The December Reset… For People Who Don’t Actually Reset
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Apparently, other people enter December calm, hydrated, and with matching pajamas.
But listen… we do love a matching PJ moment, lol.
December hits differently when you’re a parent with an ADHD brain, a to-do list taller than your Christmas tree, and at least three different group chats asking for money, volunteers, or both.
Every year I tell myself, “This is it. This is the month I get life together. A soft reset. Cozy vibes. A clean house. Maybe even a color-coded schedule.”
And every year?
I am immediately humbled.
Welcome to the real December Reset — the version for those of us who don’t actually “reset”… we just try our best not to fully glitch.
🌙 The Fantasy vs. The Reality
The Fantasy:
You wake up early. The house is serene.
You’re drinking peppermint tea in a chunky knit sweater while soft Christmas jazz plays.
The Google Calendar is neatly organized.
Your volunteer inbox is empty because you’ve magically completed every single task on time.
You’ve somehow acquired adult-level emotional regulation.
The Reality:
You wake up to a child standing over you like a Victorian ghost whispering, “I can’t find my socks.”
The fish tank is suddenly cloudy for no reason at all.
You forgot who’s supposed to be where and when.
Someone needs to be at an arena you’ve never heard of in 45 minutes.
Your brain is already buffering like a 1999 dial-up modem.
The only “chunky knit” thing happening is the pile of laundry you absolutely refuse to fold.
🧠 What a ‘Reset’ Looks Like for an ADHD Brain
Neurotypical resets:
- Declutter the fridge
- Organize the calendar
- Meal plan
- Light a candle for vibes
ADHD resets:
- Decide to reorganize the entire house while looking for scissors
- Hyperfocus on one drawer for 3 hours
- Forget the original goal
- Get overwhelmed
- Take a break that accidentally becomes three days
December is especially wild because:
The schedules double, the expectations triple, and your prefrontal cortex silently begs for mercy.
Reset? I am reset-adjacent at best.
🌱 The One Thing That Actually Helps
Here’s the thing:
A real reset isn’t a giant overhaul.
It’s one tiny stabilizing thing that makes everything else feel 10% less unhinged.
For me?
A 10-minute tidy-ish.
Not cleaning — resetting the vibe just enough that tomorrow doesn’t punch me in the face.
Examples:
- Clearing one counter
- Setting out clothes for tomorrow
- Packing one lunch
- Taming the random “December pile” that lives on the nearest flat surface
- Making space on the couch so you can sit like a human
It’s not aesthetic. It’s not curated.
But it works.
And honestly, 10% better is the only December goal I will accept.
✨ Bite-Sized Resets for Real Humans
These are ADHD-friendly, holiday-season-approved, and require zero Pinterest boards:
⭐ Micro-Clean
Pick ONE:
- The front entrance
- The counter you touch the most
- The bathroom sink
Resetting one area makes your brain believe the whole house is clean (and that’s good enough).
⭐ Calendar Triage
Not full planning — just figure out tomorrow.
That’s it.
December is not the month for future you.
⭐ Snack Restock
Not a grocery haul.
Just grab three easy snacks so someone can survive melt-down o’clock.
⭐ Inbox Nuke
Delete 20 emails.
Don’t sort them.
Don’t categorize them.
Just… goodbye.
⭐ The Two-Task Rule
When in doubt:
One chore + one fun thing.
That’s the balance.
That’s the vibe.
That’s the only way to stay semi-sane.
🎄 The Real December Reset? Letting “Good Enough” Actually Be Good Enough
None of us are becoming cozy, magical, perfectly organized December people this year.
Not with kids.
Not with hockey tournaments.
Not with Christmas concerts, school events, endless volunteer tasks, or the general emotional chaos of being a human person in 2025.
But we can embrace the reset that’s actually realistic:
Small, scrappy, doable, imperfect steps that make life 1% less chaotic.
That’s the Burnt Out Perfectionist way.
And honestly?
It’s working.
Stay as warped and twisted as ever !