Embracing the Clean Slate: Navigating ADHD in the New Year
Jan 13, 2025
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Hosts discuss the unique challenges ADHD individuals face at the New Year. They explore the concept of clean slate thinking as both a motivating tool and a potential trap. One shares the practice of selecting a guiding word for the year to maintain focus without pressure. The idea of treating January as a 'null month' allows time for reflection rather than rushing into resolutions. They also highlight the importance of self-compassion and positivity in intention-setting, encouraging listeners to enjoy setting whimsical goals.
Adopting a guiding word for the year helps individuals with ADHD focus on personal values without the pressure of traditional resolutions, promoting a lighter approach to goal-setting.
Embracing the concept of an '11-month year' allows individuals to view January as a time for reflection and gentle preparation, rather than an immediate push for productivity.
Deep dives
The Challenge of New Year's Resolutions for ADHD
New Year's resolutions can pose significant challenges for individuals with ADHD due to the pressure of starting fresh and the expectations tied to a clean slate. This can lead to overwhelming feelings as people set lofty goals that are hard to maintain. The conversation highlights the notion that while clean slates can motivate, they often turn into traps filled with obligations and disappointments when not met. Instead of traditional resolutions, some individuals benefit from alternative approaches, like selecting a guiding word for the year that reflects personal intentions.
Embracing Boredom for Creativity
Embracing boredom can create space for creativity, as it allows the mind to wander and generate new ideas. One speaker discusses how their past two years made them realize the necessity of allowing unstructured time free from distractions like video games. By intentionally seeking out moments of boredom, they hope to unlock new creative projects that require focused thought. This approach involves stepping back from engaging in overly stimulating distractions in favor of quieter, more engaging activities that can nurture creativity.
The Concept of an '11-Month Year'
The idea of an '11-month year' suggests that people can take January as a time to reflect and prepare instead of rushing into new routines and responsibilities. This allows a gradual re-entry into normalcy post-holidays, helping to circumvent the pressure of immediate productivity at the year's start. By treating January as a planning month, individuals can prioritize unwinding and gently ramping up to their goals. This perspective encourages individuals to avoid the failure mindset that can accompany unmet resolutions, instead recognizing that progress can take time.
Routines, Disruptions, and the Nature of Progress
Navigating routine disruptions, whether from holidays or personal circumstances, can be particularly challenging for those with ADHD. It's essential to view progress as non-linear, embracing the ebbs and flows that accompany daily life and unexpected events. Creating awareness around the impact of routine disruptions helps mitigate the frustration that can arise from losing established habits. By recognizing that routines can have natural cycles of completion and restarts, individuals can foster resilience and adapt more easily to changes.
In this episode, hosts Ash and Dusty explore the challenges and opportunities that the New Year presents for individuals with ADHD. They delve into the concept of clean slate thinking and how it can be both a trap and a motivational tool. While traditional New Year's resolutions can often feel overwhelming due to heightened expectations, Ash shares a personal practice of choosing a word to guide intentions throughout the year. This approach helps in maintaining focus and aligning actions with personal values, without the pressure of strict resolutions.
The conversation shifts to the difficulties of maintaining routines amidst disruptions, such as holidays or life changes, and how these disruptions can significantly impact those with ADHD. Dusty introduces the idea of an "11-month year," allowing January to serve as an adjustment period rather than a time for rigorous goal-setting. Both hosts emphasize the importance of curiosity, awareness, and non-judgment in managing routines and personal goals. They encourage listeners to find humor and joy in setting unique, personal intentions that align with what truly matters to them, rather than succumbing to societal pressures of productivity.