Thriving With ADHD
Practical, every day tactics to live better whether you have ADHD or not. People with ADHD and other behavioral health conditions often face stigma, prejudices, and discrimination. Join Animo Sano Psychiatry team, specialists in adult ADHD, as we discuss it with our team members and other healthcare professionals. This is an opportunity to learn about ADHD and other behavioral health conditions, how they present, how they impact individuals and their families, and strategies to manage them. If you are an adult with ADHD, or you have a loved one who is living with ADHD, this podcast is for you.
This podcast is brought to you by Animo Sano Psychiatry. We provide accessible, high-quality mental health care. If you’re looking for support or have questions about our services, you can find us online or reach out to us directly at animosanopsychiatry.com. We’re here to help.
Thriving With ADHD
Managing Holiday Stress with ADHD
Host: Nada Pupovac | Guest: Dr. Ronald Lee, MD (Luminous Vitality Behavioral Health)
The holidays can feel like a perfect storm for adults with ADHD. Routines get disrupted, sensory and social demands ramp up, and executive function takes a hit. In this episode of Thriving with ADHD, Nada Pupovac sits down with board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Ronald Lee to unpack why the season is especially tricky and, more importantly, what you can do about it.
Dr. Lee explains how disrupted sleep, cluttered schedules, travel, family dynamics, and sensory overload amplify ADHD symptoms and emotional reactivity. Then he offers clear, practical tools you can use right away: visual calendars and chunked task lists, scheduled “anchor” routines (sleep, meds, movement), short breaks and recharge rituals, simple scripts for setting boundaries, travel tips for medication, and the power of lowering perfectionism to make room for joy.
If the holidays leave you tired, scattered, or people-pleasing, this episode brings compassionate, actionable advice so you can protect your energy, stay present, and actually enjoy meaningful moments.
Thank you for listening to Thriving with ADHD. This show is produced by Animo Sano Psychiatry. For more information about our clinic, please visit animosanopsychiatry.com.
Animo Sano Psychiatry has introduced new services for enhancement of our patients' mental health - ASP Concierge and Health & Wellness Program. Please visit our website to learn more.
Animo Sano Psychiatry is constantly looking for the talent in behavioral health. If you are a psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or mental health therapist, we'd love to hear from you. Visit our Careers pages to learn more about the available positions. https://animosanopsychiatry.com/careers/
You can try to please everybody and set yourself up for failure, or you can set realistic goals for yourself—including boundaries and breaking things down, like we talked about earlier—and keep both yourself and your relationships as healthy and stable as possible as a result.
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Welcome to Thriving With ADHD, a podcast where we share everyday practical tips to thrive in life as an adult with ADHD.
This podcast is brought to you by Animo Sano Psychiatry, a behavioral health practice with a specialist ADHD clinic based in North Carolina.
And this is your host, Nada Pupovac.
Welcome, dear ADHD community. This month, we have a timely topic: Managing Holiday Stress with ADHD.
Our guest is Dr. Ronald Lee, a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Luminous Vitality Behavioral Health. As a virtual psychiatrist in Massachusetts, Dr. Lee provides comprehensive anxiety and depression treatment to adults across Boston and the wider Massachusetts area.
Welcome to Thriving with ADHD, Ronald. We're very happy to have you here. It’s December, and holidays can be challenging for everyone, but especially for people with ADHD who are dealing with emotions, relationships, difficult conversations, and unpredictable situations.
I hope that by the end of this episode, our listeners will feel more prepared for the festive season.
Welcome once again—we’re so happy to have you.
Dr. Lee: Thank you very much for having me. The feeling is mutual.
Why Holidays Are Especially Challenging for Adults With ADHD
Nada: Let’s start with the first question. What are some of the main reasons the holiday season can be particularly challenging for individuals with ADHD, and how do those challenges typically show up?
Dr. Lee:
I’ll start by saying: everything I’m about to share applies to everyone—but for people with ADHD, the intensity of these challenges is often turned way up.
Holidays are essentially a perfect storm of factors that can make things difficult. The structure that usually helps people with ADHD—regular sleep, work routines, planned days—often gets thrown out the window during the holiday season.
So while the supply of structure goes down, the demands go up:
- extra planning
- travel
- financial decisions
- complicated family dynamics
- sensory overload from crowds, noise, bright lights
- kids being home from school
It’s a lot of social and sensory stimulation at once. Many people—especially those with ADHD—may feel more scattered, emotionally dysregulated, or exhausted. And that’s not a character flaw. It’s the environment cranking up the difficulty level on an already demanding neurotype.
Practical Strategies to Stay Organized During Holiday Chaos
Nada: With all this overwhelm, what practical strategies or tools can people with ADHD use to stay organized during the chaos?
Dr. Lee:
There are several things that can help:
1. Don’t keep the holidays “in your head.”
Use a simple visual system—like a wall calendar or digital calendar. I personally use a shared Google Calendar with my family so everyone stays aligned.
2. Break tasks into digestible chunks.
Instead of “Tuesday: buy gifts,” try:
- Tuesday: make the gift list
- Order 3 gifts Tuesday
- Order 3 more Wednesday
- Order 3 more Thursday
This prevents paralysis by analysis, where overwhelm leads to inaction.
3. Schedule downtime.
Put 30–60 minute relaxation blocks into your calendar. ADHD brains burn out easily after hyperfocusing for hours. Intentionally recharging reduces overwhelm.
4. Take shortcuts.
You don’t need to cook everything from scratch. Buy the cake. Choose potlucks. Perfectionism sets people up for failure—75% of “perfect” is still good.
What to Do During Those Breaks?
Nada: What would you recommend people do during those 30–60 minute breaks?
Dr. Lee:
Anything that genuinely relaxes you—except scrolling your phone, which rarely ends well.
Better options include:
- taking a short walk
- doing a light chore you don’t mind
- listening to music
- stretching
- sitting quietly with tea
The goal is twofold:
- Get your mind off the task.
- Lower your stress.
Boundaries, Family Dynamics & Communication
Nada: Holidays bring expectations, family dynamics, and social pressure. How can someone with ADHD set healthy boundaries and communicate their needs without feeling guilty or isolated?
Dr. Lee:
Boundaries protect your energy so you can be present when it matters. A few strategies:
1. Decide your limits before responding to invitations.
How many events can you handle in one week? How long can you realistically stay?
2. Create short scripts.
“I’d love to, but I can’t commit to that this year.”
“I may need to leave a bit early, but I’m glad to come.”
“If you see me step outside, I’m just recharging.”
3. Expect some guilt—but don't let it steer your decisions.
Many adults with ADHD are people pleasers. Guilt is normal, but it doesn’t mean you’re wrong.
4. Remember the classic saying:
Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.
Healthy relationships allow room for your boundaries.
Handling Emotional Triggers & Rejection Sensitivity
Nada: Family gatherings can trigger rejection sensitivity and emotional dysregulation. What advice do you have for navigating those moments?
Dr. Lee:
Again: know who matters. No one has a perfect family. There will always be certain relatives who trigger old patterns, jokes, or criticisms.
A few tactics that help:
1. Anticipate triggers.
If you know who is likely to push your buttons, prepare a script or exit plan.
2. Notice physical cues.
Feeling your jaw tense? Heart racing? That’s your body telling you it’s time to step out.
3. Step outside early—don’t wait for meltdown territory.
A few minutes of air can prevent a full emotional spiral.
4. If you slip up, own it.
“It’s been a stressful day and I was overwhelmed. I’m sorry I snapped.”
None of us are perfect. Give yourself grace.
Maintaining Routines: Sleep, Exercise & Medication
Nada: With travel and disrupted schedules, what advice do you have for maintaining stability—sleep, movement, medication—during the holidays?
Dr. Lee:
Holidays will disrupt routines, so start by tempering expectations. Instead of perfection, think in terms of anchors.
Choose 2–3 non-negotiables, such as:
- consistent sleep
- medication at the same time
- some form of movement (even light walking)
If you stay anchored with those, everything else becomes easier.
A few other tips:
- Set alarms for medication times.
- Pack meds in your carry-on, not your checked suitcase.
- Bring a few extra days’ worth “just in case.”
Anchors keep your nervous system steady even in a chaotic season.
