A Solo Person's Guide to ADHD
A Solo Person’s Guide to ADHD is a podcast for adults with ADHD who are doing life without a built-in support system — no partner, no shared mental load, no automatic second brain.
If you’re single, living alone, or functionally solo, ADHD hits differently.
There’s no one reminding you to grab the thing, finish the form, or notice when you’re overwhelmed. Executive dysfunction doesn’t show up as chaos — it shows up as quiet overload, decision paralysis, and the constant feeling that something is wrong, even when you can’t explain what.
This podcast isn’t about productivity hacks, motivation, or “finally getting your life together.”
It’s about understanding what’s actually happening — where ADHD, solo living, and modern life collide — and learning how to build external support, structure, and safety on purpose.
Hosted by Christine Dunning, a master certified life coach, musician, and late-diagnosed adult with ADHD, each episode offers reflection, language, and practical reframes to help you:
- stop blaming yourself for systems that were never designed for solo brains
- identify problems earlier, before burnout sets in
- build structures that work with ADHD instead of against it
You’re not broken.
You’re not behind.
You’re doing too much alone — and this podcast exists to name that, clearly and honestly.
Want to connect? Find me on my website: www.twocatscoaching.com or email me at christine@twocatscoaching.com
A Solo Person's Guide to ADHD
I've Been Invited to a Holiday Party, and my ADHD Brain Says "Now What?"
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Holiday Social Plans… Now What?
Welcome back to A Solo Person’s Guide to ADHD! I’m your host, Christine Dunning, Master Certified Life Coach and owner of Two Cats Coaching.
Holiday socializing is hard enough — now add ADHD, winter fatigue, disrupted routines, and the fact that you’re doing this alone.
Suddenly every invitation feels like someone assigned you a group project for a class you forgot to attend.
This episode gives you realistic, ADHD-friendly strategies for three moments every solo ADHDer faces in December:
- I got an invitation — now what?
- I’m at the event — now what?
- I realize I’m overcommitted — now what?
This isn’t about becoming a holiday party superstar.
It’s about protecting your energy, honoring your limits, and choosing what works for your brain.
💌 Section 1 — “I Got an Invitation… Now What?”
When impulsivity says “Sure! Future Me will totally have energy!” — pause.
Here’s how to make choices that support your current bandwidth:
- 10-Second Gut Check: Would I go if it were today?
- The Social Math Test: Does the energy I’ll spend match the energy I’ll get?
- The Half-Attend Strategy: Commit to the first hour, not the whole night.
- Pre-Written Declines: Save scripts so you don’t panic-type.
ASSAP Framework Tie-In: This is Access — creating supports before you need them.
🎉 Section 2 — “I’m at the Party… Now What?”
You don’t need to “work the room.” You need a structure that keeps your nervous system grounded:
- Be the Helper (take a task = instant structure)
- Anchor to One Person (no need to mingle endlessly)
- Pre-Decide Your Exit Conditions
- Create a Calm-Down Bubble (quick escapes are healthy!)
- Have an Exit Script Ready
- Drop the Holiday Performance Pressure
ASSAP Tie-In: These are Action tools — tiny steps that help you function in high-stimulation spaces.
📅 Section 3 — “I Overcommitted… Now What?”
Canceling is allowed. Editing your December is allowed. Protecting your energy is necessary.
- The Permission to Cancel Principle
- The Calendar Edit (star the draining stuff, remove 1–3)
- Use Social Substitutions:
- 3-hour dinner → 20-minute coffee
- Party → FaceTime
- Gift exchange → send a card
💛 Section 4 — A Gentle Reframe
You’re not antisocial.
You’re not flaky.
You’re not failing the holidays.
You’re managing ADHD, solo adulthood, masking, emotional labor, and winter fatigue at the same time.
That’s called being human, not being broken.
✨ Section 5 — Soft January Teaser
January kicks off the “good stuff”:
Long-term, sustainable systems using the A and P in ASAP — Access and Persistence.
Your future self will thank you.
🔗 Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Free Consult Call: www.twocatscoaching.com
❤️ If this episode lightened your mental load…
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You’re not as alone as you think.
