Does watching TV become the biggest saboteur for my ADHD?

I think my TV breaks my ADHD brain. Seriously. It’s like a sneaky little dopamine trap, as bad as TikTok! For weeks, months—maybe even years—I’ve been using it as a crutch. It’s my go-to for engagement and social noise, especially since I work alone in my flat. While it provides the extra stimulation I sometimes need, it’s not helping me. In fact, it’s sabotaging my productivity!

Instead of playing detective to figure out what’s really going on, I’ve been using TV to patch things up and forget. Sound familiar?

But here’s the thing: I recently joined a new learning pod with some amazing people. We’ve been focusing on identifying our saboteurs and retraining our brains. It’s been a game-changer.

Discovering My Inner Saboteur

For the longest time, I thought my main saboteur was the Pleaser. Guess what? I was wrong. Turns out, the Victim has been sitting in the driver’s seat lately—and you know what? That realisation made me happy!

If you want some help finding your saboteurs check out this free quiz from positive intelligence.

Why? Because understanding this part of myself validated so many of my feelings and challenges. It finally clicked. I could see where my struggles were coming from.

For example, I’ve been soooooo bloody tired all the time. Recently, after being sick and feeling like I couldn’t shake an infection, I went to the doctor. I was convinced something was wrong. Turns out, there was nothing physically wrong with me. My body was simply burnt out.

I had unconsciously built this narrative in my head: “I can’t get up. I can’t do anything.” And guess what? That story was making things worse. It was dragging out my recovery.

The Power of Playing Detective – Managing your ADHD mindset

With ADHD, developing, managing, and growing your mindset is everything. It’s not easy, but it’s absolutely do-able. We need to keep playing detective to:

• Investigate what the hell is going on.
• Piece together clues from daily life that could be impacting!
• Connect the dots & take action!

This process works. It really does! ADHD doesn’t mean you can’t build new habits or be consistent. You absolutely can. The key is connecting to your “why.”

The Power of Habit Stacking, Building Habits with ADHD

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Reflect on tiny changes you can add to existing routines. This is habit stacking, and it’s powerful. It’s the ADHD hack to building new habits with consistency!
2. Tweak what isn’t working. Not everything will click right away, and that’s okay. Keep reflecting on what isn’t working so you can tweak things!
3. Celebrate and recognise what is working. These wins are tools for your personal "You-Ser Guide." They are transferable and can be used in all different area’s of your life!
4. ADHD PRODUCTIVITY – successfully being more productive day to day!

I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. You’re building a detective mystery-solving kit for your own life that is unique to you!

Real Talk: Breaking ADHD Saboteurs is Hard Work

I’m not going to lie that breaking habits and unlearning behaviours we’ve had for years is bloody hard. This isn’t an overnight fix. You can’t just do one thing and expect everything to change. This is because you need to change your mindset.

Think of it like setting up a domino pattern. You’re creating small, deliberate changes to your habits and mindset for success, knowing that when the time comes to those dominos being knocked down, you’ll create an incredible wave. (Bonus: the noise is like ASMR for the soul!)

So, keep going. Play detective. And remember, You’ve Got This!

Heidi xo