Happy Holidays to all of you! I hope that you are all getting through the holidays taking care of yourselves and with minimal pain. I decided I would write down some tips that may help you through the holidays. I know they work. They are things I have learned both in my previous nursing profession with my patients and with my own personal chronic pain. Of course nurses are the worst for taking their own advice. I believe we make the worst patients on the planet. We tend to want to take care of others and forget taking care of ourselves as we should, so I don't always do these things according to plan and as I should. (There I go, shoulding on myself again!) I'm not being nice to myself when I do that, but these tips are worth noting and if even one of them helps one person, it has been worth my time to write this article.
Here are the tips that I think work the best to fight pain and depression, not just through the holiday season, but anytime and especially during times of stress.
- If you are on pain medications, take them on time, as prescribed. Don't wait until you are in pain to take them. Take them at regularly scheduled times. It's much easier to prevent your pain from accelerating than it is to rescue it once it's out of control. It takes longer to get it back under control than to prevent it in the first place. Don't kid yourself....you will be in more pain if you don't take your meds on time and on a regular schedule!
- Drink plenty of water during the holidays. Drinking lots of water helps you to feel less hungry, helps your body absorb your medications better and is just really good for your overall health. It will also help you to battle the urge to eat all those holiday goodies which will make you gain weight and increase your pain. If you take medications that dry your mouth out, it will help to keep your whistle wet and keep away that awful cotton candy feel in your mouth. Get yourself a personal water bottle and keep it with you where ever you go. Stay away from caffeinated beverages, such as coffee and coffee type drinks. Caffeine tenses your muscles and increases your pain. Read the cans and bottles on beverages for caffeine content. Most soda is very high in caffeine content. Tea is also high in caffeine... not as high as coffee but if you think you can drink more of it because it has less caffeine, you are mistaken. It accumulates in your body and before you know it, you will be wondering why you are in so much pain, even though you've followed all the other rules. There are herbal teas that are wonderful tasting that do not have caffeine. If you are a tea drinker try some of them.
- Pace yourself! Don't do more than you can comfortably do in a given day. Learn to accept yourself and where you are at right now and each day. Take time out from your activities whenever you need to. You are not lazy! You are in chronic pain and it is not your fault. Be honest with yourself and with those around you. Your family and friends can't feel what you are feeling. Just tell them in a matter of fact way, that you are in pain and that you understand that it may be disappointing to them at times but there is only so much you can handle today. Tomorrow may be different. Plan activities as a family that you can actually handle. Maybe you can handle going to a movie with your family but not going skiing. That's okay. Do something though. Don't hide yourself because of your pain. Find things to do that you can handle doing and don't beat yourself up because you can't do more. Don't make promises and plan activities that are beyond your scope. This only disappoints your family more and gives them unrealistic expectations of you that you can't follow through on. Think before you speak
- Do some kind of exercise every day! Whether it's swimming at the pool that you can do, or gentle stretching exercises, even walking a short distance to keep yourself from getting stiffened...do some kind of exercise. Don't be a couch potato or a bed bug. Lying there doing nothing is the worst thing you can do to yourself and you are telling your brain that you are not in control of your pain but your pain is in control of you, which gives your pain control of your life. You be in control of your pain.
- Do something nice for someone else every day. Visit a friend if possible, or someone else who may be in chronic pain. Compliment someone about their smile or make simple little handmade gifts for friends and family. Focusing positively on others, makes them and you feel better. It takes the focus off of your pain.
- Avoid talking about your pain all the time to just anyone. I believe that the biggest reason that Job in the Bible made it through all of his trials, was that he focused on positive things and not on his trials. He spent much of his time in prayer to God and did not complain, although he had great reason to. We are not required as Christians today, to be under the law as Job was then, but focusing on our pain can make it worse. It can also ruin friendships, make us look self-centered and give people room for gossip that do not understand chronic pain. Even when we spend time with God, He already knows how much pain we are in. We don't have to tell Him. Instead of complaining of your pain, ask Him to give you strength to handle your pain and ask him for wisdom for yourself and for your doctors and pray for your doctors to be able to help you do the right things for you.
- Do keep up with your support groups and systems and try to help others by making suggestions that may help them. Be tactful and supportive of others. Talk with the right people about your pain...people who understand your situation and are in it themselves. They do understand the difference it makes in your life. Allow others to make suggestions to you. We do not all have the same story, so show acceptance of yourself and others in a kind and positive manner. No one person can feel another person's pain, but we do know the devastating effect that it has in our lives and in the lives of others. We can get through this together, and we will.
Love and blessings,
Marie Gruidl
Administrator