Fresh start: a one-minute CBT skill for ADHD
After a hard day. Thoughts like “I ruined everything” feel true but usually aren't. Checking them makes it easier to start again.
How to do it
- Catch the thought: “I always fall behind.”
- Check it: what would you tell a friend? Is it all-or-nothing?
- Swap it for a balanced one, “I missed some things, and I can restart small,” then pick one block.
That’s the whole skill. It takes about a minute, and you can do it with or without an app.
Where it comes from
Fresh start is drawn from the Cognitive restructuring part of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programs for adults with ADHD. Those programs teach practical skills in short, repeatable steps; this is the practical core of one of them.
How Nuri offers it
After a hard day, Nuri can offer Fresh start right in the moment, with the steps on screen and the plan adjusted for you. It’s one of the three skills included free.
Related skills
- Wrap up and switch: before an event.
- Work in chunks: when it feels too big to focus on.
See all ten skills, or read about time blindness.
This is an everyday self-help skill, not therapy, and it doesn’t replace care from a professional. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988 in the US, or your local emergency number.