What might be possible if stress didn't get in the way of enjoying your holiday?
I mean, what if you weren't shutting down at family gatherings? Melting down when plans change? Exploding when someone asks you that same intrusive question for the third time? And what if you weren't spending the entire season fuming about how the world doesn't understand neurodivergent people—which, to be fair, it doesn't, but is that how you want to spend your limited energy?
THE PROBLEM
So here's the thing. The holidays are stressful for a lot of people. But when you're Autistic or AuDHD, and especially if you have complicated relationships with family, and sensory stuff feels extra intense, things get even more overwhelming.
So how do you usually deal with stress? Do you cave in to people's expectations? Shut down? Meltdown? Explode? Fume and rant about all the problems?
And, I get it, those reactions make sense. They really do. But what if you had healthier options? Options that actually work for YOUR neurowonderful brain, not just the standard unhelpful advice to "just deal with it," "take three deep breaths," or "try harder"?
THE WORKSHOP
That's why I created a short workshop on Dealing with Holiday Stress. This is a one hour and forty-five minute recorded workshop—which I originally gave live in December of 2024—and it's available to you right now, on demand.
Here's what this is NOT. It's not a checklist that assumes that if you just do these three things, everything will magically be fine. It's not stock advice that doesn't match your real situation. And it's not some rigid curriculum where I tell you what worked for me so it must work for everyone else, right?
Because that doesn't work. It never has.
Instead, what I'm presenting is a framework for how to make decisions around almost any stress. The common traps the people fall into too easily, and the healthy version. So you can make your own game plan for YOUR situation and YOUR needs. Your complicated family. Your particular sensory issues. And it honors that sometimes your values might be in conflict, like justice sensitivity versus preserving a relationship.
And here's what makes this powerful: this framework gives you the ability to adapt your plan as the situation changes. Because we all know holiday plans never stay the same. Someone changes the time. Someone brings an unexpected guest. The food you thought would be safe isn't. You need to be able to respond to what's actually happening, not just follow a script. (Even when that would be so nice, it doesn't always work.)
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
So what will you actually learn? Here's what we're going to work through together:
One: You'll understand the competing values that are actually causing your stress. Not just the surface-level "my family is annoying" stuff—though that's real too—but what's really going on underneath. What values are in conflict? What expectations are you carrying that maybe aren't even yours?
Two: You'll get a framework for making decisions that align with what you actually want. Not what everyone else expects from you. Not what you think you should want based on internalized ableism or capitalism or all those painful thoughts you've been carrying around. But what YOU actually want.
Three: You'll learn strategies specifically designed from an Autistic and AuDHD perspective. Because your brain is different, and that's not a problem to solve. That's a reality to work with. And the strategies need to work for YOUR particular nervous system.
Four: You'll gain permission to pursue what matters to you. Sometimes we need someone to tell us it's okay to set boundaries. It's okay to say no. It's okay to do things differently. Consider this your permission slip. Though really, you don't need my permission—but if it helps to hear it, here it is.
And five: You'll have tools you can use not just this holiday season, but for any stressful situation in the future. This framework adapts with you as you keep unpacking layers and figuring out new ways to be you.
ADDRESSING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Now, I want to be honest with you, because I don't want to promise something I can't deliver.
Will this workshop solve all your holiday stress? No. And I wouldn't trust any short workshop that makes that promise.
There's probably a number of interrelated, competing, and conflicting issues, people, and values causing your stress. A one-hour-and-forty-five-minute workshop isn't going to magically fix all of that. That's not realistic.
But it can make a start. Or it can add on to what you're already doing.
What I'm offering is a way to think about stress, and the relationships involved, and the competing values, that clarifies what's really going on. So you can make decisions that are more in alignment with what you actually want. And that gives you permission to pursue that.
IMPORTANT DETAILS
Here's what you need to know about this workshop:
This is the recorded version of a live workshop, so you get the video recording, an audio-only version if you prefer to just listen, a complete transcript with slides included, the slides separately, and all workshop materials and bonuses.
Because it's recorded, you have the freedom to follow along at your own pace. Rewind and rewatch as much as needed. Pause to take notes. And engage on your own schedule, as your energy allows. There's no pressure to participate in a live meeting. You don't have to take it all in at once, or on someone else's schedule. And you can come back months later for a refresher.
You'll have access for at least a full year, and likely longer. I don't want to promise "lifetime access"—whose lifetime, yours or mine? Or the lifetime of the website? All of which could be misleading. But it is my intention to keep this available for the foreseeable future.
This is an inclusive, trauma-sensitive, and BS-free zone. All are welcome, including LGBTQIA+ humans of all gender identities. The language throughout is intentionally gender inclusive.
And while this workshop is designed from and for an Autistic and AuDHD perspective, if you're not Autistic but my approach resonates with you—maybe you're a highly sensitive person, or you just appreciate this way of looking at things—you're welcome here too.
INVITATION
So, here's my invitation.
If you're tired of the same old stress patterns. If you want to approach this holiday season—or any stressful situation—with more clarity, and more alignment with what you actually value, this workshop might be what you need.
For more info, or to sign up, go to http://www.AutismChrysalis.com/holiday-stress.
Because you deserve to have tools that work for your brain. It is okay to make decisions that honor your needs. And it is possible to have a holiday season that doesn't leave you depleted and overwhelmed.
If that sounds like what you're looking for, I'd love to be a part of making this holiday a better experience for you.
Wishing you a neurowonderful day.
