Routine Anchoring

Your days feel chaotic and unstructured, making everything harder

Steps

Identify 3-4 fixed points in your day (wake up, school drop-off, lunch, bedtime)
Attach one small habit to each anchor: 'After school drop-off, I make a coffee and review my list'
Don't plan every minute. Just the anchor points and what follows them
Use visual reminders (sticky notes, phone wallpaper) for your anchor habits
Review weekly: which anchors are working? Adjust what isn't

What you need

A simple list of your daily anchor points and habits to attach

Why it works

ADHD and autistic adults often struggle with unstructured time but find rigid schedules impossible to maintain. Routine anchoring provides flexible structure — a few fixed points in the day that everything else hangs from. It's structure without rigidity, which is exactly what most neurodivergent brains need.

Age guidance

Designed for adults. Start with just one anchor point and build from there.

Real-world example

A parent chose school drop-off as their first anchor and attached 'make a coffee and review today's list' to it. Within three weeks it was automatic. Two anchors transformed their day more than any detailed schedule ever had.

Troubleshooting

Start with just ONE anchor habit. Don't overhaul your whole life at once
Missed an anchor? Just pick up at the next one. No guilt needed
Flexible structure works better than rigid schedules for most neurodivergent adults