We tell ourselves we won’t do it again - won’t reach for that glass of wine after the kids go to bed, won’t fall into an hours-long scroll hole, won’t spend another $300 on a hyperfocus obsession we’ll drop in a month. And yet… here we are.

Our ADHD brains crave dopamine, and sometimes that means turning to habits that feel good in the moment but leave us stuck in a cycle. This episode isn’t about willpower or self-blame - it’s about understanding why ADHD makes these habits so sticky and what we can do to shift them for good.

In This Episode, We Cover:

Why our ADHD brains chase instant gratification - and how to hack it
How emotional regulation struggles fuel habits like binge eating, impulse spending, and avoidance
The power of micro-delays, habit tracking, and reframing negative self-talk
Simple dopamine-boosting alternatives that actually work
How to make impulsive habits harder to access - so we don’t have to rely on willpower

Resources mentioned:

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Topics Covered in This Episode: ADHD, unhealthy habits, breaking bad habits, ADHD and impulse control, ADHD and addiction, ADHD and dopamine, ADHD binge eating, ADHD emotional regulation, ADHD and overspending, ADHD hyperfocus, ADHD and alcohol, ADHD and social media, ADHD habit tracking, ADHD-friendly strategies, ADHD procrastination, ADHD and executive function, ADHD self-sabotage, ADHD and willpower, ADHD and instant gratification, ADHD coping mechanisms, ADHD and routines, ADHD-friendly self-care, ADHD burnout, ADHD mindfulness, ADHD and cognitive behavioural therapy, ADHD and stress management, ADHD brain rewiring, ADHD and lifestyle changes.

Mentioned in this episode:

ADHD Planner & Personal Values Workbook: A System for ADHD Mums

Simplify your chaotic ADHD mum life with the ADHD Planner & Personal Values Workbook. Designed to help you brain dump the chaos, prioritise what truly matters, and stop the guilt spiral, these tools are 100% fluff-free and built for real-life use. Start anytime, pick up and put down as needed, and create a system that works with your ADHD, not against it.

ADHD Planner

61. Unhealthy Habits & ADHD: Why We Get Stuck & How to Shift