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
Too Much, Too Fast: Why the Holidays Drain Solo ADHD Adults
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If the holidays make you feel tired, frazzled, overstimulated, or “just done” before December even really begins — you’re not alone, and you’re definitely not broken.
This episode breaks down why the holiday season hits solo ADHD adults so much harder.
From sensory overload to time compression, emotional intensity to financial pressure, we take a compassionate, nervous-system-first look at what’s really going on in your brain and body.
This is not the logistics episode (that’s Episodes 22 & 24).
This is the ADHD nervous system episode — the “why this season drains you before you do anything” episode.
You’re not weak.
You’re overloaded.
And today, we talk about why… and what to do about it.
What We Explore in This Episode:
1️⃣ The Invisible Solo Load
- What it means to produce “a Broadway show with a cast of one”
- Why ADHD brains burn more energy per step
- How the financial burden of gift-giving hits single adults harder
- ⭐ Gentle solution: Set a gift rule this year to protect your budget + sanity
2️⃣ Sensory Overload Everywhere
Crowded stores, flashing lights, noise, scents — the December sensory buffet
- ⭐ Gentle solution: Shop at low-sensory times + use headphones/earplugs/curbside pickup
3️⃣ Emotional Intensity & Holiday Landmines
- Nostalgia, grief, comparison, and pressure to be “on”
- Why ADHD emotion centers run hot
- ⭐ Gentle solution: Create a grounding ritual (30 seconds counts!)
4️⃣ Time Compression (aka The Holiday Speed Run)
- The entire season crammed into 3–6 weeks
- Why pace changes wipe out ADHD energy
- ⭐ Gentle solution: Protect ONE routine this month
5️⃣ Decision Fatigue
- Why December becomes one giant bowl of decision soup
- How choices drain your brain before you start doing anything
- ⭐ Gentle solution: Use “decision defaults” to simplify everything
6️⃣ The Holiday Energy Mismatch
- Holiday energy = FAST + LOUD + CONSTANT
- ADHD energy = uneven + sensitive
- Solo energy = “I am the whole team”
- You’re not the mismatch — the season is mismatched to YOU
7️⃣ Compassionate Reframe
“You’re not exhausted because you’re weak or unprepared.
You’re exhausted because the season triggers every ADHD lever at once — and you’re carrying it alone.”
Key Takeaway
You’re not failing.
You’re not behind.
Your holiday exhaustion is predictable, understandable, and fixable when you stop blaming yourself and start understanding your nervous system.
Links Mentioned
- Episode 22: Holiday To-Do Lists
- Episode 24: Holiday Hacks + AI Helpers
Want More?
Subscribe to A Solo Person’s Guide to ADHD on your favorite platform.
Follow Christine:
- Website: TwoCatsCoaching.com
- Podcast on YouTube: A Solo Person’s Guide to ADHD
- Socials: @TwoCatsCoaching
- Freebies? Click here
