Planning for ADHD Energy Swings

Energy Budgets and Menus: Planning for ADHD Energy Swings

If you have ADHD, you probably notice that some days you’re clear, focused, productive and other days, not so much. It's hard to plan when you're not sure which days you'll feel you’re foggy, low-energy, or struggling to start and knowing which version of you is showing up can chip away at self-trust.

So instead of expecting yourself to operate at the same level every day, plan for the variety!

Here's two tools that help me:

1. Think in Energy Budgets

Executive functioning tasks cost energy- a lot of it. Planning, prioritizing, decision-making, organizing might take more effort for those with ADHD. That means your energy budget may be smaller depending on what your day holds.

Start noticing:

What consistently drains you?
What tasks take more effort than you think they “should”?

Once you've identified those, think about what can be adjusted. For example, shopping drains the life out of me. I've stopped expecting that to be different. Now I approach this task strategically. I think about what I can offload, automate, or change when it comes to the task and my environment.

Offload/ Automate: Can I delegate this to someone else? When I do this, I also have to let go of some of my preferences. Things may not be done exactly the way I want, but it's worth the energy trade off for me!

I can also delegate by using pickup or delivery rather than physically entering a store. Automate my frequent purchases is another way I can save energy- I'm not mentally tracking these things / adding them to my shopping list.

Change the task/ environment:

Two things I know drain my energy in stores:

1. my focus is pulled in dozens of different directions

2. I have to make a bunch of decisions.

Stores are designed to "redirect" your attention to what they want you to focus on! I'm not going to avoid that entirely, but I know that some shopping environments are worse for my attention (and energy) than others. If has a "warehouse" design (harsh lighting, not well labeled aisles, a large building, and tons of options) it's going to cost me much more than shopping in a smaller store with less options.

Changing this task might mean I chose a different store or stick to pre-made list rather than figuring it out as I go. I'm cutting down on options and helping save my decision making energy.

If I can avoid it, I try not to power through avoidable energy drains. If I can't avoid it, I adjust my expectations. If I'm shopping, I know my energy will dip and I plan accordingly.

2. Use “Menus” Instead of Rigid Routines

Routines often fail because they’re designed for only one version- our highest-energy day and when everything is going right. Try creating different versions for low energy and/or chaotic days. Think of these as different menus:

The 3-Course Meal (High Energy Day)
The full routine. Everything you’d ideally like to do.

The Brunch Version (Medium Energy Day)
A lighter version that still hits what matters.

The Snack (Low Energy / Hard Day)
The skeleton. The bare minimum that keeps things moving.

This keeps you out of all-or-nothing thinking. You move from thinking “If I can’t do the full workout, I’ll skip it” to “Today is a stretch or short walk kind of day.”

*Being able to rely on yourself happens when you build flexibility, not when you rigidly follow one version getting things done.

Planning for energy budgets or creating different "menus" for what you're getting done allow you to work with the different versions of you instead of fighting them!

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