Home for the Holidays: Stress and ADHD
Holidays are uniquely stressful for any given person. Add ADHD into the mix, and things can get even more complicated. If you feel like your ADHD is amplified every holiday season, you're spot on. A wide array of festivity-specific factors make having executive dysfunction more challenging.
Why are the holidays more brutal with ADHD?
Lack of Routine: Having a methodically planned daily schedule can be essential to managing ADHD. During the holidays, all routine goes out the window! Living in this free flow can exacerbate attention issues.
Excess Downtime: You're off of work, your gym is closed, and you might be visiting home for the holidays with nothing to do. Having a full day gives us something to hyperfocus on and can keep us energized. All-day relaxing is neither fun nor engaging enough with ADHD.
Bad Diet: It's no secret that the holidays mean excess sugar, rich food, and high alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, our diet as humans affects every part of us, including ADHD. If you're indulging, you might see an unexplained spike in your symptoms.
How can you make the holidays easier for yourself?
Figure out ways to add routine: Even if it means getting up earlier than everyone else to go on a run or reading every day at the same time, giving yourself some consistency can work wonders.
Make a To-do list: If you're one of the many with ADHD who gets a hit of dopamine when they check off a task, make a to-do list for the simple things in life like going to the grocery store or calling a loved one.
Pick and choose your indulgences: It's so tempting to luxuriate in every holiday treat but to feel your best, try to be choosy. Go for your favorite desserts only and save the eating just because there's food out. We know that the third glass of wine is tempting, but feeling good the next day! It's hard, we know, but the more conscious you are about what you consume, the happier you'll be.
Exercise: Whether you have ADHD or not, being stuck in a house with a bunch of people for a week can be taxing on anyone. Exercise is an essential outlet to knock out stress and improve your focus. Take it outdoors for extra mood-boosting benefits!
Get your loved ones moving: We've all been at a holiday event where everyone eats and then lays around for hours—relaxing for some, a nightmare situation for most with ADHD! Take charge and plan fun, engaging activities for your family. They'll thank you, and so will your ADHD.
