There are less than three weeks left to Christmas and if you are like me you have either not started your shopping yet or have just bought a few things. Every year I have the good intentions to have everything done early so I can relax and enjoy the season. Every year my good intentions turn into the last minute grab and dash. Why is that?

Well for starters I am one of those people who have NO concept of time. There is always plenty of time until there isn’t enough. There is no in-between for me. I write down the things I need to do and it all seems like one big massive list. I have difficulty breaking it down into manageable parts. Then once it is broken into parts I still have to estimate how long something will take. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

So every year I try to ‘make the lists’ blah blah blah and then I just kick into hyperfocus and ‘get it done’. I am really dreading the idea of getting out to the malls and supermarkets because they have a tendency to push me into overwhelm. All the noise, choices, people and chaos are too much, especially during this time of year when more people are out doing their shopping.

I have started doing my shopping online this week and have actually made a list of all the people to shop for and I am browsing online without all the people and noise. I still have to make a lot of choices but I can do so at my leisure and even take a break during the middle and come back a little more refreshed vs. the ‘anything to get out of here’ feeling that causes me to either buy the wrong things or not buy something just to escape the overwhelm feeling.

I have already put up my Christmas tree and a few lights outside, although not like my children would like. They wanted me to decorate the house all up and really ‘go all out’ but being a single mom with ADD and 3 potential ADD daughters it just is not going to happen THIS YEAR. I keep hoping some year to do the lights on the roof like the rest of the insane people on my block but it won’t be this year. It is pretty and I love looking at them but it just isn’t worth the stress it would cause ME to do it for my own house.

I have gifts and decorations in the works so now all I have to deal with is the Christmas meal and New Years. Christmas meal is thankfully NOT my job – my family has known for quite a while not to leave that part up to me. I can cook very well but I am not good with timing as I told you. I have trouble with big complicated meals with several dishes needing to be coordinated so they are done at approximately the same time. I have YET to figure that out in spite of trying several times. I have decided to focus on what I’m good at and leave the planning and timing to my mom who is FABULOUS at that part.

I will focus on my two dishes and leave well enough alone. I feel sorry for those of you with ADHD who are trying to do the whole meal and everything else that needs to be done to prepare for Christmas. That leaves New Years and I will wait until next week to even start thinking about that! I feel so much better already. So how are you doing? Write me in the forums or send me an email and tell me your tips and stories about how you survive the holidays? What works and what does not work for you? What funny story do you have to tell? I’d love to post some of your stories if I can. I will keep them anonymous of course!

Have a GREAT Christmas and a happy new year!!!!