ADHD-Friendly Travel: Tips for Scatterbrained Individuals

Traveling can be stressful — even for the most neurotypical person you know. But if you're neurodivergent, not only can it be a source of stress and anxiety, it presents an entire new set of challenges... maybe ones your friends and family just don't understand.

Over the years I've come up with some simple ways to quiet my travel anxiety — for my benefit, and those around me. And it makes it that much easier to sit back and ENJOY my trips. So let's dive in, and get that Negative Nancy in your brain to shut up!

Get your Travel BAMs in order.

You might've heard about BAMs in the productivity hacking sphere — but if not, these are your Bare Ass Minimums. The are your absolute essentials that you bring with you on every trip.

And just like productivity BAMs get you to bedtime with a shred of dignity... Travel BAMs are the non-negotiables that make sure you can survive a trip without having to buy overpriced deodorant at an airport Hudson News.

Why BAMs Matter:

If you’ve ever packed 25 “just in case” outfits, but forgot your underwear... yeah. You know. I figure, as long as you have your BAMs, you can buy anything else you forget at any local shop.

So let's put one together! I'll show you my BAMs to give you an idea.

My Travel BAM List

Make this once, and save it forever. Keep it in your Notes app, on your laptop, whatever works for your brand of organized chaos.

Here are mine:

• Passport / ID

• Credit Card / Debit Card

• Medications / Supplements

• Toothbrush

• Toothpaste

• Deodorant

• Shampoo / Conditioner / Body Wash

• Skincare (Morning + Night)

• Chapstick

• Hand sanitizer

• Makeup Wipes

• Razor

• Bandaids

• Pain Killers (Ibuprofen)

• Underwear

• Socks

• Shoes

• Daytime outfits

• Pajamas

• Headphones (the Apple Airpods Pro 2 with Active Noise Cancellation)

• Headband headphones (flat headphones built into a stretchy headband, I use these for sleeping and traveling.)

• Reusable Water Bottle

• Nail kit (I almost always have my DIY gel-X nails on, and of course they really only break when I'm away from home.)

• Phone charger

• Laptop + charger

• Kindle + charger

• Pillow (Yes, I always need my own... even if just for the drive)

  
  

This list is your “I won’t die or cry” baseline. Everything else is bonus.

Check your List.

Making a list gives you dopamine.Using the list is another hurdle. Check it before you zip the suitcase, not in the Uber.

Touch + Track

I lose my phone conservatively 50 times a day. (Ask my fiancé.) Add travel chaos to the mix? Disaster.

That’s why I have a ritual: Touch your PKW — Phone, Keys, Wallet — every time you move locations. Leaving the restaurant? Boarding the plane? Getting out of the Uber? Touch your PKW. And say it out loud if needed. Bonus points if you flash them to your travel buddy like a weird, but proud, show-and-tell.

To take this to the next level of neurotic: Keep a Note in your phone called “Touch Tracker.” Log when and where you last had your essentials. Especially helpful if you’re tipsy, overstimulated, in a crowded place, or at a festival.

Then, when someone asks, “Well where did you last see it?” You’ll ACTUALLY know! Groundbreaking.

Organize With "Future You" in Mind

Next time you travel, note what annoyed you.

“Can’t find my charger.”

“My fruit snacks got squished."

“My sunscreen exploded in my tote.”

That’s data. Look at you, you're basically a scientist. Now use it to find your solutions. People have invented genius stuff to solve exactly these problems.

Weird Personal Faves:

• Makeup bags for snacks (yes)

• Tiny cable bags with block + cord compartments

• Backpacks with actual intuitive sections

• Gallon Ziploc bags for full outfits

• Laundry bag (even a trash bag with a dryer sheet counts — just don’t throw it away)

• Pill organizers for jewelry (seriously life-changing for preventing necklace tangles)

I'll get more granular with specific travel instances for camping, festivals, planes, road trips, etc. but this is a good place to start.

Set Your Timers

Travel time doesn’t feel real. One mimosa and suddenly you’re sprinting to Gate 35B with a shoe half on. Set alarms. One for hotel checkout, one for boarding, one to leave for the airport. Buffer time is your bestie.

Noise-Cancelling Headphones.

Self-explanatory. As mentioned earlier, I like the Apple Airpods Pro 2 with Active Noise Cancellation. They're actually just as, if not more, effective than the bulky over-the-ear ones, but it's all about preference. There are super affordable over-the-ears ones on Amazon, too.

Have An Emergency Reset Ritual.

When you get overwhelmed, look into little resets that work for you. Download the Headspace app, look into box breathing, play a guided meditation on YouTube or Spotify, have a calming playlist ready to go. Or maybe you need scream-o and metal music to calm down. Anything to bring you back to earth and quiet your mind.

Schedule Structured Rest.

Even when you're tired and out and about, you can look forward to your midafternoon nap, and never worry about being fully burnt out. There is NOTHING wrong with a midday nap. In fact, studies show a midday nap is good for memory, blood pressure, and problem-solving skills.

You're not a buzzkill. You're basically doing a mental workout.

Final Thought

You don’t need to be a travel expert.You just need your BAMs, your PKW, and a little plan for when the vibes go sideways. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s peace.

I'll be back with more specific posts about different kinds of travel, and if they ever get written, I'll link 'em here for ya.

Safe (sane) travels!