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Managing the Holiday Juggling Act As the year draws to a close, the holidays can feel like a serious juggling act for adults with ADHD. When you combine year-end tasks at work, parties to attend, parties to plan, shopping and potentially multiple holidays, it can be downright overwhelming. The good news is that you can implement practical strategies to help manage the holiday juggling act. Setting Boundaries Think about juggling. A juggler sets boundaries; if she doesn't, she loses control. Too many balls and she cannot catch them all, juggle something dangerous and she could hurt herself, throw things too high and the items start dropping, juggle too long and her arms get tired. The holidays are like this too. Set boundaries and you can successfully manage the holidays. Without boundaries, chaos results.
Time Boundaries Without time boundaries, you risk impulsively saying yes when asked to attend an event or take on a family responsibility. Ask yourself some key questions and record your answers in a notebook or your favorite electronic device. How much time are you able to spend at holiday parties this year? What days are already booked with must-do family and work gatherings? How many events (if any) are you willing to host this year? It's not enough to ask yourself these questions. You also need to remember your answers! Consider posting them on your computer, refrigerator, bathroom mirror or other prominent location where you are likely to see them. Remembering your answers to these time boundary questions can prepare you for the requests sure to come your way. If you have a hard time remembering your boundaries, practice saying, "Let me check my calendar and get back with you" instead of giving an answer right away. By rehearsing and using this statement you give yourself a better chance of honoring your boundaries. Financial Boundaries Good financial boundaries can prevent you from spending too much money, not having money set aside for necessities and having a huge credit card bill in January. Boundaries are different than a budget. They help you be more mindful of the money you are spending. Consider these five boundaries to help you manage your finances this holiday season.
Implementing even one or two of these ideas can help you better juggle your holiday finances. Planning Ahead Planning ahead is always important, but especially so during the holidays. Without some type of plan, you are likely to drop some of the balls you are juggling. These recommendations can help get the juggling under control. Lists Grab a colorful notebook and make lists of the things that need to be done before and during the holidays. Start with a list of lists. You may need lists for groceries, party supplies, gifts to purchase (with room to indicate when they are purchased), cards to send and events you are attending. Make a commitment to review your lists three times each week so you can adjust your plan. Calendar Schedule your plans in your favorite calendar or agenda. This includes photography sessions, brunches, shopping trips, family dinners, celebrations with others and school holidays if you have kids. Thinking back to your time boundaries, be sure you check your calendar before you make any new commitments. Frazzle Free Christmas The planning wizards at Families With Purpose have created model plans for frazzle free holidays, all available at no cost. If you celebrate Christmas, you can go to their site and find your holiday planning done for you in 8, 6 or 4 week versions. They are designed to finish by December 18th to give you more time to relax with your family. Even if you celebrate holidays other than Christmas, I encourage you to review this resource and adapt it to your specific needs and plans. What will you do?
Make a commitment to yourself to implement at least one of the ideas here to help manage your holiday juggling act. Enjoy the holidays! Laura Rolands of MyAttentionCoach.com is an ADHD Coach who helps adults with ADHD/ADD pay attention, improve their time management skills and increase productivity. Register for Laura's free time management e-course here: Maximize your Time: Overcoming the Overwhelm, and connect with her on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/CoachforADHD. |
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