Tips to Navigate the Holiday Season with ADHD
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Right?
They say it’s the most wonderful time of the year and it is. It is wonderfully joyous, wonderfully magical, but also wonderfully busy. If you are an individual with ADHD, the holidays can be a time that is exciting and different, but also overwhelming. This guide will provide actionable strategies for managing ADHD symptoms so there is more joy and less stress during the holidays.
Typically individuals with ADHD experience decreased executive functioning compared to a neurotypical brain. Executive functioning is also known as the management system of the brain. It is responsible for planning, organizing, focusing, regulating emotions, remembering tasks, and controlling impulses. During the holiday season, many factors strain the brain's executive functioning including bright lights, loud environments, schedule disruptions, and an increased need for planning. So let’s break down some of the common strains on executive functioning this season and provide strategies for managing.
Make all the lists and definitely check them twice
Between parties, traveling, shopping, and deadlines, there are many holiday tasks. Many individuals with ADHD can suffer from task paralysis which is an inability to start a task due to feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty prioritizing. To avoid task paralysis during the holiday season, it is important to break down tasks using calendars or lists. There are numerous apps targeted to help individuals write out and organize tasks. While completing a task, it may be helpful to set a timer so that you stay on schedule. The number of tasks on the lists may be long which can increase feeling overwhelmed. Prioritize tasks by order of importance. Holidays can be a strain financially as well. Along with lists, set a budget for your holiday spending and stick to it. While it may be difficult, learning to say “no” is important, which can help prevent feeling overwhelmed. And for those tasks that you do need to complete, remember that it does not need to be perfect, it just needs to get done.
Bells are ringing, children are singing, but the lights are so bright!
Overstimulation can occur when the brain is overwhelmed with sensory input, emotional demands, or cognitive demands and it makes it difficult for the brain to process and respond to information. The holiday season may increase overstimulation in individuals with ADHD because of heightened sensory input and emotional demands. Between the lights, crowded stores, longer lines, and decorations everywhere, our senses are being overwhelmed with input. Emotionally, we may become overwhelmed by the increase in the need for decisions, pressure to meet expectations, financial stress, and family dynamics which can lead to anxiety, irritability, and/or sadness. Triggers can vary from person to person and what may be distressing and overstimulating to one, feels manageable to another. It is important to recognize what is going on if you become overstimulated or distressed so that you can create strategies that address your specific triggers. Strategies may include deep breathing, headphones, grounding techniques, communication strategies, and taking a break. It may be beneficial to work with a therapist who can help you create your ADHD holiday survival toolkit.
Recognize the holly and jolly
The holiday season is often romanticized as “magical.” Creating holiday magic, however, can take a lot of work and effort. Alongside that work may be the desire to create a “picture-perfect” experience for yourself and those around you. Unfortunately, creating that perfect experience is unattainable. When something doesn’t go according to plan, it’s time to give yourself the gift of self-compassion. Learn from the mistake and use it as an opportunity to grow. Most importantly, recognize the good moments, big or small. They are all moments of success.
Where are you Christmas, why can’t I find you?
If you find that it is difficult to encounter the joy, excitement, and magic this season can bring, consider reaching out for support. A mental health professional can work with you on managing ADHD symptoms, practicing self-compassion, and managing emotions so that you feel empowered to create your own personalized holiday experience.