Adult ADHD Holiday Tips for 2020

Need adult ADHD tips for this unprecedented holiday season? You are in the right place. Adult ADHD can be a lot to handle. Holidays can be a lot to handle. Pandemic IS a lot to handle. Put all three of them together and you might be in for a wild ride.

Adult ADHD means that your brain is running a bit slower than optimal. This neurodiversity can create stress, frustration, overwhelm, and avoidance with fervor at the holidays. Here are a few tips to keep your brain running well, and your life easier.

Elf on the Shelf… Set an Alarm & Have a Back-Up Plan.

If you have traditions that require you to remember something on a daily basis, set an alarm. Also, have a back-up plan in case you forget. As a mom of 5 kids who have been making Christmas “happen” for 18 years now, there is one thing I know. Have a back-up plan. If the elf didn’t move, why? Likely, it was because your dog was up and about in the night or he got stuck in his previous place. Whatever the reason… be ready! Your stress will go down 1000% the first morning you realize you need your plan B.

Christmas Cards… Send an electronic one or have photo cards printed with ease.

Remember what the point of Christmas cards is supposed to be. It is love and connection. So, you don’t need the perfect cards, nor do they have to be perfect, they just have to be sent. Better yet, skip the addresses and stamps and use your computer instead. With advances in technology, you can send greetings on Facebook, Instagram, with electronic cards, or purchase photo cards that are easy to send right out. It is, in fact, the thought that counts.

Homemade Cookies… Store-bought on a decorative plate for the host to keep.

I love making cookies, but I also realize the times that I am limited by the capacity to get things done. I currently have a package of store-bought bakery cookies in my fridge and a decorative platter to bring to my besties house for Friendsgiving. They look beautiful, they will be delicious, and I can have them ready to go in under a minute.

Gifts… Choose Simple, Meaningful gifts.

Try this for a fun activity. Sit down and list the people you will buy gifts for in the left-hand column. Now, in the right-hand column write down the first thing you think of when you think of that person. That is your gift category. Visit your favorite online store, Amazon being an obvious one for most people, and type the category into the search bar. You can have a gift for all your people in no time. You can even have them gift-wrapped and sent directly to their home if you choose for more convenience. This will help prevent overwhelm and stress and help you get ahead of the holiday game. This way you can pour a cup of tea and watch holiday movies to decrease your stress even more.

Bonus Tip.

Have extra generic gifts that you can exchange with someone at a moment’s notice. Chocolates, small decor, flowers, and the like can be appreciated by just about anybody. This way if your neighbor shows up with a bottle of wine for you, you can reciprocate if you like. I already have a stash of small boxes of chocolate ready to be given in a pinch. It will decrease your stress just knowing you have them.

Christmas Bonuses

If you like to give the service people in your life a holiday treat, make it simple this year. Buy lots of gift cards for a local place that you love. Make sure you have more than enough. If you love it there, you can always use the extras yourself. Buy a large pack of Christmas cards, ready to be stuffed with a gift card at the ready. Don’t worry if you want to

The Tree

Have a strategy. No matter if you’d like a real tree from the field or the lot or you will get your artificial tree out of the attic, have a plan. Now, implement said plan. If you get off track, get back to the plan. Remember to take breaks to allow the fun to continue and stress to go down.

The Plan.

We always go get our Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving. With so many of us, 7 in all, we always go first, at 8 am. That way, there is no one else there. I wake the kids up and everyone jumps directly into the car. Eat breakfast when we get home. Arrive at the tree lot and venture over to the section with the enormous trees because that is the one the hubs picks every time. Decide together which tree to get. The people from the tree farm tag it, bag it and put it on our car. Yes, one year the large tree dented the roof rack, but who is counting. Once home, everyone has their job and we take breaks throughout the leisurely day of tree decorating, eating, drinking, and being merry.

What Are These Tips Designed For?

These tips are designed to help you have fun and relax this holiday season. If you remember only one take away for your brain and your joy, I would have it be the following. Remember the point of all of your holiday activities. Your house doesn’t have to look perfect, it should breed joy. Your food doesn’t have to be the most delicious, it should be to nurture your family and connection with each other. Gifts don’t have to be ideal, they should communicate love. You get it. Keep the joy in all your holiday activities and the rest will figure itself out.