Unwrap the gift of pacing
Sometimes it feels like Santa has made a loooong list of triggers and is checking it twice.
Hot weather? Check.
Big meals? Check.
Alcohol? Check.
Rushing around? Check.
Family stress? Check.
Shopping centres, fluorescent lights and Christmas carols? Check, check, check…
Many people with chronic, invisible illnesses can pull it together for the big event days of the year (can someone please tell Aunty Janice not to say “you look well!”), but this exertion can come at a cost for the days and weeks to follow. Before you end up more cooked than a Christmas turkey, try these pacing tips on for size.
Pre-emptively resting
A little bit of pre-event rest goes a long way at this time of year (and always). In pacing we call it ‘cushioning’ - the art of putting lower intensity tasks/restorative activities before and after a higher load such as a social event.
This could look like a deliberate rest day on Christmas Eve (may I recommend Love Actually), minimising your appointments in December, shopping online rather than tackling the stores, or keeping things low-key if you have an evening event. Although it can be difficult to rest without the presence of a symptomatic flare up, the idea here is to charge up your body battery level as much as possible, so that less damage control has to occur afterwards.
Planning and prioritising
A quote comes to mind here: “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything”, and the holiday season is the epitome of this. To prioritise is to be honest with yourself about what the MOST important thing(s) are, which allow you to live a life in line with your values. It can be useful to write out your entire to-do list, and start to examine which items you need to do, want to do, and really don’t have to do. A duration and intensity should be then attributed to each item on the list (eg: get sparkly Christmas themed nails done, 60 minutes, low physical intensity and moderate sensory intensity). This can then be slotted into your existing schedule in a way that makes sense for your day and week.
Substituting, simplifying, spreading, strengthening and softening
Living with chronic, invisible illnesses and fluctuating symptoms doesn’t mean crossing everything off the list. If a task has been deemed as meaningful, important and a SIM (something which generates a signal of Safety In Me), then we firmly believe in gently shaping it to fit. For example, if you always bring the gingerbread house to Aunty Janice’s house and it just won’t be Christmas without it; you could:
Proceed with the task, but swap it for another physical load that day/week. If you know that you tolerate one moderate-high physical bout every few days, making the gingerbread house may take the place of cleaning the shower that week (and is much more yummy).
Simplify the task by using pre-purchased gingerbread pieces, or getting your friends and family together to help with decorating (you could be the Chief Designer instead).
Spread the task over a matter of days by segmenting it into smaller parts, making the dough on one day, baking it the next, assembling, and then decorating (being sure to taste test along the way).
Strengthen the self you bring to the task by ensuring that you have your SIMs with you: compression leggings, being fully hydrated, having snacks on hand, going into the kitchen with a clear mind and a plan (including a timer for breaks).
Soften the task by doing what you can from a seated/recumbent position, dimming the lights, playing those Christmas carols on low (or not at all - no judgement here!), using an electric mixer, and if all else fails: you could present a deconstructed gingerbread shack instead.
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, we hope that you can give yourself the gift of pacing this silly season - go gently, rest deeply, and always watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at 8pm on Christmas night.
