Finding Calm After the Holiday Storm

The Most Wonderful Time to Chill Out: Rebounding from Festive Burnout

Author

Beyond the Label
December 29, 2023

Issue 5

Hello, Beyond the Label Family! 👋

We're back with another exciting edition of the Beyond the Label Newsletter, and you won't want to miss it! 🌈

The gifts are unwrapped, treats have been baked, and 'tis the season for much-needed rest! The excitement of the holidays can take a toll on anyone, but particularly for neurodiverse people who deal with extra sensory, social, and emotional demands this time of year.

As we settle into the cozy days between Christmas and New Year's, recharge your mental and physical batteries with these tips:

  • Take Time Out - Don't jump straight into busy work or schedules. Pause and give your brain space to transition from the holidays.

  • Unwind and Decompress - Spend time doing calming activities like yoga, walking, reading, crafting or visiting a sensory deprivation tank.

  • Stick to Routines - Structure and familiar patterns feel comforting post-holidays. Ease back into regular waking, meals and wind-down times.

  • Talk It Out - Discuss holiday highlights but also challenges with family to improve next year. Review any new traditions or accommodations that worked well.

  • Make Time for You - Do something special just for yourself, even if it's small like a long bath or browsing the bookstore. You deserve it after all that hosting!

Also in This Issue:

Using Apps to Set New Year's Goals - Goal-setting looks different for the neurodiverse mind. Explore how apps can provide the structure and accountability needed to stick with resolutions.

Fun Learning Tools for Winter Months - Shorter days mean more time indoors. We round up top educational apps, games, and websites for brisk weather.

Using Apps to Set New Year’s Goals

The new year appeals to our desire for self-improvement. But the neurodiverse mind may struggle with vague resolutions and lack of structure around goals. Luckily, apps can provide the scaffolding needed to incrementally build new habits.

For ADHD brains that thrive on instant gratification, try apps that break big goals into mini-tasks and offer rewards. Habitica gamifies goals by letting you level up a character for real-life achievements. EpicWin turns to-dos into quests and XP points.

If executive functioning challenges make time blindness an obstacle, time tracking apps like Toggl and Forest anchor you in each passing minute dedicated to a goal. They also generate reports to illustrate progress.

For those on the autism spectrum who think visually, goal boards like DreamIt, Goalify, and Strides make aspirations tangible. Moving photos or stickers into place provides graphic incentives.

No matter your neurotype, apps that integrate accountability partners, reminders, checklists, and data help circumvent struggles with initiation, distraction, and follow-through. Find the tools that motivate YOU to design a fulfilling, customized roadmap for the year ahead!

What goal-setting apps or strategies have you found useful? Share your insights with the community as we turn the page to 2024. We’d love to hear your solutions for neurodiverse goal success!

Fun Learning Tools for Winter Months

When chilly temperatures keep kids inside, parents look for engaging educational activities. Neurodiverse learners benefit from multisensory, hands-on tools that make honing skills fun and interactive.

This winter, try these top apps, games, and websites:

  • Sensory Sparkles (app) – Calming scenes and textures let kids explore sounds, sights, and touch.

  • Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame (app) – Breathing exercises and emotional regulation games feature beloved characters.

  • Pepi Bath (app) – A playful way to build math and problem-solving skills through virtual foam, bubbles, and water.

  • Stop, Breathe & Think Kids (app) – Short mindfulness activities and mood check-ins.

  • Toca Kitchen 2 (app) – Open-ended play encourages creativity as kids cook up meals.

  • Osmo Math Wizard (game) – Physical number tiles make early math interactive.

  • Thinkrolls 2 (game) – Solve physics puzzles by guiding creatures through increasingly challenging worlds.

  • Khan Academy (website) – Excellent explanatory videos and practice exercises in all subjects.

The colder season doesn’t have to hamper learning. With a library of educational yet entertaining apps, games, and online tools, neurodiverse kids can continue developing skills even on days spent inside.

What are your favorite indoor learning activities for winter? Share your top picks with the community!

Wishing everyone rest, recovery and renewal! Let us know what post-holiday tips you would add. Here's to starting 2024 off on the right foot.

Wishing You All the Best in 2024!

As we turn the page on another year, we at Beyond the Label want to wish you and your loved ones health, hope, and happiness in 2023. May the new year bring new opportunities, new insights, and new appreciation for the gifts of our wonderfully diverse neurological community.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We cherish our neurodiverse community and the chance to share resources, inspiration, and empowerment through this newsletter. Wherever the coming year takes you, remember that you are valued, respected, and have so much to offer the world.

We can't wait to continue building an inclusive world together in 2024!

Warmly,

The Beyond the Label Team - Sherry, Jane, and MJ

PS: Stay tuned for more inspiring stories, updates, and resources in our next newsletter! 📬🎉

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