I wish I could say that my mornings start out after a good night sleep and a refreshing look at the day ahead or a nice cup of coffee, followed by an energizing 30-minute walk. 

However, my mornings start out with negotiations: getting out of bed or not, negotiating with my dog and cats who think that they have never been fed in their entire lives, deciding if today is going to be a productive day or a stare at the wall kind of day.

Having ADHD makes morning decisions feel like a tug-a-war between what I want to do and what I can do, which until my medication turns on my mental light, is not much.

I end up restlessly pacing the house, distracted by thoughts that move through my mind at lightning speed. This energy is not full of promise, it is a recipe for disaster. 

My mornings don’t start until my medication kicks in and suddenly my mind becomes calm, collected, and focused. Everything I had been wanting to do becomes possible. I am able to make decisions about my plans and pace myself accordingly. 

For me, my mornings are less about direction, but waiting for mental clarity, which sometimes feels like waiting for an eternity. But when that light switch finally turns on, my mornings finally begin.