Ways to Keep Pain from Spoiling your Holiday
Some of the best days of the year typically revolve around holidays. Regardless of what your annual traditions are, and which holidays make your personal calendar, pain should not be a reason you don’t get to join in the celebrations.
We realize, however, that for many chronic pain sufferers, pain is an uninvited guest who shows up no matter the occasion. (Top that off with COVID-19 being a potential added threat and you may be thinking you should just stay hidden in bed.) But don’t climb back under the covers just yet – we've put together a list of best practices for thriving through the holiday season!
Reach Out for Support
One of the best ways to ensure your holiday plans will not be overthrown by pain is to identify people in your life who can offer specific kinds of support. This means taking the time – prior to the holidays – to inventory all your loved ones and identify which one(s) might be good at following through on specific helpful tasks. For example, you may consider asking for:
Rides to and from holiday destinations
Help cleaning and to decorate your home if you are hosting
Grocery pick-up and delivery
Cooking or baking – make it a potluck celebration!
Company for a holiday movie night if you are feeling low or just needing downtime
Don’t be shy about asking for support. Chances are your loved ones will jump at the chance to spend the extra time with you! Pain management Asheville NC clinics also recommend you see your care team as part of that support. Don’t hesitate to reach out for ideas or modified treatment options if you need to.
Stay Active—but Set Boundaries
Having a plan is always a good idea, but even more so during the holidays. As you talk with the people in your circles who are hosting or planning, get as many details as possible. This will allow you to have a game plan ahead of time so you can join in the fun at your own comfort level.
Some of the boundaries you choose to set may involve more than just your actions, too, and that’s okay! For example, if your condition or treatment makes you immune-compromised, find out if masks can be a required part of the guests’ party attire. Other boundaries may just be small, private choices such as not drinking alcohol if you know it tends to be a trigger for you or setting a time you need to be home by so that you don’t overextend yourself.
Take care of Yourself
As ridiculous as it sounds, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself throughout the busyness of holiday schedules! Remember to include the small but important choices that help get you through each day.
Stay hydrated
Get enough rest
Keep as much of your normal routine as possible
Practice relaxation techniques
Expert pain management Asheville NC doctors encourage you to set up an office visit during the month before your holiday plans begin to ensure you’re in tip top shape. You can also use that time to get any last-minute tips from your pain team about self-care recommendations.
Check-in with your Mental Health
We encourage you to keep tabs on your emotional and mental health throughout the holidays as well. Physical pain doesn’t exist in a vacuum; your physical state can impact your mental state and vice versa. If you’re feeling any increased anxiety or depression, don’t just try to muscle through it. Consider taking the time to journal or see a therapist during the holiday season to give your mind the space and time to process all the emotions that come with nostalgic traditions.
Check out the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association’s twitter suggestions for more ideas on preserving your mental (and physical) health during the holidays. (They were shared from pain experts as well as chronic pain sufferers like you!)
Continue to Follow your Pain Management Plan
This tip overlaps a bit with the reminder to take care of yourself because, just like self-care, it’s easy to forget to do in all the holiday hustle and bustle. Plan ahead to ensure you:
Make time to do any prescribed physical therapy exercises or stretches
Take vitamins and/or pain medications as usual (consider setting a phone alert so you don’t forget!)
If you’ve had a recent surgery, be sure to follow your doctor’s recovery steps
In short, the holidays are not the time to slack on doctor’s orders. Your loved ones will understand if you need to take a break or show up late for these reasons.
Pain Management Doctors Asheville NC
We understand that every person and pain is unique and so we also encourage you to see your pain management specialist to get custom tips that will work best for you. Give us a call today to schedule your pre-holiday appointment! We will do all we can to ensure your holidays are as relaxing and pain-free as possible.
Get in touch with us by calling 828-483-4438
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute medical advice, nor does reading or accessing this information create a patient-provider relationship. Comments that you post will be shared with all visitors to this page. All comments are not governed by HIPAA and you should not post any private health information.