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Plan to Manage Holiday Stress
By ADD Coach Jennifer Koretsky

Everyone finds themselves stressed out during the holiday season.
But for adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), November
through January can feel like a whirlwind of tasks and
responsibilities. Lack of time management will result in undue
pressure and overwhelm for the ADD adult.

One way to take the stress out of the holidays is to plan for them.
These simple steps can help the ADD adult manage their time and tasks
during the holiday season, thereby relieving unnecessary stress.

Create one hour this week to plan your holiday preparation schedule,
and follow these steps:

Step 1 - Make a List of all the Things You Need to Do to Prepare for
the Holiday
This probably includes gift shopping, writing and mailing holiday
cards, decorating your home, planning your travel, etc. After you
have made this list, put a star next to each of the items that you
don't like to do. (Maybe you get bored writing out the holiday
cards, or maybe you detest shopping.)

Step 2 - Use a Calendar or Planner
Use something that gives you ample space to write for each day. This
could be a wall calendar, a daily planner, or planning software.
Begin by writing in all your holiday appointments, such as parties
and scheduled shopping trips. Next, write in all the other
activities that you have going on during the month, like meetings and
appointments. When you're done, you should have a good idea of where
your free time is.

Now, take a look at the items on your holiday to-do list that are not
marked with a star, and schedule them in. Do you have a free evening
next week in which you can write out your cards? Schedule it on your
calendar! Do you have a free Saturday to get your shopping done?
Schedule it on your calendar!

Step 3 - Make the Dreaded Tasks Easier
Take a look at all those tasks you marked with a star. These are the
tasks that you hate to do for one reason or another. Take a moment
to look at each one, and figure out how to make that task a little
easier or more bearable. If you hate writing cards because it's a
tedious and boring task, you can make it easier on yourself by
inviting a friend over to chat, catch up, and write out cards with
you. Hate decorating? Perhaps you can buy a new CD you've been
wanting and allow yourself to crank it up while you put up the
holiday decorations.

Investing just a small amount of time in planning can save you from
undue stress and overwhelm during this holiday season.

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© Copyright 2004 Jennifer Koretsky is an ADD Management Coach who
helps adults learn how to manage their ADD and move forward in life.
She offers individual and group coaching, workshops, and skill-
building programs. Her work has been featured in various media,
including The New York Times Magazine. Subscribe to Jennifer's
free email newsletter, The ADD Management Guide, by visiting
http://www.ADDmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm