How to Change Habits: 9 Proven Tips for ADHDers

Forming a new habit is hard—and it takes time. In fact, research shows that it takes people at least 2 to 5 months to establish a new habit.^[1]

The process is hard for anyone, but even more so for adults with ADHD, because the ADHD brain struggles with routines, long-term goals, and resisting instant gratification.

If you’re having a hard time changing your habits, it’s not because you’re lazy or lack willpower. ADHD just changes how habits are formed and maintained. The good news? With the right strategies, meaningful, lasting change is absolutely possible.

How Habits Are Formed

Habits are built through a process called the habit loop, which includes three essential components:^[2]

• Cue: A trigger that sets a habit into motion. It could be an action, location, time of day, smell, emotional state, or mood. For example, waking up groggy may prompt you to make coffee. Here, the cues would be the time of day (morning) and your mood (feeling tired).
• Routine: The routine is the action you take in response to the cue. This could be an automatic behavior, like making coffee in the morning, or a conscious decision, like checking your phone when you hear a notification.
• Reward: The reward reinforces the habit, making it more likely to stick. For instance, the boost in energy you feel after drinking coffee serves as a reward. Rewards can also reinforce less helpful habits, such as the temporary relief you feel from scrolling social media instead of tackling your to-do list.

Understanding the habit loop gives you a roadmap to building better routines and breaking patterns that no longer serve you.

Some habits form easily because they offer instant gratification. Others, like eating healthy or exercising, are harder to stick with because their benefits take longer to appear. But with patience and persistence, these habits can still become second nature.

How ADHD Affects Habit Formation

ADHD adds another layer of complexity to habit formation because of the way the ADHD brain functions.

Executive Function and Habit Formation

Executive functioning is a set of mental skills—like planning, self-regulation, and organization—that help us achieve goals and stay on track.^[3] These skills play a vital role in habit formation, and ADHD often makes them more difficult to manage. 

When ADHD leads to executive dysfunction, breaking down goals into actionable steps and resisting distractions becomes especially challenging.

Impulse Control and Reward Processing

Adults with ADHD often find it difficult to delay gratification or control impulses.^[4]The ADHD brain craves immediate rewards, which can make it harder to stick with habits that don’t offer an immediate payoff.

Impulse control challenges may also lead to abandoning new habits in favor of something more instantly rewarding. Understanding this tendency allows you to work with your brain instead of against it by finding ways to bring immediate motivation into your habit-building efforts.

Why Changing Habits Is Difficult

Breaking old habits—or building healthier ones—takes effort for everyone, but ADHD introduces unique obstacles.

Routines Are Comfortable

Routines feel comfortable because they happen almost automatically, without needing much motivation or planning. But breaking an old habit—or replacing it with a better one—requires effort and consistency. It may take time, but every small step you take moves you closer to where you want to be.

The Role of Willpower (and Why it’s Overrated)

If you’ve ever thought, “If I just had more willpower, I could change,” you’re far from alone. But the truth is, willpower alone isn’t the answer. 

Building sustainable habits requires more than just internal motivation—it takes structures, strategies, and systems designed to lighten the mental load and set you up for success.

Psychological Barriers to Habit Change

Becoming aware of the mental roadblocks holding you back is the first step in overcoming them. Here are a few challenges to watch for:

• Fear of failure: You may hesitate to start because you’re worried you might not succeed.
• Seeking instant results. When progress feels slow, it’s easy to feel discouraged and stop trying. 
• Procrastination: “I’ll start tomorrow” can become a repeated refrain—until you realize tomorrow never seems to come.
• All-or-nothing thinking: If you feel like you can’t do something perfectly, you might be tempted to give up on it altogether.

The most important lesson here? Progress isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence. No step forward is too small to count.

9 Effective Strategies for Changing Habits

Use tools and systems to turn habit changes into manageable steps.

Identify Your Habit Triggers

Every habit has a cause or trigger. Identifying the factors contributing to the habit can help you create strategies to minimize them so you’re less tempted to fall back into old behaviors.

Say you have a habit of snoozing your alarm in the morning, which causes you to be late for work. You can move your phone across the room, so you’ll have to get out of bed to turn it off. 

You can also identify “triggers” to reinforce positive habits. One example is habit stacking, which involves connecting a new habit to an existing one. For instance, you can get more movement into your day by doing ten squats each time you wait for your coffee to brew. 

Start Small to Build Consistency

Trying to make massive changes all at once can be overwhelming. Instead, follow the 1% rule. Make tiny, gradual improvements each day, as smaller goals are easier to achieve and start with. 

For instance, if you want to start exercising, begin with just five minutes a day rather than an hour-long workout. 

Eventually, your small but consistent actions will compound over time and lead to significant progress. 

Replace Old Habits with New Ones

Breaking a bad habit is easier when you find a way to replace it with a healthier response to meet the same need. 

For example, you might snack a lot whenever you feel stressed. Try replacing that habit with something more beneficial, like taking a short walk or practicing deep breathing. 

By experimenting with different alternatives, you can find what works best for you and meet your needs in a healthier, more positive way.

Use Immediate Rewards for Motivation

The ADHD brain seeks immediate rewards. You can leverage this by reinforcing positive behaviors with quick but satisfying incentives.^[5]

For example, you might reward yourself with something small but enjoyable, like watching an episode of your favorite TV show, taking a relaxing bath, or having a quick treat.

Design Your Environment for Success

Your surroundings play a huge role in shaping your habits—they can either support or sabotage your goals. Here’s how to make your environment work for you:

1. Remove unhelpful triggers: If you want to stop late-night snacking, don’t keep tempting foods in the house. If social media distracts you, remove apps from your phone.
2. Create positive cues: Make good habits easier by setting up your environment strategically. Lay out workout clothes the night before, keep a water bottle on your desk, or place books where you’ll see them readily.
3. Plan for obstacles: Life isn’t perfect, and neither is your journey. Prepare backup plans for common challenges:
   • If you’re too tired for a full workout, have a 5-minute routine ready
   • If you can’t focus on work, have a designated “reset” activity
   • If you’re stressed, keep healthy stress-relief tools easily accessible

These environmental tweaks and backup plans reduce friction, making it easier to stay consistent even when motivation dips.

Set Clear and Achievable Goals

Having goals is great, but if they’re too vague—like “be healthier” or “be more productive”—they can feel overwhelming or even paralyzing. Clarity is key. Instead, set clear, specific, and achievable goals.

For example, you could commit to “walking for 10 minutes after lunch” or “writing one paragraph every morning.” Breaking goals down like this builds focus and removes the pressure of trying to tackle everything at once – and the risk of ADHD paralysis.

With achievable steps, even big goals start to feel attainable.

Use Habit Tracking for Accountability

There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing your progress visually. It’s an instant confidence boost and a reminder of how far you’ve come.

Use a physical or digital journal, an app, or even a simple checklist to track your habits. Many habit-tracking apps have a streak tracker, where you aim to maintain a daily streak of completing the habit.

Keeping track doesn’t just hold you accountable. It’s a way to celebrate every milestone along the way, reinforcing the progress you’re making.

Surround Yourself with Supportive People

We’re social by nature, and the people around us influence our habits and mindset more than we often realize.

If you want to improve your habits, surround yourself with people who encourage growth. You can find a body double, join a community with similar goals, or seek support from friends or family.

A supportive network can cheer you on during setbacks, keep you accountable, and celebrate your wins with you. Remember, you’re not alone in this journey, and asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Be Patient and Stay Consistent

Building habits is a long-term process, but every small action you take is a step forward. Research suggests it takes at least two months for habits to solidify^[1], but your timeline isn’t as important as your consistency.

Instead of striving for perfection, focus on progress. Be kind to yourself when things don’t go as planned. Every small step forward counts, and those steps will ultimately lead to lasting change. 

You’ve got this!

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Changing Habits

If you want to change habits sustainably, you need the right approach and mindset. Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for and strategies to help you avoid them. 

Trying to Change Too Many Habits at Once

A surge of motivation can make us want to change everything all at once. “I’ll eat healthier, exercise every day, stop procrastinating, and get eight hours of sleep!” But taking on too much at once can quickly lead to exhaustion and burnout.

Instead, choose just one habit to start with. Once it feels like second nature, choose another. By taking it slow and steady, you’ll build habits that truly stick.

Expecting Immediate Results

We all love the idea of instant results—it’s motivating to see quick wins. But progress often takes time, and it’s not always linear.

If you expect big changes overnight, it’s easy to feel discouraged and think you’re failing. But progress, even when it’s slow, is still progress.

Focus instead on the journey, not just the destination. Celebrate small wins—whether it’s completing a habit for one day or making one better choice. These small victories are stepping stones to larger success.

Relying Solely on Motivation

Motivation is great when it’s there, but it’s not always reliable. Some days, you might feel ready to conquer the world. On others, just getting out of bed feels like a monumental task.

That’s why relying on motivation alone isn’t enough. Instead, build systems and structures that help you through tough days. Whether it’s habit tracking, environmental cues, or a supportive accountability partner, these tools ensure you can keep going, even when motivation dips.

Remember, showing up—even imperfectly—is what drives long-term change. Progress isn’t about feeling inspired every day; it’s about sticking with it when inspiration fades.

How Long Does it Take to Change a Habit?

Forming a good work habit doesn’t happen overnight. Research suggests that it takes 2 to 5 months to create a new habit you can stick to.^[1] The time it takes can vary depending on how complex or challenging the habit is, but the key ingredient is consistency, not perfection.

What really matters is not how long it takes but how consistent you are. Each time you repeat a behavior in the same context, it becomes easier, more automatic, and more deeply ingrained.

Building habits is like planting seeds: with regular care, they grow stronger over time. Be patient with yourself and trust the process—the results will come.

Changing Habits with ADHD Requires the Right Approach

Changing habits—especially with ADHD—takes more than just motivation or willpower. By working with your brain and using the right strategies, lasting progress is within your reach.

Start by building a “habit toolbox” with techniques like habit stacking, rewarding yourself for progress, and creating an environment where success feels natural.

Focus on the process rather than expecting instant results. Lasting change doesn’t come from perfect execution—it comes from persistence and patience. With time, your new habits will begin to feel like second nature.

Remember, you’re not alone in this journey. ADDA+ offers expert resources, courses, and a supportive community to guide you each step of the way. Together, you can move toward a future of growth and success.

References

[1] Singh, B., Murphy, A., Maher, C., & Smith, A. E. (2024). Time to Form a Habit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Health Behaviour Habit Formation and Its Determinants. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 12(23), 2488. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12232488

[2] Zhu, Y., Long, Y., Wei, L., Zhang, Y., Ma, Z., Lee, K. P., Zhang, L., & Wang, S. J. (2024). Developing cue-behavior association for habit formation: A qualitative study to explore the role of avatar in hypertension. Digital health, 10, 20552076241265217. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076241265217

‌ [3] Liao, Y.-H., & Chen, H.-C. (2022). Happiness takes effort: Exploring the relationship among academic grit, executive functions and well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 199, 111863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111863

[4] Einarsson, S. B., Baldur Heiðar Sigurðsson, Sigurlín Hrund Kjartansdóttir, Páll Magnússon, & Jón Friðrik Sigurðsson. (2024). Impulsive buying and deferment of gratification among adults with ADHD. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.9339

[5] Wood, W. (2024). Habits, Goals, and Effective Behavior Change. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 33(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214241246480