The holiday season is quickly approaching, and we know how busy that the next twelve weeks can be. Here we talk about 4 secrets to thriving the holiday season. One of the things that people with chronic illness struggle with the most during this time of year is missing out. While this year COVID will have many holiday celebrations taking on a different look, chronic illness patients know the feeling of having to miss the event because of illness. Over the years, learning to manage the pain I have found ways to help enjoy time with family and friends.
The first secret to thriving the holiday season is to plan ahead. Grab a notebook to keep all of your holiday planning in one location. This eliminates the unnecessary stress of where did you place the list you had so diligently constructed this morning. In the light of a Christmas season in COVID, planning will make things easier for everyone.
Do you host guest in your home during the next twelve weeks?
It does not have to be overwhelming or make you exhausted. Make your list manageable leading up to everyones arrival. Take a room a week to prepare for those guest to stay. If your sheets need to be cleaned then begin to wash them first thing in the morning. Tackle your dusting in that room on the same day. This is not the time to reorganize or clean out the area because it will take your extra energy. One day this week tackle your guest bathroom cleaning. Once the space is ready for your guest then you can work on the other areas of planning.
Food preparation is a large part of hosting guest in our homes. Meals go way beyond the big family meal the day off your holiday celebration. One plan that works best for those with chronic illness is begin to double batch your cooking now to freeze for later. If you make two pans of lasagna this week then you have one the week the family in home for the holiday. Create a menu for the days where your home will have guest. This helps in the planning, saving your energy and spreading your spending out. Another tip for those with chronic illness is have family members bring dishes or cook a meal. These tips help keep meal prep simple for your family and what works best for your body.
Look at the calendar with your loved ones to decide what works best for you to attend.
You do not have to make every event during the next twelve weeks. When we try to do it all then we quickly realize that our bodies are exhausted. We miss the most important things. It is most key to decide ahead of time what family events are most important for you to attend. When you can skip the work Christmas party or the Sunday school luncheon to attend your family Christmas Eve meal then you will be glad you planned ahead.
The third secret to thriving the holiday season is to plan your shopping ahead of time. If you are not someone who shops throughout the year for your gifts then plan weeks head to shop for your loved ones. The list you have created is key to making this part of your plan work smoothly. Shopping local and small is very important to businesses during the holidays. There are so many of these businesses that require you to go to their physical store to do this shopping.
On the day that you choose to shop local make a plan of the easiest route to accomplish what you can while you are out. Shopping takes so much energy for those of us with chronic illnesses so having a plan of which stores you need to go to and where the best place to park is key to making your day a success.
The number four secret to thriving holiday season is to know your limits,
and ask for help before you have reached them. Most of the time our family wants to enjoy their time with us so they would rather us be honest about our limits. When we admit ahead of time to our loved ones that we are about to hit the exhaustion all then we will be able to work together to enjoy the rest of our time together. When your body requires rest then it is best to take that rest.
Holidays are busy any year. I have created a Holiday Planner to help you go from surviving to thriving this holiday season. Chronic illness can complicate how we can easily find ourselves filled with exhaustion. Click here to get the Holiday Planner sent directly to your mail box. When we are proactive with a plan to overcome this holiday exhaustion then everyone enjoys their season.
Great post! Started planning my meals for Thanksgiving today!
I know you have lots of good recipes planned Patsy!