ADHD, Christmas, and Bedtime Routines! Oh My!
Bedtime battles are tricky enough for a child with ADHD, but the added excitement of Christmas can make bedtime even harder.
However, with a little preparation, you can create a peaceful — and Christmasy — bedtime routine for your child.
1. Exercise Is a Must
Exercise? As part of a bedtime routine? Believe it or not, exercise (or any physical activity) during the day helps you sleep better at night. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, exercise during the day helps you fall asleep faster — and sleep better.
However, make sure your exercise isn’t right before bed as that can actually keep your child more awake. The goal is to get exercise logged in the morning or early afternoon.
Here are some holiday-inspired ways to stay active during the day:
- Go for a walk outside and see if your child can spot any signs of reindeer or elves
- Head to an ice skating rink
- Go skiing or cross-country skiing
- Build a snowman (if you have snow where you live)
You can even have a dance party in your home. Blast the Christmas carol remixed and dance, dance, dance!
2. Stick with Your Normal Bedtime
Children with ADHD thrive with structure and routine, and bedtime is no exception. If your child’s bedtime is usually 8 p.m., then keep that bedtime on Christmas Eve too.
However, you can add a festive touch to his or her normal routine.
- Adding a holiday-scented bubble bath to his or her bath
- Playing classical Christmas tunes during the wind-down period
- Singing Christmas carols instead of lullabies
3. Reading Christmas Books at Bedtime
Is reading to your child part of his or her bedtime routine? Reading to your child improves their language skills, teaches empathy, improves their vocabulary, but — most importantly — it’s a cozy time to bond with your child.
On Christmas Eve, read holiday-themed books to your child to help him unwind and soak up the lessons and stories about Christmas? Whether you read The Nutcracker, The Night Before Christmas, or The Polar Express, reading Christmas stories is sure to be a favorite holiday tradition.
4. Skip the Cookies, But Keep the Milk
Does your child leave out a plate of delicious Christmas cookies for Santa? While Santa might love the cookies, a sugary cookie isn’t the ideal bedtime snack for a child. You don’t have to skip the milk though. In fact, a warm glass of milk might even help your child fall asleep!
According to research, milk promotes restful sleep because it’s rich in melatonin and tryptophan. These are two sleep-inducing amino acids. For a special Christmas treat, sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon on top of the milk. Just be sure to avoid cinnamon-sugar.
5. Avoid Blue Light
Blue lights — the kind of light that your phone, tablet, or TV emits — can interfere with sleep. That’s because blue lights stimulate your circadian rhythm and tell your body to wake up. Warm-colored lights, on the other hand, are ideal for creating a cozy, soothing atmosphere right before bed. You might even notice that your phone or tablet has a night mode, which changes your screen from blue light to a warm, orange color.
Avoid blue lights for 1-2 hours before bed. Cozy up around the fireplace and read some Christmas stories!
More Sleep Hygiene Tips
You can read more about sleep tips in these articles:
What is your favorite Christmas Eve bedtime tradition?
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5 Criteria for Positive Parenting with Dr. Jane Nelsen
Are you looking for new methods to teach your child self-discipline, problem-solving skills, and cooperation? Punishments and permissiveness aren’t the answer, but positive discipline can be the solution you’re looking for.
In this article, we’ll explore the five criteria for positive parenting as well as useful phrases to use in day-to-day parenting situations.
Positive Parenting Criteria
Positive discipline tools and strategies must:
- Be kind and firm
- Help a child establish a sense of belonging
- Work with the long-term in mind
- Promote valuable social skills and life skills
- Instill a sense of “I’m capable” in the child
Be Kind and Firm
“When you’re kind, you’re respectful to the child. When you’re being firm, it’s respectful to the needs the situation,” says Dr. Nelsen.
- Too kind (and not firm enough) = too permissive
- Too firm (and not kind enough) = too controlling
Positive discipline finds the balance between being too permissive and too controlling.
Helping Your Child Establish a Sense of Belonging
We all want to feel a sense of belonging and significance. If children don’t feel significant, they might look for this sense of significance in the wrong places: revenge, giving up, or undue attention through negative behaviors, etc.
Focusing on Long-Term Goals
Punishments may work in the short-term, but punishments may have a negative impact for the long-term. Studies show that physical punishments have negative long-term effects, including increased aggression, increased risk of depression, lower intellectual achievement, poor parent-child relationship, and increased negative self-talk.
On the other hand, positive discipline is associated with positive long-term goals, including stronger parent-child relationship, better academic achievement, decreased risk of depression, increased positive self-talk, and more positive social skills.
Promoting Valuable Skills
Positive discipline methods can teach self-soothing skills, problem-solving skills — all valuable skills that benefit your child for the years to come.
Instill a Sense of “I’m capable” in the child
When your child feels capable, it sets your child up for a successful and bright future. This helps to build a growth mindset. You can learn more about growth mindset in this article: “What Is a Growth Mindset?”
10 Positive Parenting Phrases to Use with Your Child
Positive discipline is parenting philosophy based on empathy, a good relationship between parent and child, and freedom within limits. Everything you do is based on cool confidence, responding (not reacting) to your child, establishing (and keeping) limits, and doing all of this in a positive, warm atmosphere.
Positive parenting isn’t punitive; your child is learning to be a human. It’s not you versus your child.
You’re on the same team.
Positive discipline can be applied to any situation in your home. If you’re new to positive discipline, here are 10 phrases to try when dealing with a variety of scenarios.
- “Please talk quietly.” (Note: instead of using a demanding phrase like “No shouting!”, this is a positive request to please do something (in this case, talking) in a specific way.)
- “I completely understand why you would feel frustrated. It sounds like you were hoping we could go get a tasty treat after your online class.”
- “I really want to give you my full attention, and I’ll be able to do that in about 10 minutes when I’m finished washing these dishes.”
- “How can I help you through this?”
- “Let’s take a deep breath.“
- “That was really scary (sad/disappointing/frustrating); it’s okay to cry.”
- “I get angry too, and that’s okay, but we need to remember to follow the safety rules.”
- “Would you like to try it on your own first?”
- “Can you please open your mouth?” (For instance, if you’re helping your child brush his/her teeth, note how kind this request is. Avoid “open your mouth now” as that isn’t very kind. If your child resists help and you must brush his/her teeth, you can continue to apply positive statements such as “I know you don’t enjoy this. I hear that you’re upset, but brushing your teeth is very important because…” )
- “We all make mistakes. What did you learn here?”
- “It’s okay to feel how you feel.” (You can learn more about emotional regulation here.)
- “What do you need to do before we’re ready to leave?”
- “I really like the way you handled that situation. It made a big difference.”
- “Can you try that again?”
What happens when your child resists? Resisting brushing teeth, getting dressed, or getting ready for school can be trouble spots for many parents. Preventive measures can go a long way in avoiding a potential headache. Schedules, routines, and lots of heads up can help your child cooperate. If your child still isn’t thrilled about X, Y, Z, remember to demonstrate empathy. Kids want to know their feelings are validated.
For example, you might say, “I see that you really don’t want to attend school today. I’m going to go finish making your lunch, then we can get set up for school together.” Sometimes, hearing that their emotions are heard and validated is all it takes.
Positive Discipline & ADHD
At Next Step 4 ADHD, we have board-certified physicians and doctorate-level psychologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating ADHD. Not only do we treat children with ADHD, but we also support parents on this journey too. Whether you need parent coaching or additional resources, we can guide you with your next steps.
Call us at 502-907-5908 or use this form to book an appointment with one of our specialized physicians or therapists.
If you don’t get help from us, seek help from someone with significant experience and expertise in treating ADHD.
Learn More
Planning for Christmas with ADHD? Tips for Success
Organizing and planning can be challenging tasks for adults with ADHD — and those are two skills necessary to plan for Christmas.
Thankfully, executive function skills — which include planning and organization — are teachable skills. And that means holiday planning (including getting presents ready and planning a meal) is within your reach.
Here’s what you need to know:
First Things First: Make a Plan!
Organizing your thoughts and goals for the Christmas Day is important, but planning for Christmas includes more than just Christmas dinner. You’ll likely need to coordinate gift buying, wrapping, organizing schedules, and more. To organize holiday events, you might benefit from using a paper planner or notebook to get organized. You can keep lists for various tasks including:
- Gifts (who to buy for, what to buy, etc.)
- Upcoming holiday events (events for your child’s school, etc.)
- Family holiday activities (such as driving around town looking at lights, etc.)
When it comes to planning Christmas dinner with ADHD, use a journal to plan your menu. Be sure to plan for all components of your meal, including:
- The main dish
- Vegetables
- Starches
- Side dishes
- Appetizers
- Bread or rolls
- Desserts
- Beverages
Creating this master menu is step one in managing your time on Christmas Day. For example, you might choose to make some of these items the day before Christmas.
Need inspiration? Here’s a list of 100+ tasty Christmas dinner ideas.
Prepare for Your Grocery Trip
Planning for a big event like Christmas dinner can seem daunting especially when your ADHD symptoms ― poor time management, inattention, difficulty organizing —start infiltrating your grocery shopping trip. Another ADHD symptom ― impulsivity ― makes grocery trips particularly difficult.
The best way to combat these challenges is to prepare for your grocery trip. Trying to plan a meal for a large party is difficult without planning, whether you have ADHD or not.
Before you even head to the store, you’ll need:
- A grocery list (including any items you need for the party e.g., paper plates, candles, décor)
- A designated time to shop (trying to squeeze in a large shopping trip isn’t ideal… allot plenty of unrushed time to shop)
- A full belly (shopping on an empty stomach increases your risk of impulsive buys and deviations from your list)
Tips for Making Your Grocery List
- Always write your list down, either on paper or in a digital grocery app. This will help eliminate forgotten items.
- Include quantities of items e.g. two cans of pumpkin puree or one 32-ounce can
- Be specific e.g. bread flour versus cake flour
- List out ingredients for a recipe e.g., instead of writing “pumpkin pie stuff” write two cans of pumpkin puree, eggs, two boxes of pie crust mix, 1-ounce jar of pumpkin spice mix, 1 pint of heavy whipping cream… and so on
Use Your Calendar
There’s a lot going on in the days leading up to Christmas Day, and a calendar can you keep track of everything you need to do.
If time management is especially difficult for you, a calendar is even more so important.
You might use your calendar to create a schedule for:
- Setting out the turkey — some turkeys need days to thaw. You can check here.
- Setting the table
- Preparing any side dishes prior to Christmas Day
- When to start baking
- When to put beverages in the fridge
- When to start cleaning for guests (you might start your cleaning days before Christmas Day and focus more on baking closer to the big day)
- When to wrap presents (tip: doing it days before Christmas can help prevent a stressed, late-night scramble on Christmas Eve)
A well-organized calendar can help prevent last minutes scrambling.
Delegate Tasks
Just because you’re hosting Christmas dinner, doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Delegating tasks, even small ones, can help the day run smoother.
Ideas include:
- Giving small (but well-defined) tasks to your children
- Be specific: instead of asking for “help” ask for specific help e.g., “sweep the dining room” or “write names on the place settings”
- Ask for friends or family members to bring a side dish (but write this on your menu so you can keep track!)
Delegating doesn’t just mean friends or family helping you. You might delegate or receive help in other ways too. This might include hiring a cleaning service to clean your house the day before Christmas Day, or you might order pies from a local bakery. Note that these all require pre-planning so if you think you’ll outsource help, start the preparations well in advance.
Don’t Overestimate the Power of Simple
If you feel overwhelmed, try to focus on simple things. If the thought of roasting a whole turkey overwhelms you, try a turkey breast instead. If the idea of juggling oven time between pies and rolls is too much, go for simple. Order rolls from a bakery to free up some space.
At the end of the day, Christmas is about coming together as a family and celebrating the holiday. Love, joy, and things we are thankful for in life play a big role on this day — and a simple meal can be part of that.
Tools to Help You Plan
Here are a few suggestions to make planning for Christmas even easier:
- Online or paper calendar
- Online or paper grocery list
- Online grocery delivery services (Some grocery stores offer delivery, but you can use other apps like Instacart too.)
- The number to the Turkey Hotline! If you have a cooking problem, the Butterball Turkey Hotline can help! (And even if you’re not making turkey, there are other “cooking hotlines” available. King Arthur also has a baker’s hotline.)
Enjoy the Day!
No matter how the day unfolds, remember to cherish the memories and celebrate those you love! If something goes wrong, or an ingredient goes missing, take a deep breath, center yourself, and carry on.
Need Extra Help with Planning and Organization?
Christmas isn’t the only time ADHD can impact planning. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed with planning and organizing tasks, we can help. Here at Next Step 4 ADHD, we provide comprehensive, multimodal support, including:
- One-to-one ADHD coaching
- Medication management
- Therapy
- Online courses, including our FREE self-care course which focuses on nutrition
- Group courses, including Planning & Organizing Group Program
To make an appointment or to learn more, call us at 502-907-5908. You can also request an appointment here.
Learn More
Is My Child Too Young for ADHD Treatment?
If your child has debilitating inattention or hyperactivity, you might wonder if your child has ADHD. This leads to another question: “Is my child too young for ADHD treatment?”
No matter how old your child is, when symptoms of ADHD appear, treatment with either therapy or medication should be considered if a child is experiencing impairment, or lack of success, in either the home or the school environment. The goal of ADHD treatment is to help children be successful at both home and school — and prevent significant negative outcomes that often occur when ADHD is left untreated.
In this article, we’ll answer your questions including:
- Does your child demonstrate ADHD symptoms?
- What age is ADHD treated?
- Are there consequences of delaying treatment?
What Age Can a Child Be Diagnosed with ADHD?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children aged 4-18 can be diagnosed with ADHD. Earlier guidelines stipulated that only children 6+ could be diagnosed, but newer guidelines now include preschoolers. You can read more about the AAP’s guidelines here.
Behavior therapy is the first type of treatment the AAP recommends for 4-year-olds. Other lifestyle modifications for younger children may include:
- Eating a nutrient-dense meals
- Getting regular exercise
- Establishing and keeping a bedtime routine
- Establishing routines and schedules throughout the day
Does Your Child Have Symptoms of ADHD?
Younger children, especially preschoolers, tend to be more hyper. They also have shorter attention spans in general. However, if hyperactivity and inattention are preventing your child from thriving, it’s worth considering an ADHD evaluation.
Many children with ADHD start to demonstrate more symptoms during elementary school when sitting for prolonged periods makes things like inattention and fidgeting more noticeable.
Is your child living with ADHD? Take this quiz to learn more:
This quiz does not constitute medical advice or a diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through a clinical evaluation. Regardless of the questionnaire results, if you have concerns about diagnosis and treatment of Childhood ADHD, please discuss your concerns with your physician.
What Are the Consequences of Delaying ADHD Treatment?
Many people think ADHD is a condition that simply causes school children to have trouble paying attention or have difficulty staying in their classroom seats. But in reality, ADHD impacts every aspect of an ADHD child’s lives all the way into adulthood. Failure to assist children with developing skills to help them cope with ADHD can have a profoundly negative impact on their lives well beyond school.
Unfortunately, ADHD does not just impact children. When ADHD is left untreated many children grow into adults who still struggle to plan effectively, make impulsive decisions, fail to consider the consequences of their decisions, are more prone to accidental injury including motor vehicle accidents, and often fail to follow through on projects and reach goals.
Research has repeatedly demonstrated that after living with untreated ADHD, adolescents and adults are more likely to both abuse and become addicted to alcohol and drugs, more likely to have early (and often unprotected) sex, and more likely to be expelled from school. People with ADHD often struggle become productive members of society, often find it difficult to keep a job, stay married, parent consistently and some have difficulty staying out of jail.
Children with ADHD have many unsung strengths that are often unable to fully develop without treatment that helps them develop routines, adaptive skills, motivation and problem-solving skills. Their creativity, ingenuity and intellect is often stifled by the demands of today’s school system and lack of adequate one-on-one attention. With proper treatment, these children can reach their potential and become successful in any career they desire, from financial consultant to engineer to corporate executive.
We know that ADHD as well other psychiatric conditions are treated more easily in childhood. Through specialized treatment, children with ADHD can begin to develop life skills, learn to control their impulsive behavior, experience improved relationships with their peers, parents and siblings, and can become much more successful in life overall.
Many parents are very hopeful that no matter what experiences and issues children have that they will still be able to grow into successful adults and grow out of their behavior or ADHD “problems”. Many kids are able to have some degree of success without treatment and thankfully many kids are resilient enough, bright enough or just plain lucky enough to be able to avoid the more extreme negative consequences of inadequate treatment. But children can be much more successful how more successful if they are given tools at a very young age to be able to learn to harness the amazing potential within the ADHD brain.
Resources for Parents
The first step in any treatment program is education — learning as much as you can about ADHD. Below, we’ve curated a list of articles and courses to help you learn more about ADHD as well as strategies for helping your child thrive.
Other Articles
- 5 Signs ADHD Is Impacting Your Child’s School
- 5 Art-Based Activities to Keep Hyperactive Kids Busy
- 7 Tips for Creating a Homework Station for Your Child with ADHD + Printable Homeschool Schedules
- Top 5 Calming Apps for Children (And What to Use as an Alternative)
- Five Ways to Improve Emotional Regulation
- 8 Tips to Help Your Child with ADHD Thrive with E-Learning
- 9 Parenting Tips to Survive and Maybe Even Enjoy Social Isolation With Your Children
- What Is Growth Mindset?
Courses
- [free] ADHD 101: Video Series for Parents
- Childhood ADHD e-Course: What Every Parent Needs To Know
- [free] 10 Strengths of ADHD
Take Your Next Steps
At Next Step 4 ADHD, we have board-certified physicians and doctorate-level psychologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating ADHD.
Call us at 502-907-5908 or use this form to book an appointment with one of our specialized physicians or therapists.
If you don’t get help from us, seek help from someone with significant experience and expertise in treating ADHD.
But children can be much more successful if they are given tools at a very young age to be able to learn to harness the amazing potential within the ADHD brain.
20 Classical Tunes to Improve Focus
Many children and teens listen to “study music” when they work on homework or cram for a test. The music isn’t just background noise — it can even improve your child’s focus.
According to the experts at Johns Hopkins, music can reduce anxiety and lower your blood pressure. It can also stimulate and strengthen areas of the brain that tend to be weaker in those with ADHD. When it comes to music as a study aid, it can support the auditory, motor, and visual/spatial cortices of the brain. These cortices are areas of the brain linked to speech and language skills, math and reading comprehension, problem-solving, attention, and focus.
ADHD & Music: 20 Songs to Learn By
Not all music improves focus the same way however. According to a Bulgarian psychiatrist, Dr. Georgi Lozanov, children and adults concentrate and focus better with the following classical songs. Twenty minutes of listening is all it takes, according to Dr. Lozanov, for the electromagnetic frequency of the brain to shift into study mode, which is better suited for learning.
Johann Sebastian Bach
1. Brandenburg Concertos
2. Fantasia for Organ in G Major
3. Fantasia in C Minor
4. Prelude and Fugue in G Major
Ludwig van Beethoven
5. “Emperor” Concerto for Piano, No. 5
Antonio Vivaldi
6. The Four Seasons
Johannes Brahms
7. Concerto for Violin, D Major, Op. 77
Arcangelo Corelli
8. Concerto Grossi, Op. 2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12
George Frideric Handel
9. Water Music
Concerto for Organ in B Flat Major, Op. 6, 7
Joseph Haydn
10. Concerto No. 1 for Violin
11. Concerto No. 2 for Violin
12. Symphony No. 101 (The Clock)
13. Symphony No. 94 in G Major
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
14. Concerto for Violin No. 5 in A Major
15. Symphony No. 29 in A Major
16. Symphony No. 40 in G Minor
17. Symphony No. 35 in D Major
18. A Little Night Music
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
19. Concerto for Violin, Op. 35
20. Concerto for Piano, No. 1
Still Need Help Focusing?
Even with the best music, you might still need help focusing — and that’s okay. That’s also where we come in. Our multidisciplinary team is skilled in diagnosing and treating ADHD in children, teens, and adults. So whether you’re struggling to focus on homework or work in the office, we can help.
To make an appointment or to learn more, call us at 502-907-5908. You can also request an appointment here.
Learn More
Planning Thanksgiving Dinner with ADHD? Tips for Success
Organizing and planning can be challenging tasks for adults with ADHD — and those are two skills necessary for planning a Thanksgiving dinner.
Thankfully, executive function skills — which include planning and organization — are teachable skills. And that means planning a successful Thanksgiving dinner is within your reach.
Here’s what you need to know:
Plan Your Menu in Advance
First things first: plan your menu!
Organizing your thoughts and goals for the day is important. You might benefit from using a journal to plan your menu. Be sure to plan for all components of your meal, including:
- The main dish (it’s okay if turkey isn’t your thing)
- Vegetables
- Starches, including mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Side dishes, including cranberries or other sauces
- Appetizers
- Bread or rolls
- Desserts
- Beverages
Creating this master menu is step one in managing your time on Turkey Day. For example, you might choose to make some of these items the day before Thanksgiving Day. You might need to take out your turkey from the freezer. We’ll get to time management tips later in this article, but for now, know that your menu is the first step to a successful event.
Need inspiration? Here’s a list of 50 tasty Thanksgiving recipes.
Prepare for Your Grocery Trip
Planning for a big event like Thanksgiving can seem daunting especially when your ADHD symptoms ― poor time management, inattention, difficulty organizing —start infiltrating your grocery shopping trip. Another ADHD symptom ― impulsivity ― makes grocery trips particularly difficult.
The best way to combat these challenges is to prepare for your grocery trip. Trying to plan a meal for a large party is difficult without planning, whether you have ADHD or not.
Before you even head to the store, you’ll need:
- A grocery list (including any items you need for the party e.g., paper plates, candles, décor)
- A designated time to shop (trying to squeeze in a large shopping trip isn’t ideal… allot plenty of unrushed time to shop)
- A full belly (shopping on an empty stomach increases your risk of impulsive buys and deviations from your list)
Tips for Making Your Grocery List
- Always write your list down, either on paper or in a digital grocery app. This will help eliminate forgotten items.
- Include quantities of items e.g. two cans of pumpkin puree or one 32-ounce can
- Be specific e.g. bread flour versus cake flour
- List out ingredients for a recipe e.g., instead of writing “pumpkin pie stuff” write two cans of pumpkin puree, eggs, two boxes of pie crust mix, 1-ounce jar of pumpkin spice mix, 1 pint of heavy whipping cream… and so on
Use Your Calendar
There’s a lot going on in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, and a calendar can you keep track of everything you need to do.
If time management is especially difficult for you, a calendar is even more so important.
You might use your calendar to create a schedule for:
- Setting out the turkey — some turkeys need days to thaw. You can check here.
- Setting the table
- Preparing any side dishes prior to Thanksgiving
- When to start baking
- When to put beverages in the fridge
- When to start cleaning for guests (you might start your cleaning days before Turkey Day and focus more on baking closer to the big day)
A well-organized calendar can help prevent last minutes scrambling.
Delegate
Just because you’re hosting Thanksgiving, doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Delegating tasks, even small ones, can help the day run smoother.
Ideas include:
- Giving small (but well-defined) tasks to your children
- Be specific: instead of asking for “help” ask for specific help e.g., “sweep the dining room” or “write names on the place settings”
- Ask for friends or family members to bring a side dish (but write this on your menu so you can keep track!)
Delegating doesn’t just mean friends or family helping you. You might delegate or receive help in other ways too. This might include hiring a cleaning service to clean your house the day before Thanksgiving, or you might order pies from a local bakery. Note that these all require pre-planning so if you think you’ll outsource help, start the preparations well in advance.
Don’t Overestimate the Power of Simple
If you feel overwhelmed, try to focus on simple things. If the thought of roasting a whole turkey overwhelms you, try a turkey breast instead. If the idea of juggling oven time between pies and rolls is too much, go for simple. Order rolls from a bakery to free up some space.
At the end of the day, Thanksgiving is about coming together as a family and celebrating love, joy, and things we are thankful for in life — and a simple meal can be part of that.
Tools to Help You Plan
Here are a few suggestions to make planning Thanksgiving even easier:
- Online or paper calendar
- Online or paper grocery list
- Online grocery delivery services (Some grocery stores offer delivery, but you can use other apps like Instacart too.)
- The number to the Turkey Hotline! If you have a cooking problem, the Butterball Turkey Hotline can help!
Enjoy the Day!
No matter how the day unfolds, remember to cherish the memories and celebrate those you love! If something goes wrong, or an ingredient goes missing, take a deep breath, center yourself, and carry on.
Need Extra Help with Planning and Organization?
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed with planning and organizing tasks, we can help. Here at Next Step 4 ADHD, we provide comprehensive, multimodal support, including:
- One-to-one ADHD coaching
- Medication management
- Therapy
- Online courses, including our FREE self-care course which focuses on nutrition
- Group courses, including Planning & Organizing Group Program
To make an appointment or to learn more, call us at 502-907-5908. You can also request an appointment here.
Learn More
16 Positive Parenting Phrases to Empower Your Child
Children with ADHD often do not respond well to typical methods of discipline. Punishment, removal of privileges, and time-outs often worsen their problem behaviors. Children with ADHD need to feel capable and experience success before they will be motivated to do a task. Often they get so used to doing a task imperfectly and getting criticized, that they just stop being willing to do a task at all. Enter: Positive Parenting.
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6 Tips to Make Halloween More ADHD-Friendly
Halloween is an exciting holiday for children. Even with changes to the 2020 Halloween guidelines, kids look forward to the festivities, the fun, and of course, the candy. Halloween is also full of distractions and routine disruptions, which can be challenging for kids who struggle with ADHD. With a little planning, though, you can make Halloween both safe and fun for your child.
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Seasonal Affective Disorder and ADHD: 4 Tips to Fight Depression
Do shorter days and darker nights have you feeling a little blue? Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is common during the darker winter months, and unfortunately, SAD disproportionately affects individuals with ADHD.
If you’re experiencing any symptoms of SAD, we recommend that give us a call. Whether you’re struggling with SAD, depression, or ADHD, we can help you.
In the meantime, keep reading to explore what SAD is and how you can keep it at bay.
ADHD and SAD
Like depression, SAD is a mood disorder. It is associated with depression and related to seasonal changes in light. In countries where the sunlight hours are few (such as the Nordic countries), SAD impacts up to 20% of the population.
Even beyond the icy dark Nordic countries, SAD may disproportionately affect adults, teens, and children who have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Researchers estimate that 27% of the individuals with ADHD also struggle with SAD — that’s 7% more than those already living in darker climates.
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that is triggered by the change of seasons and the variations in hours of daylight each day.
Most people with SAD notice their symptoms begin in autumn and extend through the winter.
Symptoms of SAD (whether or not you have ADHD) include:
- Increased feelings of sadness
- Feeling depressed almost every day
- Loss of passion for your favorite activities
- Fatigue and low energy levels
- Difficulty sleeping
- Changes to your appetite
- Feeling agitated
- Trouble concentrating
- Experiencing feelings of hopelessness or guilt
- Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
Why Do Variations in Light Affect Your Mood?
Why do the changing seasons affect your mood? Here are three contributing factors:
- Your circadian rhythm: Decreasing sunlight may disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm. If your internal clock is impacted, it can lead to feelings of depression.
- Serotonin levels: Reduced sunlight can also cause a drop in serotonin, and this decrease in serotonin may trigger depression.
- Melatonin levels: The change in sunlight doesn’t just affect your serotonin levels. It can also impact your level of melatonin. Changes in melatonin can alter your sleep patterns and even your mood.
4 Tips for Reducing the Impact of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Now that we’ve covered what SAD is, how to spot the signs of SAD, and how light affects your mood, what can you do about it?
Here are four strategies you can implement.
1. Schedule Regular Exercise
If you spend less time outside during the winter, you’re not alone. Most people naturally spend less time outside during the winter because #brrr.
And less time outside often equates with less physical activity, and that can definitely impact your mental health.
Most people spend only 7.6% of their time outside. Considering that Americans also spend 5% of their time simply driving in the care, 7.6% isn’t a whole lot!
The changing weather, the decreasing light, and the decrease in physical activity is a perfect storm. If you think you have SAD or depression, consider scheduling regular exercise into your day.
Moving your body promotes good brain chemistry, which can help you feel better.
The Norwegian have a wonderful proverb: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” Bundle up and try some cold-weather activities like skiing, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing. Even a leisurely stroll in the brisk air is good for you.
Prefer to say in? No worries! There are plenty of indoor activities to keep you active: running on a treadmill, yoga, Pilates, lifting weights, or following along on YouTube dance workout.
2. Soak Up Some Sunshine
Even if the sunlight diminishes, try to soak up a little sunshine each day. Research shows that low vitamin D levels can contribute to SAD. Experts suggest trying to get 30 minutes of morning sun — to start the day off right. If you go for a jog or walk at this time, you’ve crossed two items off of this list at once: regular exercise and time spent outside.
3. Stick with Your Schedule
Sleep disturbances are common with SAD. In order to prevent even more sleep interruptions, stick with a schedule.
- Go to sleep at the same time every night
- Avoid blue lights before bed
- Sleep in a cool, dark room
You can find more sleep tips in this article: What Is Sleep Hygiene?
4. Seek Treatment
Even if you’re exercising regularly and getting to bed on time, SAD can still take root.
If you are experiencing symptoms of SAD during the fall or winter months, contact one of our mental health professionals who can help you “weather the storm.”
Call our office at 502-907-5908 or request an appointment online.
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