Manuela is a mother and content creator. On social media, she shares honestly about mental health, personal development, and motherhood. No perfect picture, but her own experiences and everything she learns along the way. How do you keep your motivation? And how do you work on yourself without burning out or falling into that all-or-nothing mentality?
This month is ADHD Awareness Month. A good time to reflect on how a differently working brain can affect your daily life. And therefore also how much you move.
In this blog, Manuela shares five tips that have helped her get moving and stay active. She does this from her own experience, not as a professional. So see it as personal inspiration, not professional advice. What helped her is not to keep raising the bar, but to make it easier for herself. In a way that might also better suit your brain.
1. Get everything out of your head
Do you feel like a hundred things are going through your head? The laundry still needs to be done, the kitchen needs to be tidied up, you need to go grocery shopping, and you actually want to exercise too.
If you try to remember everything in your head, it can quickly become too much. What helps me is to put everything, yes, really everything, I want or 'have to' do on paper. After that, I choose a maximum of three to five things from that list that are achievable today.
But that's not where it stops. I also write down the small steps that belong to a task. For example, doing the laundry: that sounds like one task, but you have to collect the laundry, fill the machine, add detergent, turn on the machine, and hang up the clothes or put them in the dryer. By writing down all the steps involved, I don't have to keep thinking again about what I have to do.
I just look at my list and start with the first step: collecting the laundry. After that, I go through it step by step. This way, my brain doesn't have to process everything at once and the task feels much more manageable.
2. Make the first step absurdly small
Sometimes even breaking down a task into small steps is not enough. Then you can make the first step even smaller. Really absurdly small.
You don't have to do the whole laundry right away. For example, start by telling yourself: I'm just putting two pieces of clothing in the washing machine.
You don't have to take a full shower right away. Start with the idea of standing under the warm shower for two minutes. And you don't have to do a full workout right away either. Maybe five minutes of walking on the treadmill is enough today.
It's about making the threshold so low that starting feels achievable. Often, motivation only comes after you have started. Maybe you will naturally feel like continuing. And if that doesn't work? That's okay too. You have still taken a step.
Bonus tip: set a timer if necessary. That's how much time you have to complete the task. Or use the timer as a starting signal to begin your 'task'.
3. Pair exercise with something you already enjoy doing
Do you find it difficult to keep exercising? Then try to combine it with something you already enjoy doing.
Do you like watching a series in the evening? Then put it on while you walk. Do you like listening to music or are you a loyal listener of a podcast? Make that your exercise moment.
With a treadmill like the Dreaver Elevate Pro, you can walk at home while watching your favorite series, for example. You can challenge yourself by walking on an incline and reaching your step goal, while combining two things. This way, exercise might feel less like something you also have to do.
So you don't always have to make more time for a workout. Sometimes you can simply use the time you already have differently. Who knows, a new routine might naturally slip in.
4. Let go of perfection
Sometimes we set such high standards for ourselves that we end up not starting at all. If you can't do a full workout, it might feel like it's not worth it.
But five minutes of walking is also exercise. A short walk counts too. And a day when it doesn't work out doesn't mean you have to start over.
Feel free to set goals for yourself if that motivates you. But don't make those goals a yardstick by which you constantly measure yourself.
You don't have to perform the same every day to make progress. It's about finding a way that suits your life, also on the days when you have less energy.
5. Be kind to yourself and listen to your body
Especially now that the days are getting shorter and darker, you might notice that you have less energy or need more rest.
We are often so busy with what we all have to do that we forget to listen to what we need.
Sometimes exercise helps to clear your head. But sometimes you just want to crawl under a blanket on the couch with a warm cup of hot chocolate or tea. And you know what? That's also okay.
You don't have to work on yourself every day. Taking a rest is not the same as being lazy. Enjoy the dark evenings, your favorite series, and doing absolutely nothing for a while too.
If you keep getting stuck
Do you notice that you remain tired, gloomy, or listless for a long time? Or do you notice that you are getting stuck in daily tasks more and more often and that this is affecting your life? Then it might be a good idea to look beyond just your motivation.
An autumn or winter dip occurs more often, but persistent complaints deserve attention. Discuss them with your GP or seek appropriate professional help. There can be various physical or mental causes involved.
I am also going through a process to investigate whether ADHD plays a role in me. I notice that I keep getting stuck in certain areas and want to better understand where that comes from. Not to put myself in a box, but to discover what can help me.
Small steps count too
You don't have to make it harder for yourself. You don't always have to have more motivation or discipline. Sometimes it helps to lower the threshold, make your goals smaller, and discover what works for you.
Whether you walk on the Dreaver for five minutes, take a longer walk, or consciously take a rest today: try not to judge yourself on what didn't work.
You don't have to be at your best every day. Small steps count too!
Do you recognize yourself in this and want more honest content about this kind of topics? Then follow me on Instagram: @manuelarave.o
