Christmas is my favorite time of the
year; decorating the house, listening to Christmas music, the old and new
Christmas shows (I still love to watch "The Year Without A Santa
Claus" ... you know the one with heatmiester and coldmeister..?), buying
presents for family and friends (and of course getting presents!), holiday
fruit cake and egg-nog. If it has anything to do with Christmas then I
love it but there is a downside. Christmas can be a time that is
particularly hard on those of us with chronic pain. The weather is colder
and often wetter, which often sets off a flares which can keep you away from
festivities and Christmas church services, and it can be hard to be around
family and friends because you see in them a reflection of what you could have and
are missing.
There are several ways that I try to combat the Christmas blues and I want to share them with you now. First, don't try to push yourself. I know my body and how it reacts under certain conditions. The stress of dealing with family and friends can trigger pain and anxiety so I try to limit the time that I spend with those people who stress me out. When I am with people, I try to remember that there is no way that they can completely understand what I am going through so I try to ignore comments, asides and controversial subjects or I leave the room when something starts to bother me. When the conversation turns to matters that do not include me or that can potentially upset me then I will excuse myself so that I don't let envy ruin the time and then return when I feel like I can handle it again.
Christmas is a busy time of year with church activities, holiday parties and family events. If I have to stay in bed because of the pain then I have to stay in bed. This time of year it is easy to overdo it so I try to watch what I do and save my energies for those activities that are most important to me. I try not to let the pain interfere with activities but when it does I try to distract myself so that I do not miss the activity as much.
I make arrangements to do my shopping early when transportation is available to me and if transportation is unavailable then I do the best i can by using the internet. I sometimes think that the internet gets a bad wrap because people are so worried about security. There are safe ways to use a credit card online and I have to admit seeing the UPS truck pull up or seeing packages at the front door can be a thrill.
It is important to try to keep to your normal schedule. It is so easy to get caught up in all the activities that you lose sight of the fact that if you overdo it today then you night miss tomorrow or the next day. This is a hard one to follow because of all the activities that are going on and all the extra shopping, baking, decorating and cleaning. I do my best but I do find myself trying to make deals with myself: if i do this now then i will spend extra time doing my meditation and relaxation exercises. Those deals never work because there is always something tomorrow that needs to be done.
Christmas is a fun time but it can also be a minefield that you have to walk through. Remember to stick to your schedule, take your meds at the same time each day, rest when you need too, limit stressful environments and people and above all remember to enjoy the holidays..
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!
There are several ways that I try to combat the Christmas blues and I want to share them with you now. First, don't try to push yourself. I know my body and how it reacts under certain conditions. The stress of dealing with family and friends can trigger pain and anxiety so I try to limit the time that I spend with those people who stress me out. When I am with people, I try to remember that there is no way that they can completely understand what I am going through so I try to ignore comments, asides and controversial subjects or I leave the room when something starts to bother me. When the conversation turns to matters that do not include me or that can potentially upset me then I will excuse myself so that I don't let envy ruin the time and then return when I feel like I can handle it again.
Christmas is a busy time of year with church activities, holiday parties and family events. If I have to stay in bed because of the pain then I have to stay in bed. This time of year it is easy to overdo it so I try to watch what I do and save my energies for those activities that are most important to me. I try not to let the pain interfere with activities but when it does I try to distract myself so that I do not miss the activity as much.
I make arrangements to do my shopping early when transportation is available to me and if transportation is unavailable then I do the best i can by using the internet. I sometimes think that the internet gets a bad wrap because people are so worried about security. There are safe ways to use a credit card online and I have to admit seeing the UPS truck pull up or seeing packages at the front door can be a thrill.
It is important to try to keep to your normal schedule. It is so easy to get caught up in all the activities that you lose sight of the fact that if you overdo it today then you night miss tomorrow or the next day. This is a hard one to follow because of all the activities that are going on and all the extra shopping, baking, decorating and cleaning. I do my best but I do find myself trying to make deals with myself: if i do this now then i will spend extra time doing my meditation and relaxation exercises. Those deals never work because there is always something tomorrow that needs to be done.
Christmas is a fun time but it can also be a minefield that you have to walk through. Remember to stick to your schedule, take your meds at the same time each day, rest when you need too, limit stressful environments and people and above all remember to enjoy the holidays..
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!
AN AFTERTHOUGHT …………………………
Very nice Leslie, I felt like you were speaking directly to me, like you know exactly what is going on in my little world! I take everything to heart and everything must be perfect or I go into a tailspin. My husband and I just discussed this evening that this year things will be done differently, no stressing out on my part! If people can make it to events, fine, if not Merry Christmas! Ever since I have been diagnosed with CRPS in 12/2010, we have been working together as a team to try to keep not just my stress levels down, but also my husbands. I thank you for some more ways of doing so, as family and holidays are big stressors! === Terri W.
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