If you missed part 1 of my ADHD tips for entrepreneurs, you can click here to read that first.
In part 1, we covered the first 5 tips that help me manage my ADHD as an entrepreneur who has to show up, hold herself accountable, and work to deadlines (even though most days I’d rather be curled up in a blanket nest on the couch).
To recap, they were:
- Split your to-do list into categories based on priority
- Assign an energy level to tasks on your to-do list
- Schedule in regular CEO/business planning days
- Reverse engineer your goals
- Treat your personal life as part of your business life
Today we’ll be diving right into part 2, with the other 5 tips that I couldn’t fit into part 1 (because you know, #ADHDproblems).
6. Set minimum baseline habits you can actually stick to
If you’ve not heard of the minimum baseline strategy before, it’s essentially a way of building habits that works especially well for people with perfectionist tendencies (something many of us neurodivergent entrepreneurial types tend to struggle with).
Unlike traditional habit goals, which often involve overly-ambitious, all-or-nothing targets (like exercise for an hour every single day), minimum baseline goals are achievable and sustainable. For example, instead of working out for an hour every day, you could set a goal of a 20-minute walk twice a week.
To start with, it will probably feel boring and pointless because it won’t give you the nice dopamine rush that comes from the planning and anticipation of setting goals (btw when I learnt this I realized it totally explains why I have so many notebooks and planners!).
Small steps build stronger habits
Once you’ve set a minimum baseline that you’ve proven to yourself you can stick to, you can build on it. I suggest focusing on one area of your life at a time — i.e. don’t be like me and try to do yoga, start a 5-step skincare routine AND read a chapter of a non-fiction book every day all at once. That’s a recipe for feeling like a failure and convincing yourself you can’t stick to anything (even though the problem is not your follow-through — it’s that the goal was unrealistic to start with).
I think this is where a lot of people go wrong, and especially on low-energy days when self-care can feel extra hard, I’ve found it much better to be realistic about the habits I can stick to.
Setting a minimum baseline is less about the outcome of your goal, and more about building consistent habits and trust in yourself. So take it slow, celebrate your small wins, and remember that even if these goals feel insignificant now, they’ll carry you further than overly-ambitious goals that lead to burnout and self-doubt.
7. Try walking and talking when you’re feeling stuck
One of my favorite things to do when I’m feeling stuck or blocked creatively is to go for a walk, preferably somewhere quiet (bonus points if there’s nature), and record myself talking through my thoughts.
This practice, known as audio journaling, has become my go-to tool for mental clarity. I’m always amazed at how much calmer and clearer my head feels after, and it figures, because there’s science to back it up.
Why the combination of walking and talking works so well for those of us with neurodivergent brains:
Research shows that physical movement increases dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain — the exact neurotransmitters that us ADHD folks often struggle to regulate. A 2016 study published in Experimental Brain Research found that walking can improve cognitive performance, particularly in tasks requiring sustained attention. Walking quite literally helps our brains function better!
For verbal processors (people who think best by talking things through), audio journaling is particularly powerful. Instead of forcing your racing thoughts through the bottleneck of writing (not to mention the hand cramp when you have a million thoughts pouring out of you), you can let them flow naturally through speech.
Some ways I like to use audio journaling:
- Brainstorming new business ideas
- Working through challenging decisions
- Capturing creative ideas while I’m out and about
- Processing difficult emotions or conflicts
- Planning content (like this blog post!)
Often, the act of talking it out is more valuable than the recording itself, so don’t feel like you need to transcribe everything. I like to use the default voice memo app on my phone and then I’ll listen back to them and make notes if I need to, but you can also use an app like Otter.ai to convert your recordings to text.
8. Stop looking for permission to do things your way
Before my ADHD diagnosis, I followed allll the typical productivity advice. I tried every morning routine, project management system, and organization method that other successful entrepreneurs swear by. And when I couldn’t get any of them to stick, I blamed myself instead of questioning if the advice was wrong for my brain.
The truth is, neurotypical solutions often don’t work for neurodivergent minds. A rigid morning routine will probably feel suffocating to your ADHD brain, and the “right” way to manage projects might actually be blocking your creative flow.
Here’s what I’ve come to learn: If a system doesn’t work for you after giving it a fair shot, give yourself permission to let it go. Your brain isn’t broken — it’s different. And different minds need different tools.
Nowadays, I trust my instincts. If my best work happens at midnight instead of 5 AM, that’s okay. If I need to take voice notes instead of writing things down, that works too. Sometimes my most productive days look completely chaotic to others, but they make perfect sense to my ADHD brain.
The real productivity hack? Stop fighting your natural tendencies and start working with them instead.
9. Set your website up to work for you when life gets busy
Burnout is a common experience among entrepreneurs with ADHD. I don’t know about you but when I’m feeling drained, posting on social media is usually the first task I drop.
Between playing content creator, customer service manager, tech troubleshooter, and everything else, something has to give. That’s why your website should be your hardest-working team member — one that shows up even when you can’t.
Think of your website as your 24/7 sales rep. While you’re recharging, sleeping, or finally taking that vacation, a well-optimized website keeps working for you:
- SEO-optimized content brings in organic traffic even when you’re not actively marketing
- Strategic sales copy converts visitors without you needing to show up and sell
- Clear user paths guide potential clients through your offerings
- FAQ sections answer common questions, reducing your support load
- Automated systems handle inquiries and bookings
The key is setting up these systems before you need them. Your business shouldn’t depend on your ability to show up at 100% every day. A strategically built website acts as a buffer between your energy levels and your income — giving you permission to step back when needed without watching your business grind to a halt.
Pro tip: Choose website templates designed with conversions and SEO in mind (like ours!) to give yourself a head start. The less time you spend wrestling with technical details, the more energy you’ll have for the parts of your life and business that truly matter to you.
10. Treat your brain like it’s your best business asset (because it is)
Running a business with ADHD means your brain is working overtime, all the time. Every task requires more mental energy than it would for a neurotypical brain — from maintaining focus during client calls to organizing your inbox to making decisions about your business. This extra cognitive load is real, and it deserves to be acknowledged.
Like any valuable business asset, your brain needs proper maintenance and optimal conditions to perform at its best. Those times when you’re testing ideas, exploring possibilities, or going down interesting rabbit holes? That’s not wasted time — it’s your brain’s creative process at work.
While it’s important to be aware of when you’re genuinely procrastinating, don’t mistake your brain’s need for exploration as lack of productivity. Real productivity isn’t just about checking tasks off a list, it’s about giving your brain the conditions it needs to innovate and problem-solve in its own unique way.
Just like you’d invest in the right equipment or software for your business, you need to invest in your brain’s needs.
This means recognizing and valuing the less visible aspects of your work, like:
- Deep thinking about client solutions
- Processing and organizing information
- Reading and researching
- Ideating and thinking of future business ideas
- Strategic planning and decision making
- Journaling and reading self-development books
Your ADHD brain uses more energy than a neurotypical one for these tasks. Think of it like running high-performance software — it needs more processing power and better cooling systems to operate efficiently.
How to protect your mental energy:
- Schedule dedicated recovery time between tasks
- Build in extra time for processing and thinking
- Take actual breaks (not just switching tasks)
- Honor your need for downtime without guilt
- Listen to your brain when it’s telling you it’s tired
Remember, your brain is your business’s most powerful tool.
Running a sustainable business means giving your most valuable asset what it needs to thrive – and that includes both productive time and genuine rest. When you treat your brain like the premium tool it is, everything else in your business works better.
I’ve shared these 10 strategies, not because they’re the “right” way to run a business with ADHD, but as a starting point to help you discover your own way of working. The goal isn’t to force yourself into someone else’s system, but to build a business that works in harmony with your unique brain.
Here’s to building businesses that work with our brains, not against them. 🧠✨
If any of this resonates with you, I’d love to hear about it:
Want to chat about your own ADHD entrepreneurship journey? Let’s connect
Working on your website and need an accountability partner? Send me a message
Found a strategy that works brilliantly for your ADHD brain? Share it in the comments
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