Ready to Play?!
If you ever feel stuck in a cycle of knowing what to do but struggling to do it (especially when it comes to your health and body goals) you’re not alone. For many women I work with, motivation can come in waves, and on the tougher days, even simple tasks like cooking a nourishing meal, drinking enough water, or getting outside for a walk can feel overwhelming. And if we’re really honest, boredom can be a real factor when it comes to finding consistency in moving forwards.
Gamification offers a refreshingly fun and realistic solution, turning healthy actions into small, achievable challenges with built-in variety, rewards, and a sense of momentum. While this approach can help anyone feel more engaged and empowered, it’s particularly supportive for women with ADHD, who often thrive with novelty, structure, and a sense of play.
Here’s how you can start using gamification to energise your health goals – without relying on willpower!
1. Roll the Dice for Quick-Start Action
On days when you don’t know where to start, let the dice decide. This simple approach removes decision fatigue and gets you moving. It’s especially helpful when you feel frozen by the sheer number of things you could be doing.
You can create a different set of 1–6 actions for various areas of health. For example:
Each number (1 to 6) links to a quick health habit — for example:
Movement (e.g. “10-minute walk” or “dance to a song”)
Nutrition (e.g. “Add a veg” or “Prep tomorrow’s breakfast”)
Mindset (e.g. “2-minute breathwork” or “Step outside”)
You can write these on a sticky note, print them out as a card, or keep them on your phone. The key is to make it visible and easy to do in the moment.
2. Use a Timer to Create Momentum
This is a personal favourite of mine! If the idea of tackling a task feels like too much, try shrinking it down to just 10 minutes. This technique works beautifully for meal prep, tidying your environment, or fitting in some simple movement.
Here are a few ways to use a timer:
Meal Prep Sprint: Set a timer for 10 minutes and see how many healthy meal ingredients you can chop, prep, or portion for later.
Tidy and Get Moving Combo: See how much you can get put away whilst the timer goes, and you’ll soon find that your energy picks up.
Energy Reset: Go through a rapid-fire checklist: drink water, take a few deep breaths, do 10 squats, prep your supplements. You’ll be amazed what you can tick off in a short burst.
Timers give your brain a clear start and end point , especially helpful when overwhelm leads to inaction.
3. Fruit and Veg Bingo (and Other Creative Cards)
Gamifying variety can be a fun way to naturally upgrade your nutrition without falling into a rut. Bingo cards are ideal for this.
You could try:
Veggie Variety Bingo: A personal favourite of mine with my clients, as we aim to increase their vegetable diversity (which is important for gut health).
Breakfast Bingo: It’s so easy to get stuck in a breakfast rut, so mix things up with squares to mark off like high protein, savoury, leftovers etc.
Meal Planning Bingo: Squares might include “prepped double for tomorrow,” “used frozen veg,” “made a one-pan meal,” or “added healthy fats.”
Tick off what you’ve tried over the week. Aim for 4 or 5 in a row, or just use it as a gentle prompt to keep things interesting.
4. Level-Up Tracking
If you're someone who enjoys visible progress, this one’s for you.
Create a basic habit tracker where you ‘level up’ after a certain number of repetitions. For example, three mornings of doing your stretch routine = Level 1. After five more, you unlock Level 2. You can keep it simple with a wall chart or journal entry — or even treat yourself to a non-food reward at each level.
This taps into your brain’s reward system and can build a strong sense of accomplishment without perfectionism.
5. Make It Social (or Play Against Yourself)
Gamification can also include mini challenges or streaks — and these can be even more fun if you share them with someone else.
Challenge a friend: This can be for an exercise challenge.
Create a streak tracker: How many days in a row can you tick off one health habit?
Wildcard Weekends: Each weekend, try one health action you’ve never done before — e.g. cold shower, seaweed snack, guided meditation, or walking a new route.
Why This Works — Especially for ADHD Brains
Gamification supports some of the areas that often feel harder with ADHD, such as decision-making, task initiation, and follow-through. It works by:
Reducing overwhelm
Providing structure without rigidity
Activating the reward system through novelty and progress
Creating momentum through small wins
That said, this playful approach isn’t just helpful for people with ADHD — it’s a great way to make health more sustainable and enjoyable for anyone.
Ready to Give It a Go?
When actions towards your health goals start to feel flat, uninspiring, or hard to stick to — try turning it into a game. Whether you’re rolling a dice, setting a timer, ticking off a bingo card, or spinning a wheel, these tools can help you build healthy habits in a way that feels light-hearted and motivating.
The next time you’re feeling stuck or low on motivation, try one of the ideas above and see how it shifts your energy. You don’t need to do it all. Just play!