Episode 55: ADHD Habit Hack with Monique Suidgeest — ADHD Families Podcast

ADHD Habit Hacks: How to Support Your Child's to Thrive

👀 In this episode, Sharon Collon interviews Monique Suidgeest about:
✅ Creating lifelong habits that help ADHD brains thrive
✅ Simple strategies for parents to support their children's executive function
✅ How to implement the habit loop for ADHD success
✅ Practical ways to overcome limiting beliefs about habit formation

⚠️ Special Offer: Get Monique's ADHD Habit Tracker FREE with code "TFF" at ADHDhabits.com - Access Here

⏰ Timestamps ⏰
0:00 Introduction to Monique Suidgeest
0:44 Monique's background as a teacher and mother of four
2:02 The journey to discovering ADHD management through lifestyle
3:15 How masking at school creates the "pressure cooker" effect at home
5:04 Understanding the science behind habits and the habit loop
6:58 Key habits for ADHD management: hydration, nutrition, and exercise
9:01 The four pillars of ADHD management
10:39 Finding balance with food restrictions and social situations
13:57 Real-life example of implementing the habit loop
17:26 Overcoming limiting beliefs about habit formation
21:00 Taking small steps and the importance of tracking
24:16 How to stay consistent when parents get overwhelmed
25:58 Understanding habit stacking vs. habit bundling
29:32 Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation for habit formation
33:54 Conserving energy through automatic habits
36:27 Picking up habits again after dropping them

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Monique’s mission is to empower parents by providing actionable resources and a community of support, all while encouraging children to embrace their neurodivergent brains. She believes that small, consistent shifts in habits can make a world of difference, allowing children to thrive by focusing on their strengths and accepting their challenges. In this episode, we'll dive into her personal journey and explore how we can help neurodivergent children build the confidence and habits they need to shine.

Connect with Monique https://adhdhabits.com/

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KEY POINTS

What Are Habits?
Habits are behaviours that through repetition become automatic actions we take without thinking. As James Clear explains in "Atomic Habits," habits help us solve life's problems with minimal effort.

The Habit Loop for ADHD

Cue: The prompt that triggers the action
Routine: The actual action or behaviour
Reward: The feeling or benefit received after completing the action

Essential Habits for ADHD Management

Hydration: Place cups on the kitchen bench each morning to make drinking water obvious and easy
Nutrition: Remove artificial colours and additives, increase protein intake
Exercise: Daily movement (like using a mini trampoline) to help brain function
Sleep: Establishing consistent routines for better rest

Making Habits Stick with ADHD

Start with very small steps (30 seconds or less to complete)
Make the habit obvious and easy to perform
Track progress with visual reminders
Include habits they already know how to do to build confidence
Provide immediate rewards (not delayed gratification)

NEXT STEPS

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