ADD does not go away during the holidays, and the holiday season can make ADD and ADHD people feel more overwhelmed than other times of the year. The hustle and bustle of shopping, parties, family gatherings, work, and school can simply overwhelm someone who has ADD. Here are some ideas to try to reduce over stimulation of our senses.

Choose carefully what you and your family is involved in over the holiday season. One does not have to attend or accept every invitation that comes along. Life is short, decide who or what is important and then graciously decline those invites you do not feel will do anything but cause additional stress and disorder in life.

Keep it simple and low key when possible. Most people with ADD are sensitive to lights, sounds, textures. A busy, crowded shopping center may soon cause sensory overload, leading to irritability, and decreasing one’s ability to focus on finding what he or she came for in the first place.

My first husband could remember three items when shopping or running errands, after three items he needed to write it down or he would come home with everything but what he went out to find. Lists can help one focus on the task. If feeling overwhelmed, remember to take care of your needs first, everything else can wait.

Often we place the most outrageous demands on ourselves. We push ourselves to the brink of exhaustion, determined to make this the best…birthday, holiday, party…yet. When in reality we end up tired, irritable, and unable to enjoy what we worked so hard to achieve in the first place.

Life is short, too short, not to enjoy being with our loved ones. I encourage each of us to reconsider our expectations and be very selective and even selfish if needed. Put your well-being and happiness above competing with the Joneses attitude, and start enjoying every day. Do not apologize or make excuses for choosing whether you want to stay home and watch a movie with the kids, versus attending a crowded impersonal holiday gathering with those who mean little to you.

Being selective about who and where we wish to spend our time and energy is not being selfish, it is being realistic in our expectations and saying I do not need to rush, rush, rush around to make people feel good, when I can slow down and enjoy life with those who mean the most to me.