Fibromyalgia: Coping with The Holidays
guests ask each one to bring a favorite dish and serve it buffet style. Oh, and don't forget about the clean up. Put on your favorite holiday music, invite everyone to chip in, and make it fun. Of course, disposable plates, cups, and utensils make this a snap. ;-)
Shopping and wrapping gifts can be an exhausting chore. The pain and fatigue of fibro makes it particularly difficult for us to enjoy this holiday tradition. Shopping by catalog, or online, and taking advantage of their wrapping and ship-to option is one way to alleviate this difficulty. Gift bags and boxes are a cinch for store bought gifts.
Prioritize
The holidays are all about spending time with those we love most. The demands on our time can come from many directions, and leave us feeling torn and tormented. Putting your own needs, and those of your family, first will allow you to focus on those aspects of the holidays you find most enjoyable. Manage your time well. Simply say no to those activities you know will leave you exhausted with little time and energy for what you hold most precious and dear.
Take care of yourself
Often, during the holidays, we tend to forget this is the time we need to take extra care of our health. Try to stick to your normal routine as much as possible - take frequent breaks - get plenty of rest - do not try to do everything all by yourself . All those goodies sure are tempting, but sticking to your normal eating habits is especially important during this time. A goody now and then sure wouldn't hurt though. The added stress of the holidays can wreck havoc on the best laid plans. Most importantly, if your plan doesn't work as well as you had hoped, please don't beat yourself up over it. Keep note of what worked and what didn't for your next year's plan.
Budget Finances may be stretched to the limit by holiday spending. Know in advance what your spending cap will be and stick to it. Plan ahead of time what you will purchase before hitting the stores so you won't be tempted to impulse shop. I have to admit I do have a slight problem with this one. LOL This year I am sticking to my budget, a first for me - and have vowed to my family not to over-spend. I have to say this has already provided a measure of relief for my family as well by allowing them to curtail their own spending.
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