Welcome to Episode 13 where we will dive into surviving celebrations and coping with seasonal events, like birthdays, holidays and social gatherings. We look at the following * Explore why celebrations can be draining, overwhelming, or triggering for neurodiverse folks.* Share the stress and anxiety many feel around birthdays, holidays, and social obligations.* Share practical strategies for setting boundaries, reducing overwhelm, and creating neurodiverse-friendly traditions. The holidays and birthdays are marketed as joyful, magical times—but for many neurodiverse business owners, they can bring pressure, sensory overload, and social exhaustion. We unpack the hidden challenges of celebrations: from the stress of being “on” socially, to gift-giving anxiety, to running a business while the world slows down. We’ll share survival tips, such as: * Sensory overload* Social pressure* Emotional weight* Business pressures* Birthdays in particular* The expectation of gift-giving (choosing, affording, receiving).* Family traditions that don’t fit neurodiverse needs* The very real shame spiral: “Why can’t I enjoy this like everyone else?” We offer our own thoughts, experiences and coping strategies & survival tools, tips and tactics. Such as; Setting boundaries: saying no to events, limiting time spent, creating exit plans.* Redefining celebrations: smaller gatherings, asynchronous connection, solo rituals.* Sensory adjustments: quiet corners, headphones, downtime.* Giving yourself permission for a slower pace. Remember celebrations don’t have to look “traditional.” (whatever that means these days) and it’s okay to make holidays functional and informal instead of joining in with the compulsory social scene. We want you to leave feeling validated, prepared, and with permission to celebrate any event in your own way.   Share with anyone you think this will resonate with and we can build a healthier, happier way to work! Don't forget to like, share and subscribe and send any questions or suggestions to: hosts@businessoddcast.com Or follow along on the socials see low timeline for details. -------------------------------------TIMELINE 00:00:00 - Introduction.00:00:58 - Topic of the Week - Surviving Celebrations: Coping with Seasonal Celebrations, Birthday, Holidays & Social Pressure00:01:25 - Hannah's mince pies before guys ramble00:04:30 - Exploring the topic of the week, celebrations, birthdays arghhh....00:05:12 - Hannah's awful 50th birthday confession! 00:06:30 - Why birthdays are a challenge & Stu's birthday trauma00:09:17 - The contradiction of the ND birthday requirements00:11:00 - Stuart's confession about birthday cards00:13:19 - Hannah's £1.53 birthday card story00:14:40 - Contradictions planning an ND birthday00:16:35 - What's worse than a birthday party? 00:17:50 - Hannah's fancy dress story00:18:40 - Stuart's costume confession00:19:10 - Gift receiving "trauma"00:19:55 - The inability to lie, the pain of social lies00:21:52 - Being a nightmare to buy a present for00:24:35 - Is gift giving performative virtue signalling?00:25:31 - Christmas - the worst gift giving/receiving experience00:27:58 - Why would you buy a child and electronic drum kit? 00:30:00 - The challenges of clothing gifts00:31:46 - The hidden challenge of clothes shopping00:33:04 - Stuart's PSA - "Don't buy me a present"00:34:30 - The contradiction and the efficient beauty of a gift list00:35:45 - Suprising birthday surprises are not a welcome surprise00:38:37 - The utter horror of "THIS IS YOUR LIFE" TV Show00:40:50 - The pink tam'o'shanter and homemade presents00:42:37 - Getting the chat back on track - the trauma of your birthday00:44:58 - Coping strategies - how do you cope with this?00:47:40 - Hannah's tips and coping strategies00:49:40 - Holidays - the dysregulating nightmare of going away00:54:35 - Rounding up, takeaways and resources00:55:53 - Hannah's final comments00:56:33 - Round up and close, like share and subscribe. --------