ADHD routines and holidays: how to avoid overwhelm

Coping with the return to work and life after a holiday when you have ADHD

Taking a break from work should make you feel better, but it can leave you feeling worse. Do you look forward to your holiday? Only to find yourself dreading the return?

Or maybe you dread the whole thing? Not because you don’t need the time off, but because you know how hard it’ll be to get back into the swing of things when it’s over.

Completely giving in to the urge to be routine-free can bite you on the bum!

Do you have ADHD and dread holidays?

If you have ADHD, this dread might feel especially familiar. The loss of structure and routines while on your holidays can be wonderful in the moment: it’s a chance to rest, recharge, and escape the usual demands. But coming back to work, routines, and responsibilities can feel like slamming on the brakes in the middle of a freewheeling downhill ride.

The ADHD holiday hangover is real

Over the past month, I’ve been helping several clients prepare for this very situation. However long you’re taking off, whether it's a long weekend or a full two weeks away, it’s worth thinking about how you want to feel after the break. This counts if you’re planning even just a slightly quieter summer work rhythm too.

Why returning from holiday can be so difficult when you have ADHD

One of my clients dreads her holidays because she knows what usually comes next.

We’ll call her Claire. Claire will come back to a to-do list that feels impossible. It will be a struggle for her to focus, especially on the more routine or uninspiring tasks. She knows she’ll find herself staring at her screen, feeling guilty and frustrated for not getting things done. Then she’ll end up working late into the night trying to catch up.

This cycle messes with Claire’s sleep and she’ll wake up late the next day feeling behind. And so it continues… Because Claire works from home and runs her own business, there’s no team around to help her get back on track after a holiday. This means the pressure mounts, and she worries what her clients think, stresses about delays and missed deadlines, and ends up paralysed by internal noise. Thoughts like “I should be able to”, “why can’t I just?” start to rear their ugly heads.

Sound familiar?

Keep some of your habits for a softer return from holiday

You’ll be pleased to know there’s a lot you can do to soften the post-holiday crash. It doesn’t have to mean recreating your workweek or setting strict rules. But keeping just a few gentle habits going while you’re away can make a real difference.

You might ask yourself:

• What small routines actually support me?

• Which ones could I keep while I’m off, in a lighter or more flexible way?

For many of my clients, sleep is the first thing to go. Late nights, disrupted routines, and endless scrolling can leave you foggy and dysregulated. This can make it harder to do even basic things once you’re back. And we know from research that regular sleep and wake times have a huge impact on wellbeing, especially for ADHD brains.

Habits that help stabilise people with ADHD

• If you journal, do it at your usual time, even if it’s shorter or more casual.

  
  

• If you’re usually active or exercise in the mornings, see if you can keep up the practice while you’re away.

  
  

• If you normally eat well or regularly during the workweek, try not to skip meals or fall into the energy rollercoaster of consuming sugar and caffeine.

  
  

• If you think you need your phone as a wind-down tool, be honest about how you use it. Listening to brown noise or a calming podcast? Great. Scrolling endlessly or shopping online before bed? Probably not helping.

A gentle framework to keep the ADHD brain grounded

This isn’t about keeping up appearances or powering through. It’s about supporting your future self so the return to work doesn’t feel quite so bumpy.

Try choosing two or three things from this list to keep some kind of rhythm to your days:

• Consistent bedtime and wake-up time

• A screen-free wind-down routine / limited phone use in bed

• Regular meals (and hydration!)

• Journaling or brain-dumping

• Exercise, movement, or stretching

• Getting outside in the morning.

Reducing ADHD overwhelm is not about being perfect

If you’re feeling resistance to any routine while you’re away, you’re not alone. The urge to completely ‘relax’ is understandable, especially if you’ve been feeling burnt out.

However, most of my ADHD clients tell me they feel more stable, more focused, and more in control with a few supportive habits in place. Even on holiday.

So, if you’re heading off soon, what’s one habit you could gently keep going? And if you’re already back and it’s not going smoothly, it’s not too late to reintroduce one small thing to help you reset.

Do you need help with holiday routines and strategies to avoid ADHD overwhelm?

I’m Lorna, and I’m a coach and mentor for business owners with ADHD. I’m based in Surrey but work with most of my clients remotely. Why not book a complimentary, no-obligation call with me? I offer 1:1 coaching sessions to help you better understand and manage your ADHD, coping with ADHD routines and holidays and much, much more. Get in touch: make sure your holiday is truly relaxing, and not a source of more stress!