Every once in a while, life throws you a lesson that’s so in tune with what you do that you just have to laugh (so you don’t cry).
This week, I was traveling to visit my family and after a fantastic weekend, I found myself stuck at the airport unable to get home. Flights canceled across the board. Minimal information on what was really happening. With only a travel bag and enough items for the short trip. Surrounded by people also desperately trying to get to their destination.
I wish I could say that I made lemonade, and I guess I am by sharing what I learned, but in reality, I was only feeling really sour during the whole experience.
BUT here’s what I learned when travel goes astray just in case you’re ever stuck at the airport with ADHD:
1.I have a tendency to travel light. After years of following my own advice, I have packing down to a science. BUT in the future, I will pack an extra outfit, toss in a few additional pairs of underwear/socks and make sure I have at least 2 extra days of medication/vitamins to offset any detours or delays. My new practice is: prepare for the worst and be joyous when it doesn’t happen.
2. Always have my calendar up-to-date and with me. This is usually easy as we have our lives on our phones, but it’s a good reminder in case you need to reschedule a few days of your life.
3. It is absolutely essential that I eat well and stay hydrated. I can’t grab something quick and easy with my travel voucher and expect to function at capacity. Hot dogs are not a friend to the ADHD brain under stress.
4. If I see that flights are being canceled, I need to act immediately and reschedule my flight. Unfortunately, I optimistically sat around most of the day waiting for things to change when I should’ve jumped in line at customer service and found another avenue home.
5. Make any decisions early. As time goes by and I am not eating or drinking or sleeping right, the capacity to weigh options and make good decisions declines. This is true even if you don’t have ADHD. So use my creative ADHD brain immediately to solve the problem as soon as it hits.
6. When scheduling my next trip, I won’t travel at the end of the month. Apparently there is something with staffing issues and pilot hours that I don’t fully understand, but do impact flights getting off the ground.
7. Stay calm. Easier said than done, of course. I had to work really hard to keep my emotions in check. Being stuck where things were out of my control, exhausted, hungry, dehydrated, confused, and unsure what was really going on – all led to incredible frustration. I knew that getting upset would only make things worse, but it was really really REALLY challenging to stay in check.
8. Give myself grace. Maybe I snapped at the woman at the service desk, yelled at some kids or melted down in the bathroom. It’s okay. Apologize, smile, fix it, and move on. Do not go down a Shame Shower spiral.
9. Remember no one lives forever at the airport. Eventually I’ll get home. One way or another, I’ll get home.
10. And the biggest lesson? When under moments of stress, it is ESSENTIAL that I use every tool in my toolbox to keep my ADHD brain switch turned on in a healthy manner. To fall back on the basics – healthy food, sleep, hydration, exercise. It’s why we implement these every day so when we experience moments that challenge our ADHD brains, we know what to do and how to stay on track.
I’m home now working on recovering from a lost day and a half of work. Any expectation that I would jump in with full brain power was unrealistic. I. Am. Drained. Thinking I’d bounce right back was wishful thinking. The cumulative effect of too little sleep, dehydration, airport food, and stress means I still need to give myself grace. Double down on my brain care, stick to my priorities, adjust my plan.
Luckily, these are skills I’ve nailed over the years of learning to live easier with my ADHD. And skills ADHD Success Club members learn and dial in. If you want to be as amazing as us, consider joining us – click here to learn more!
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