The holiday season can be an overwhelming time for individuals with ADHD. Strategies such as prioritizing, outsourcing, and delegating may help ease the burden.
The holidays can be an overwhelming time for everyone, but especially for individuals with ADHD. During this time, it seems there are an endless number of tasks to keep track of. If you have ADHD, you may feel like you can’t keep up and even face decision paralysis from all of the demands.
While everyone is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for those with ADHD, the following strategies may help ease the stress of the holiday season.
Having a game plan can help ease the burden of your holiday-related task list — the earlier you do this, the better. Give yourself time to formulate this plan. Schedule any non-pressing tasks for later, to allow your full focus to be on holiday-related tasks.
Space out each task so that you don’t find yourself rushing at the last second to complete everything. If it’s helpful, focus on one thing at a time; for example, you may shop for all your presents over the course of one week and nothing else.
Allow yourself more time than you think you need, in case things take longer than you had planned. This buffer can give you breathing room and hopefully help you avoid some stress.
Write this plan out and keep it somewhere visible; consider placing it in multiple locations throughout your home, especially ones you pass by often.
If you’re hosting or contributing to a gathering during the holiday season, you may feel the urge to “do it all.” However, including everything you want most likely isn’t feasible, regardless of whether or not you have ADHD.
Asking your loved ones which holiday traditions are important to them can help you decide what you need to do and what you can skip. You may find that some things you thought necessary aren’t important to them.
People are unlikely to notice if your decorations aren’t perfectly arranged or if your holiday meal is missing a side dish or two. They will remember making memories and participating in important traditions, if you have any.
It’s also important to ask yourself, “Am I doing this for me, or am I doing this because I feel like I have to?” You shouldn’t do something for the sake of making someone else happy, especially if it is causing you stress.
It can be easy to compare yourself to the way others are celebrating. But you don’t have to ensure every inch of your house is picture-perfect, and meals and activities don’t need to be elaborate feats.
Simple activities, such as driving through holiday light displays or making hot cocoa together at home, can be enjoyable events with minimal preparation on your part.
In fact, events or activities that cause you stress may end up being less memorable or enjoyable if you’re worried about a hundred moving parts going off without a hitch.
Although you may feel pressured to do it all yourself, outsourcing can be a great way to alleviate some of the pressure if you have the resources to do so.
Some items you may consider include:
- catering meals
- gift wrapping service
- house cleaning service
Hosting or contributing shouldn’t be a one-person show. Lean on your family, friends, and loved ones during this time. Don’t be afraid to ask for their help or delegate tasks to them, especially when you feel overwhelmed.
Your loved ones can also offer general support, even if they are not directly involved in the tasks at hand. For example, a video or phone call from a long-distance relative or friend can help ground you and improve your mood.
If you find yourself experiencing a negative state for more than a couple of days, reach out to your therapist or mental health professional. They can help you navigate this time from a professional standpoint.
The best laid plans often go awry, and this is especially true of holiday planning. While having a plan certainly helps, it’s OK if things don’t go perfectly to plan; they rarely ever do, holiday-related or not.
Don’t put yourself down if things don’t work out exactly the way you had hoped or if there’s a change in plans. At the end of the day, the holidays aren’t about the decorations, the gifts, or the food: they’re about spending quality time with your loved ones.
The holidays are an enjoyable time of year, but the preparation leading up to them can be overwhelming for those with ADHD.
Some strategies to offset the associated stress during this season include creating a plan early, prioritizing tasks, outsourcing tasks where possible, and relying on your support system.