In January, our community completed the ADHD “Better You” Challenge and it was a hit! Those who joined (via TikTok and Lemon8) made lots of progress on their mini goals, me included. Areas of our homes got clean that we didn’t even realize were dirty! We set ourselves up for success in the months to come by completing tasks we avoid! We donated items we don’t need and decluttered our inboxes to help declutter our brains! This month however, we’re doing things a little different.

If you live in the United States or have been paying attention to what’s been unfolding here, our stress levels are at an all-time high. Between the “legal” kidnappings of Americans (citizens, legal residents, and undocumented people), state-sanctioned arrest, violence, and killings of protesters, and the utter incompetence and frankly, terrifying power of our government, it’s impossible for our nervous systems to relax. We’re angry and terrified and incredibly anxious. Instead of focusing on our productivity (who cares if the laundry is done, we’re descending into fascism!), this month is about focusing inward.

February’s ADHD challenge is the Love and Connection challenge, which is all about promoting self-love and love toward others through connection and intention. Each day of this month has a new challenge prompt for you to complete, from writing a gratitude list to help regulate our systems and prevent indifference, to donating to a cause that you care about. By the end of this month, my goal is for you to feel more connected to yourself and your community in a meaningful way, so you can move forward in 2026 more aligned with you and your values. I hope you join me on this self-discovery, self-love journey.

Research has shown that social connection is crucial to living longer, healthy lives, along with managing stress, anxiety and depression. Further, social connection can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and illness, including heart disease, dementia, depression, stroke, and anxiety. It also enhances our ability to manage our emotional states, have quality sleep, and engage in other healthy habits like eating balanced meals and exercising.

Practicing self-love is your ticket to happiness. When you love and value yourself, your life is more fulfilling, and you feel more successful. It also increases mental “toughness” or resilience, leaving you more prepared to handle the intense stressors that life throws at you. Community building creates a sense of belonging and support. This creates trust and accountability amongst the group, further providing a supportive environment for working towards common goals and goal-oriented action. Meaningful ways to build community, practice self-love, and connect with others are outlined in some of the challenge prompts above.

Print the February ADHD “Love and Connection” Challenge calendar to help keep yourself on track. (I hung mine on my fridge.) If you’re on TikTok, you can follow along with me every day as I too complete the day’s prompt. Accountability, body doubling, and group motivation are so helpful as we make these incremental changes in our lives. We got this.