Packing for travel when you have ADHD is often achieved by three less-than-ideal methods. The first involves throwing everything in a suitcase a few hours before departure and praying to the travel gods that you have packed at least a few useful items (10 bathing suits and zero thermals for a ski trip, anyone?). The second way involves meticulous anxiety-fueled overpacking to cover every possible eventuality (hello, overweight baggage fees). The final is avoiding all travel due to the logistical stress of packing. Over the years, I’ve resorted to each of these different methods.
Several issues cause travel to be particularly stressful for people with ADHD—such as struggling with executive function, time blindness, and working memory. It might seem like common sense to neurotypical people, but seemingly simple tasks can require more deliberate thought and strategic planning for those who aren’t. Below, find my top tips to help other people with ADHD pack for their travels—and I’ve enlisted some ADHD experts for their hacks, too.
Our best tips for packing with ADHD:
Get ahead on the prep
One way I alleviate any packing-related anxiety is to sort out as much as possible at least two weeks before I travel, bar the actual packing itself. Often that includes creating my itinerary, booking any vaccinations I might need, sorting out travel money, and double checking my travel insurance is in date (I keep mine on auto renewal for ease). Then I buy anything specific I might need for the trip.
It’s also the time to tick anything off your list that you might forget if you’re in a hurry, and things that could help you in that last-minute rush before you travel. Download any apps you may need (not everywhere uses Uber for example), make sure your suitcase has the correct address tags (or try Apple AirTags or Samsung Galaxy SmartTags, which are trackable via your phone), download TV shows to watch on long flights, and make any arrangements for any dependents while you’re gone (children, animals, and even plants).
You might need to check some ADHD-specific things before you fly in this crucial two-week bracket. First, if you are taking ADHD medication, check the official website for the country you’re traveling to—often, they are classed as controlled drugs, so you might need paperwork from your doctor or sealed prescriptions. I always keep a letter from my doctor with details of my diagnosis on hand, too. Keep a hard copy of this and anything else you need in a folder in your carry-on. “I keep all essential travel documents together in a wallet in a specific drawer throughout the year, so my ESTA, passport, etc., are always together and in the same place,” says Grace Timothy, host of the podcast Is It My ADHD?
Pick a packing method to avoid overwhelm
“When packing, the first challenge for people with ADHD is having too many options,” says Steph Camilleri, coach and founder of The ADHD Advocate. “ADHD is not so much a deficit of attention as it is a surplus of attention, which can lead to feeling overwhelmed and crippled by choice—known as decision fatigue.”
Dr. James Brown, biomedical scientist, co-founder of charity ADHDadultUK, and co-host of The ADHD Adults Podcast, explains that making physical lists is crucial for mitigating overwhelm. “There is no level of detail too small for a packing list. Even taping your list to the suitcase and ticking items off as you put them in can help, as we can easily grab something to pack, put it down somewhere, and forget we haven’t packed it.”
