ADHD in the summer holidays
It's summer in Aotearoa with ocean swims and barbecues and Pohutukawa blooms. But rather than relaxing, family gatherings are fast approaching, the to-do-list feels endless and public spaces are crowed. Too crowed.
We know the holiday season can be challenging.
What if, instead of pushing through, we get strategic, set clear limits, and give ourselves some much needed grace.
Defence against sensory overload
Here’s a few things to try:
Plan your exit: Know your limits and plan before you walk in the door. Tell the host when you need to leave e.g., we can only stay until 9pm. If you overload during the gathering: take 5 in a quiet spot like the bathroom, the backyard, or in your car.
Protect your peace: If you know noise overwhelms you, be kind to your senses and invest in noise-cancelling headphones or discreet earplugs. Use them in busy shops or during events.
Befriend future you: Pre-prepare as much as possible. Lay out outfits, pack your gym bag, and put your keys and wallet in the exact same spot the night before. That little bit of planning can reduce decision fatigue tomorrow.
Lower the stakes
After working so hard all year, it's easy to crash out. Right when we finally get a break, our immune system decides to catch a cold. Or the inner critic gets loud, pushing us toward all-or-nothing thinking e.g., If I can’t do it perfectly, I won’t do it at all.
The gift of a "not-to-do" list: Write down things you are not doing this month. I will not try to cook every single dish from scratch. I will not organise the sheet cupboard. I will not respond to texts unless they are urgent. This is about making space and protecting your time.
Schedule genuine downtime. Your brain needs to recover from the pressure. Give yourself permission to be a potato without guilt. Watch that movie, watch another one after that. Eat the snacks. Rest doesn’t need to look like anything, make time for whatever works.
Boundaries and emotional health
It is incredibly easy to prioritise the needs of others and completely ignore your own. Let’s focus on building strong internal boundaries.
Say no to the people-pleaser: Before saying yes to something, take a moment to check in with yourself. If someone invites you to something that sounds cool but could possibly be draining, say to them “I’m going to take a little time to think about that, and I’ll let you know soon”. This way, you can give yourself time to think about if it’s something you actually want to do. If it’s not, just say no. It's okay to send a simple, no-excuses reply: "That sounds lovely, but I can't make it." No justification needed. Now...just practice “I’m going to take some time to think about that”.
Connect purposefully: Prioritise spending time with the people who replenish your energy.
HALT check: When emotions run high or low, quickly check in with yourself. Are you Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired? Sometimes all you need is water, a snack or a moment of space, not a complicated emotional conversation.
But hey, if you do need to talk, we have coaches and counsellors that are here for you.
