Holiday Recovery Living with Executive Function Issues

Holiday Recovery Living with Executive Function Issues

By: James Shuler, MRC, LPC, CRC, ADHD-RSP | Pillars of Wellness

The Christmas and New Year’s season can be stressful for many people, but it can be especially overwhelming for individuals with executive functioning (EF) challenges. Executive functioning includes skills such as planning, organizing, managing time, starting tasks, controlling emotions, and shifting attention. These skills are heavily used during the holidays, which often involve busy schedules, social obligations, financial pressure, and disrupted routines.

Research shows that stress and executive functioning strongly affect one another. When stress increases, executive functioning skills often decrease. At the same time, people with weaker executive functioning tend to feel stress more intensely because they have a harder time organizing tasks, regulating emotions, and adapting to change. This combination can make the holiday season feel unmanageable rather than joyful. Here are some common problems, recommendations how to “bounce back”, and why these ideas can be helpful.

1. Problem: Feeling Overwhelmed by Too Many Tasks

Holiday planning often involves many steps happening at once, which can overload working memory and planning skills.

Recommendation:   Break tasks into smaller, clear steps.

Ideas:

• Write short task lists instead of one long list
• Focus on one task at a time
• Use written or visual checklists instead of trying to remember everything

Why this helps: Smaller steps reduce mental overload and make tasks easier to start and complete.

2. Problem: Poor Time Management and Procrastination

People with executive functioning challenges often struggle to estimate time accurately or begin tasks early.

Recommendation: Use external time supports.

Ideas:

• Schedule tasks in a calendar with reminders
• Set alarms or timers for starting tasks
• Block out specific times for shopping, cooking, or wrapping gifts

Why this helps: External reminders reduce reliance on internal time awareness.

3. Problem: Emotional Stress and Irritability

Stressful social situations and high expectations can overwhelm emotional regulation skills.

Recommendation:  Plan for emotional breaks and boundaries.

Ideas:

• Schedule short breaks between events
• Practice brief breathing or grounding exercises
• Practice saying no before things feel too overwhelming

Why this helps: Lower emotional stress supports better thinking and decision-making.

4. Problem: Decision Fatigue

Too many choices—such as gifts, meals, and events—can drain mental energy.

Recommendation:  Simplify decisions.

Ideas:

• Create some “self-time” doing an activity you enjoy
• Choose simple meals or repeat traditions
• Use online shopping or pre-made foods

Why this helps: Fewer decisions protect executive functioning energy.

5. Problem: Disrupted Routines

Holiday schedules often interrupt sleep, meals, and daily habits.

Recommendation:  Keep routines as consistent as possible.

Ideas:

• Maintain regular sleep and mealtimes
• Keep basic daily routines even during celebrations
• Plan a simple return-to-routine after the holidays

Why this helps: Predictable routines support focus, mood, and stress regulation.

Conclusion

Holiday stress can be especially challenging for individuals with executive functioning difficulties, but it does not have to be like a “gift that keeps giving”. Breaking the cycle of any of these difficulties can decrease the lasting impact of executive function problems leading to re-regulating the person. By breaking tasks into manageable steps, using external supports, simplifying decisions, and protecting emotional well-being, people can reduce stress and function more effectively. The gift you can give yourself or those loved ones with EF difficulties using tools in this article can be the true “gift that keeps giving”.

References:

McEwen, B. S., & Morrison, J. H. (2013). The brain on stress: vulnerability and plasticity of the prefrontal cortex. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14(6), 437–445.

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168.

Barkley, R. A. (2012). Executive Functions: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Evolved. Guilford Press.

Psychology Today. Executive Functioning and Stress Management.

American Psychological Association (APA). Stress effects on cognition and self-regulation.