Are you rushing around to finish your last minute holiday shopping, going to your next holiday party, cooking additional food for family and guests, and wrapping those last few gifts to put under the Christmas tree? The hustle and bustle of the holidays can be stressful and leave you feeling worn out at the end of the day which will leave you feeling too tired to spend time with your family.
If you have a chronic pain or illness, the increased stress and fatigue can cause you to have additional pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and trigger a flare up. Today, I wanted to share some tips on how to survive the holidays especially if you suffer from chronic pain or illness.
Disclosure: This post is for informational purposes only. Please contact your doctor or health care professional if you are having a hard time managing your chronic pain, chronic illness, depression, or anxieties.
Learn to Say “No”
This time of year can be very overwhelming busy and it is easy to get burned out from all of the extra activities. If you start feeling overwhelmed, remember that it is okay to say “no” to some of those things that are on your list. Saying yes can to everything on your list can cause additional stress and worry. Just remember that it is okay to say “no”.
Pace Yourself
I am the type of person that when there is something that I need to get done I often procrastinate until the last minute. Instead, I should slowly work on my to do list over the course of the day.
Connect with Family and Friends Virtually
There is so much technology available and you can use it to your advantage if you are unable to attend an event due to other obligations or due to your health, don’t be afraid to ask family and friends to allow you to video conference you into the party. Even your cell phone has the capability to do video chat/conferencing. This way you can enjoy your family and friends without leaving your house. Plus, you can watch and interact with your friends or family too.
Stay Active
I personally struggle with this one because it is so much easier to cuddle up on the couch and hide under the blankets. If you have a daily routine that keeps you active, don’t let all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays keep you from doing your exercises or gentle stretching each day.
Winter time is especially hard on me especially when it is colder outside. I need to work on managing my back pain so that I can be around for my husband and kids. I really want to find some lower back pain relief and hope that I can accomplish it with yoga or using a Melt Method foam roller.
Prioritize All of Your Events
As your calendar is filling up and you are planning your activities, you should always prioritize them so that you can attend the ones that mean the most to you. This includes getting all of your errands done, Christmas shopping, and cooking. Also, if your a fortunate to have others around to help you with some of these tasks, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you attend an event, do take a day of rest afterwards if you need too.
Remember to Take Your Medications as Directed
If you are taking medications, or something like Gold Bee’s Kava Kava Root Liquid Extract Tincture, to manage your chronic pain or illness, it is important to make sure that you continue to take your medications on time. Skipping or forgetting to take your medications as prescribed can increase your symptoms. You can also use something like CBD oil alongside your medications, as this is known to be a great pain reliever. If you have any queries relating to CBD oil, please visit www.cfah.org. I always take my medications with me if I know that I am not going to be at home to take them at my regularly scheduled time.
Take a Break if Needed
Don’t be afraid to take a break if you need it. You know your body and how you handle certain situations.
As you are busy rushing around finishing the last minute items for the holidays, I hope that you find these tips helpful. I know that if I am exhausted and stress out, that it greatly affects my entire family. If you have chronic pain or illness, the additional stress and fatigue can increase your health problems.
Photo credit: Pixabay
