Guest Post: Coping With the Hustle and Bustle of the Holidays With Fibromyalgia

A guest post by Sarah Borien
A guest post by Sarah Borien

For many people, Christmas is the highlight of the year. It’s a chance eat good food and watch bad TV surrounded by friends and family, reflecting on the year gone by and the year ahead. But for others, Christmas can be a lonely or stressful period that brings chaos and sadness.

For me, it’s somewhere in between. At the beginning of December I feel giddy with Christmas spirit, singing along to the Christmas classics and gorging on mince pies, but it’s hard work to sustain the excitement for 25 days and at some point the hustle and bustle gets the better of me.

As a fibromyalgia sufferer I find the Christmas period can be exhausting and, at times, a little bit overwhelming, so this year I made a list of survival tips to help cope with anything and everything that December could throw at me.

  1. Slow It Down

For most of us, the pressure of Christmas is pressure we put on ourselves. Nobody demands anything of us, but we feel stressed because of all the things we think we should be doing. Let this be the year that you step back and slow it down, focusing your energy on the things you really want to do.

I made a list of all the things I want to do this Christmas and I’m going to be strict with myself; everything else can wait until the New Year… or maybe even Easter! You don’t need to be Superman or Wonder Woman to survive Christmas, you just need to prioritise and take your time.

  1. Christmas Party

The office Christmas party has got itself a bit of a reputation over the years. There’s an assumption that wherever you work, you’ll all come together in high heels and sparkles, eating canapes and dancing to Taylor Swift with your boss.

Not every Christmas party has to be like this. If you want to celebrate with work colleagues but don’t fancy an exhausting lavish affair, why not organise something a bit more low key? Lunch at the local pub ensures you get to join in the festivities without putting your body under pressure.

  1. Shopping From Your Sofa

One of the reasons I find Christmas a bit stressful is because of the long list of things I need to do to prepare for the big day, and Christmas shopping is high on that list. I used to really love Christmas shopping — wandering around the London shops, watching carol singers and sipping on hot chocolate — but these days wandering has become hobbling and it’s not as enjoyable as it once was.

This is where online shopping really comes into its own. It’s time to put on your most comfortable pyjamas, invite a friend over, put on a Christmas film and browse the internet for as long as your fingers can cope! You don’t have to do it all in one go, but making an ‘event’ of your Christmas shopping means you don’t have to sacrifice the spirit to protect yourself from pain. Plus, when the presents arrive, you get to do it all again!

  1. Find Your Festive Cheer

What do you really love about Christmas? This year I’ve decided to focus on what I really love about this time of year and I’m going to block out all the rest. For example, I’m not too bothered about a tree and it’s a lot of physical effort that I can do without, so call me Scrooge if you will (many have!), but this year I’m putting up fairy lights and a few ornaments and nothing more.

My focus this year is on the four Fs: food, fizz, family and films. I love eating all the classic Christmas foods and toasting friends and family with a bottle of fizz to see in the Christmas season. And, when I’m exhausted or sore and fancy a bit of solitude, I put Miracle on 34th Street on the TV and pour myself a drop of sherry! Christmas means something different to us all, so focus on your own cheer and you’re sure to feel festive and rested.

Merry Christmas everyone, and I hope you have a happy and healthy New Year.


Fibromyalgia Community

newlifeoutlook | Fibromyalgia

 

Sarah-BorienAbout the author:
Sarah is 30 years old and lives in South London, UK, with her partner and cats. She has had fibromyalgia since 2009 and is passionate about finding and sharing new coping strategies. By day she works in corporate responsibility and the rest of the time she writes for her blog, A Life Less Physical and for NewLifeOutlook|Fibromyalgia.

Donna Grant

Hello, I'm Donna. I'm a Scottish artist who lives with chronic illness. My blog began in 2013 as a means for me to share and connect with others living with chronic illness. On my blog, I have shared my journey back to better health and the diagnoses I faced along the way. I now work as an artist and sell my products in my online shop. I continue to write about chronic illness on my blog and also share helpful posts about art, business and bullet journalling.

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4 Comments

  1. “This year I’ve decided to focus on what I really love about this time of year and I’m going to block out all the rest.” I need to do this too! I am quick to focus on my suffering and then get all sad when I see people happy … which isn’t OK. Cheers to focusing on the good stuff and Merry Christmas! XOXO

    1. It’s very easy to do unfortunately Lauren and it really does take a conscious effort to change that. But it’s definitely great advice and worth doing 🙂 I wish you a wonderful Christmas x

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