Living Abroad with ADHD: Executive Functioning and Connection

Sometimes people are amazed that we moved our family across the world. Of course - it seems like such a hard thing! And in some ways it was. But the truth is that for me, life with ADHD kind of feels hard all of the time. Always has. So doing this hard thing maybe didn't feel like as much of a stretch as it would to someone who finds their normal existence to be fairly comfortable. 

What moving abroad did do, especially for the first year, was put a ton of extra pressure on my executive functioning. I hate filling our forms - so many ways to mess them up - and during that first year there were like a million. In Swedish. Signing up for banking, making appointments, finding the tax office, picking up prescriptions…these things are already difficult with ADHD, and the language barrier just added another layer of complexity during that first year. 

This kind of sustained pressure can easily lead to burnout and constant anxiety. If you’ve moved abroad and are experiencing ADHD-like symptoms for the first time, there’s a good chance it’s a combination of stress, transition, and overload…not necessarily ADHD itself. But true ADHD added to the mix means things can things can get extra tough, fast.

Looking back, I think one of the things that saved me that first year was the time I spent going on blind friend dates and inviting new neighbors over for awkward dinner parties. Some of those connections didn’t pan out. But a few stuck, and they made all the difference.

The friends I made helped me navigate unfamiliar systems, even calling doctor’s offices for me when I couldn’t manage the phone trees. I could laugh with them, vent with them. Research consistently shows that strong, safe relationships play a huge role in regulating our nervous systems - this has a direct impact on our executive functioning.

But I know this type of connection can be hard to find, especially in cold-weather climates. So as we start 2026, here’s my question for all of us:

When I mention connection, are there two or three activities, ideas or people that come immediately to mind?

Maybe it’s a group you’ve always wanted to join, or someone you’ve noticed in an expat group online who you’ve wanted to grab coffee with? I could give you a list of “good ideas” for expats, but the ideas that come to you likely aren’t random. They may be your inner wisdom offering you a trail of carefully placed bread crumbs.

Follow the path. Gird up your confidence one more time and take another small risk. The payoff for your executive functioning - and the quality of your life abroad - could be huge.