subject: Top 3 Stress Relieving Tips For Chronic Pain During The Holidays [print this page] Top 3 Stress Relieving Tips For Chronic Pain During The Holidays
Stress and the holidays truly go hand in hand. We talk about stress in our patient meetings, refer to it in our videos, and try to bring you stress reducing tips here in our blog. There are hundreds of ways to relieve stress during the holidays, and by relieving your stress you can decrease your overall chronic pain as well. After all the articles we've written and patients we've talked to, we put together a short list of the top 3 stress reducing tricks for the holidays.
Time Out
Take time out for yourself. There is a reason that this is first on the list. We could write an entire article about how important it is to take a moment each day just for you. When the holidays creep up on us, so does our chronic pain. Our patients are haunted by Christmases of the past where the cold mixed with holiday foods and family wreaks mayhem on their bodies. It's hard to take a time out when things are so hectic.
Taking time to relax, simply breath or do some light stretching every day will truly decrease your overall stress levels and decrease your chronic pain. In a recent poll done by About.com, 34% of respondents answered "been in a flare for a while now" when asked "How are you weathering the holidays?" Chronic pain affects us all differently, from fibromyalgia to lower back pain, but in the end the holidays have the same outcome.
Taking time out means getting to the gym every day, continuing with those yoga classes even when family is in town, and taking those evening walks to clear your head. In order to for you to be able to enjoy the holidays just as much as your family, they have to understand that you need to take time out for yourself.
Just Say No
Over the years we've come to realize that a lot of the increased stress and chronic pain during the holidays is a direct result of simply taking on too much. When family is in town and old friends are around that you haven't seen for a while, it's difficult to be able to say no and not feel guilty. It's also difficult to say no and not increase your stress simply due to the guilt you feel.
Saying no to family, friends and co-workers is incredibly important during the holidays. It's important to know what your boundaries are, to respect yourself enough to stay within your boundaries, and to expect others to respect your boundaries as well. If you know that hosting Christmas dinner will increase your chronic pain and cause you to not enjoy the holiday, it's your responsibility to say no.
No matter how hard it might be, for your health and your pain management, learn to say know during the holidays when your health is literally at stake.
Ask For Help
According to another recent poll on About.com, respondents were asked "What Holiday-Related Difficulties Are Worst For You?" Of the 926 votes, 16% said holiday stress, another 16% said dealing with people or crowds, and cleaning/decorating came in with 12%, tied with Shopping and Cooking.
What does this poll tell us? What do our patients stress about every holiday? Being overwhelmed with the amount of things to get done, matched with the busy holiday shopping scene and the Griswald style decorating that is in the works, takes an incredible toll on the body whether you're dealing with chronic pain or not. It's too much to take on for anyone, and when you factor in lack of sleep it becomes nearly unbearable.
Our final stress relieving tip for the holidays, and yet again another exceedingly important one, is to ask for help. No one should have to take on all the chores of the holidays alone, especially if you're living with chronic pain and chronic fatigue.
In the About.com poll, 8% of all respondents were worried that they would miss out on the fun things associated with Christmas. However, if you don't take time out for yourself, learn to say no and respect your health boundaries, and ask for help, you will miss out on the holiday fun because you'll be suffering, not living, with your chronic pain.
