Top 5 Ways for an ADD Adult to Have a Happy HolidayWritten by By ADD Management Coach Jennifer Koretsky
Holidays have potential to send an adult with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) into overload. Too many details to plan, kids to manage, and family to cope with can turn a good day into a stressful one. The following suggestion can help adults manage ADD during holidays. 1. Know Your Own ADD and Plan Ahead to Deal with It You know yourself better than anyone, so ask yourself "How does my ADD affect me on holidays?" Make a list of all things that tend to stress you out on holidays, and make a plan to deal with them. Do you tend to say impulsive things that you later regret? Plan to take a deep breath before answering questions, so that you can think about your words before you speak them. Do hyper kids overwhelm? Plan to excuse yourself and take a brief walk when kids are so noisy that you can't think straight. Does a family member really make you mad when s/he starts nagging or becomes critical? Plan a simple response that won't fuel fire, like "I'm sorry you feel that way. I'd rather talk about a great book I'm reading right now." Do you get antsy after a long day? Plan to end day early, so that you don't reach point of irritability. 2. Don't Expect Perfection Accept that day won't be perfect. Nothing is! Whether you are hosting holiday, going to a friend or family member's, or visiting a restaurant, realize that something is bound to go wrong. That's life. Don't hold it against yourself, or people around you. Whatever it is, do your best to move on and let it go.
| | Not One Ounce -- Candy at your houseWritten by Will Clower, Ph.D.
Here come candy canes. In our house, Santa always hung Hershey’s Kisses on tree. Red and Green M&Ms cohabitate with micro-Reese’s peanut butter cups in candy dish. The holiday season is an excuse for saturating your house with sugar in all its forms. And you want to be festive. You don’t want to be a Scrooge about things. But you also know that if it makes it in door, you will eat it. The Short Term Problem Sugar not only provides needless calories for your expanding horizons, but also destabilizes your insulin levels – a result that can lead to overweight, obesity, and even diabetes. Remember that sugar is not problem. Overconsumption of sugar is problem. There is nothing wrong with sugar per se, only when you eat it as a jelly doughnut chased with a soda and a candy cane! The Long Term Problem Sugar consumption leads to more sugar consumption. Anyone with a weight problem will recognize slippery slope this can become – more you eat, more you want to eat. This is so deadly for your weight, leading straight into a spiral that circles weight gain drain.
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