Grasshopper New Media Presents...

The worst part of holidays for me is feeling overwhelmed by the amount that “needs” to be done. Whether it’s cooking, buying gifts, sending cards, or decorating, it can all seem like too much from time to time. Couple this with my ADHD and the tendency to get many projects started and few completed, and you can have a recipe for hellish holidays.

(To give you an idea of what it’s like to have ADHD, I will quote my new favorite t-shirt- “My friends say I have ADD, but I don’t think so - Oh Look! A Chicken!”) People with ADD take every new thing and put it on the top of the pile of priorities, but rarely fish through and finish the tasks in the bin.

Judith Kohlberg and Kathleen Nadeau have a great book called “ADD-friendly Ways to Organize Your Life”. The tips in this book can help anyone get their lives a bit more organized, which I find I need more than ever during the holidays.

Some of the best advice is about time management. Here are a few key things that can help everyone have a less stressful holiday.

1. Big tasks should be broken up into smaller segments. For example, if I have to wrap a huge pile of gifts, I set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes. After the timer goes off, I can do something else for a bit, and then come back and go again, until the job is finally done. This also works particularly well for big tasks like sorting out closets, cleaning your office, etc. Small bursts keeps the project going and keep you engaged, instead of constantly looking for ways to avoid managing things at hand.

2. Keep Lists. I absolutely need to keep a running To Do list, and keep it with me in my purse. Small, 3 x 5 cards work well.(They have some that are post-its now, so you can stick them wherever you need them) If I have this visual reminder, I am much more likely to complete the tasks I set, and crossing each one off the list is very satisfying. If I don’t write it down, it won’t get done.

3. Keep a Realistic Schedule. If you know that you need to have gifts mailed to family members by December 15th, set a deadline for shopping (even better- shop and ship online!), a deadline for wrapping, and a deadline for shipping, and make time in your schedule to do each task. This also means saying no sometimes, and not attending every holiday party. Pick the ones you need to attend, and be willing to say no and set limits for yourself.

4. Ask for Help. You may feel as if you have to, or should do it all yourself, but don’t be afraid to ask for help. Kids love to wrap presents and help bake. They should also help clean and decorate- it’s part of being part of the family, and will help them have (hopefully happy) memories of the holidays when they are older. The holidays are not a time to be a control junkie- sub-contract out some duties- It’ll be fine! (No one ever died from store-bought desserts- and Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s Club and other warehouse stores often have great pre-prepared food for parties at reasonable prices- don’t kill yourself preparing a veggie tray you could buy for $6.99 and not do all the work besides!)

No one is standing in line to hand out medals for holiday martyrs, so do yourself and your family a favor. Do a little planning now, break down bigger tasks into smaller chunks, be willing to say no, and ask for help. Everyone will have happier holidays for it.

Do you have any great holiday stress reducing tips? Share them here!

[tags]parenting, holiday prep, holiday stress, avoiding holiday stress, ADD, ADHD, Judith Kohlberg, Kathleen Nadeau, ADD-friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, LD Podcast,Whitney Hoffman[/tags]

Photo courtesy of Morgy via flickr, used under a Creative Commons License.