Practical Ways to Keep Your ADD Under Control During the Holiday Season

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Practical Ways to Keep Your ADD Under Control During the Holiday

Season

By ADD Management Coach Koretsky

Do November's Thanksgiving experiences have you dreading

the December holidays? The idea of gifts, family, and days

off sounds great…but we all know that holidays are some of

the most stressful times of the year. When an ADDer starts

to become immersed in the shopping, cooking, traveling, and

family interactions, their ADD can complicate matters. You

can find yourself quickly feeling overwhelmed and

overloaded. You may not be able to avoid these feelings

altogether, but there are some strategies you can employ to

help keep your ADD under control during the holiday season.

The first thing that you can do for yourself is to schedule

some " you " time. Find something that will recharge your

battery - take a walk, go for a drive, sit quietly in a

favorite chair, meditate, exercise, lay down and close your

eyes, etc. Find something that works for you, and commit to

doing it every day. Don't wait until you feel your ADD

getting out of control. The holiday season can become more

and more intense from day to day. Daily recharging is a

method for preventing the intense feelings of being

overwhelmed.

Another thing that you can do to keep your ADD under control

is to take frequent breaks during chaotic times. First,

identify your stressors. Personally, I find myself

overwhelmed and agitated while shopping during the holiday

season. The streets, the malls, and all the stores are so

crowded that it's hard to get where you want to go, find the

things you need, and navigate your way without bumping into

people! Some people don't mind this experience, but it

instantly overwhelms me. So I make sure that my shopping

trips are short, and I allow myself to take time out to go

outside or sit with a cup of coffee when I feel myself

getting agitated. I don't pressure myself to do it all in a

set amount of time.

And finally, another good strategy is to prioritize your

tasks. Do you already feel like your list is building with

holiday cards to send, decorations to put up, gifts to buy,

etc.? Plan in the time you need, and spread out the tasks

so that you don't end up scrambling at the last minute.

Make a list of all the things you need to do, and then

prioritize it. After your list is prioritized, commit some

time to those things. As an added incentive, make

appointments to do these things with other people. Ask your

spouse to commit to a day to put up the decorations, invite

a friend to have coffee and write out cards together, see if

your mom wants to go shopping with you…you get the picture!

Making the tasks fun and social may help keep you on track.

Remember, the holidays are stressful for everyone,

especially ADDers, but you can keep your ADD in check.

Schedule in daily recharging time. Take breaks when you

need them. And plan ahead to avoid procrastinating. Using

these strategies to the best of your ability will help you

keep your ADD under control this holiday season!