steph episode, Stace asks Steph to describe her evening ritual practice."My evening ritual began as a survival technique." As Steph has been immersed in an intense, stressful season—divorce, ADHD diagnoses for the whole house, kid going to college—she explains the grounding impact her evening ritual has had on her nervous system. Steph describes her practice of "neurotic self-care:" If it isn't a little frenetic and calculated right now, it's not going to happen. Motherhood is not a season of "accidental self care," and as our daily needs and rhythms fluctuate, we prioritize some choices at the expense of others. Steph talks about some of the more tedious aspects of her self care, including micromanaging her daily tasks, using time blocks, and staying organized so she has space to relax—give your "tomorrow self" the gift of knowing that your "today self" has things under control. Even when part of your ritual is "boring," like planning or getting organized, you can make it feel luxurious by setting a sensory stage: bedtime playlist, candles, and incense can go a long way to help your nervous system unwind. Steph shares her "quadrant journal magic," where she tracks what she did for her: body / spirit-heart / career-purpose / home. Stace comes up with the mind-blowing terminology: "To-DONE list." The quadrant journal helps Steph to: stay balanced over days and weeks; be mindful throughout the day; stay accountable with her choices, and celebrate her victories with a sense of pride. Steph shares her magic formula for evening rituals: bedtime playlist, candles, incense; make the "to-do list" and the "to-done" list, meditate, read, and fall asleep to a guided yoga nidra recording. To Download your evening ritual checklist, click HERE.To become a founding member of Centered: The ADHD Rituals Library, visit motherplusser.com/centeredWHERE TO FIND US NOWConnect with Stacey🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  on Apple & Spotify 📸 Instagram: @stacehutsonConnect with Steph🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcaston Apple and Spotify✍️ The Reclamation Eraon Substack📝 MidCircle— a writing community for midlife women📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger