Background and insight
In Aeon/Psyche, Sarah Hendrickx describes living with both autism and ADHD, often called AuDHD. She captures an apparent tension: a need for order and routine can exist alongside a desire for excitement and variety. For some people, predictability helps create a sense of safety, while attention also seeks novelty and engagement.
This is a personal reflection, not a formula that describes every autistic person or everyone with ADHD. Needs differ between people and from day to day. A helpful starting point is curiosity rather than self-criticism: When does structure support you, and when does it become too rigid? What kinds of variety provide energy without making the rest of the day feel unmanageable?
What does this mean for your everyday life?
If this feels familiar, “routine or spontaneity” may be too narrow a choice. You might benefit from reliable anchors around sleep, meals or appointments while also protecting small, low-pressure spaces for choice. That can reduce everyday friction without making life monotonous. Understanding the pattern may also help you explain your needs to family, friends or colleagues.
💡 How to use this knowledge
- Choose one daily activity, such as breakfast or getting ready for work. Keep its timing or sequence consistent, but vary one element, such as the food or location.
- Create a “minimum routine” for low-energy days: three simple steps you will try to complete. Add optional activities when you have more capacity.
- Keep a simple log for a week: note when structure helped, when it felt burdensome and which kinds of variety gave you energy. Use the patterns to adjust your plan, not to judge yourself.