It’s That Time of Year Again

We are officially in the last month of the year. It’s now December 2021. Not only does it mean that 2022 is soon here, but for many it means that the holidays are just around the corner.

Here, in Canada, where I live, some celebrate Christmas. Others celebrate Hanukkah. There’s a lot of festivities that go on around this time of year. Family gatherings, work-related gatherings, and possibly other types of festivities and gatherings. Not to mention buying presents, sending cards, decorations, just to name a few.

This can be a stressful time for anyone, as there’s extra things to consider. However, for those of us with ADHD, just day-to-day life can be a struggle as it is, but at this time of year, there are extra things to thing about, which makes it even more so.

However, no matter what, it doesn’t have to be stressful. There are ways to make it less stress and help be able to enjoy the holidays a little more.

Here are some things to keep in mind to help make this time a little less stressful.

• Be realistic about how much you can do. Attending the parties, exchanging cards, and all the extra things to do around this time can be really demanding and exhausting. Let’s face, no one can do everything. There’s only so much we can do. Think about what you can realistically do. You don’t necessarily have to accept all the invitations you get.
• Don’t worry so much about the ‘perfect’ gift. Sometimes a simple gift card may just the right thing to get.
• Prioritize. Write down all the things that you think you need to get done. And just focus on what’s the most important to you. Focus on that. Now I know that prioritizing falls into the executive functions and those with ADHD have difficulty with this, but it is possible for us to work on this. Ask for help if it’s something that you need help with.

These are some tips that can help when the holidays come around. It can be helpful and less stressful to keep things simple.

Let’s face it, the holidays don’t have to stressful. Nor should they be. It should be a pleasant and happy time spent with the people we care about.