How to Survive the Silly Season with Chronic Pain
Most of us (with and without pain) look forward to the end of the year, with the expectation that once we get there, we will have time to do all the things that we haven’t had the time or energy to do during the year. “When I’m on holiday, then…” is the popular topic in the time leading up to the festive period. And right at the top of that “when I’m on holiday then list” is usually rest and recuperation. Once we get to the holiday however something happens and suddenly we have elaborate dinners to prepare, parties to host, presents to find, traditions to follow, decorations to hang and people to see (you even have to make time for grand aunt Ida, who you will spend the whole Christmas dinner finding flaws in the way that you prepared the turkey). And before you know it we have hit January (or Janu-worry as popular culture has now renamed it) with the feeling of “I need a holiday from my holiday”, and you haven’t done any of the resting or recuperation that you had planned to do.
Does all of this sound familiar? And what impact does this have on your pain? You will most likely have been less active, have eaten far to much of the stuff you don’t usually eat, and have a whole bunch of other worries (financial, what will the new year hold etc., etc.), all of which results in more pain!
Here are some practical tips and tricks to help you navigate the festive period and hopefully stop the downward spiral in its tracks!
Be mindful that your normal routine will probably change
Chances are that, with the kids home, being on holiday in a house that is not your own, or having friends and family staying with you, your normal routine will go out the window. This is OK, but planning for and expecting that your routine will change, will hopefully reduce the frustration you may feel, compared to having your routine suddenly changed without having mentally prepared for it. So spend some time thinking about how your routine might change. What are the things in your routine that you can do without, and what are the things you can’t change? For things that need to stay on a strict routine, like taking medication, set up an automatic reminder on your phone to keep you on track.
Stick to the basics
Good sleep and exercise are two important factors that help to modulate (or regulate) pain. So keeping up a good sleep and exercise routine, that is still flexible to the change in routine spoken about above, can help to manage and stave away any flare ups.
Plan downtime
Whether this be down time to read a book, go for a walk, do some yoga, watch an episode of your favorite TV series, or even taking a mid-day nap. Plan these periods of down time for a specific time during your day… and be specific about these planned down times. For example: today from 10h00 to 10h30 I am going to get a cup of tea and read my book in my favorite reading chair, and from 16h00 to 16h45 I’m going to take my dogs for a 2km walk in the forest behind my house. Having a specific planned downtime that you have carefully thought of and planned for ahead of time will not only allow you to recharge your batteries that day, but will also leave you feeling like you had a holiday by the end of, well, your holiday.
Be realistic
Spend some time thinking through how much you can realistically do. Tempering holiday activities and putting the brakes on things that are enjoyable doesn’t sound like much fun, but if you start out with an expectation that is not realistic then no matter how hard you try, you’ll never quite manage it all and you won’t have fun anyway. For example, you have decided to host Christmas lunch, you can’t wait to have the whole family around. But is it realistic for you to have not only your immediate family, but also the extended family around?
Share the load
If you are anything like me, then there is a huge temptation to “just do it all myself”, I want everyone else to have a good time and not to worry about doing anything… the problem with this, is, well that you are doing everything, and if you happen to have a bad pain day, that day, having to do it all your self will defiantly not be fun! So get great aunt Ida to do the turkey (although I can’t guarantee that she won’t find something else to complain about!)
Shop online
If COVID has taught us anything, it’s the power of the internet and delivery services. Avoid the ques and use the time and energy you would have used to go shopping, on other activities.
Did you know that your physiotherapist can help you with building realistic expectations and help plan activity? If you feel that some of these tips and tricks would help you, but you are not quiet sure how to implement them successfully, give your physiotherapist a call.
