ADHD and airports

Recently my family and I went on holiday abroad, and getting to - and through - the airport was a bit of a challenge, to say the least! I managed to stress my wife out in at least three different ways - mainly by making us late, being a bit disorganised, and not having everything quite ready in time.

One of my top tips (which I didn’t manage to follow this time!) is called front-loading. I was so busy that I forgot to do this, and I paid the price! Front-loading is definitely key to keeping things easy for you. So what exactly is it?

Front-loading is just a fancy way of saying: do as much as you can ahead of time so you're not scrambling later.

If you’ve got ADHD (or even if you don’t), your future self is probably going to be tired, distracted, or in a rush. So front-loading is about giving that future version of you a break by getting the boring or stressful stuff done before the pressure hits.

For example, if you're going to the airport tomorrow:

• Lay out clothes the night before (yours and the kids’).

• Pack bags and check passports early.

• Put snacks, chargers, and travel documents by the door or in a dedicated spot.

• Even things like deciding what time you'll leave or double-checking traffic can help.

The goal is to remove as many last-minute decisions and tasks as possible. It helps lower stress, reduce forgetfulness, and gives you more brain-space to deal with anything unexpected that will come up.

If only I had remembered to do this, my wife and I could have avoided that extra stress! So if you're going away soon, even if it's just for a day trip, then make sure to front-load!