Don't Let Chronic Pain Derail Your Holiday: A Guide to a More Comfortable Season

Living with chronic pain is never easy, even when you have a well-established routine to help with its management. The holidays, as festive and fun as they can be, tend to destroy anything resembling routine, which is, of course, part of their charm. 

As you attempt to squeeze more hours out of every day to fulfill your seasonal commitments, chronic pain may sneak up and derail your holiday. The team at Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, Florida, wants to help with our guide to a more comfortable season. 

The challenges of chronic pain

Depending on the condition behind your chronic pain, you may have trouble with mobility, high levels of fatigue, sleep disruptions, and a slower life in general. Managing pain may take a mix of medication, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and additional modalities that keep your pain under control. 

This can sometimes require a rigid routine to stay on top of pain management while completing the tasks needed to get through a typical day. When the holidays hit, time management can hit crisis proportions. 

Guide to a more comfortable holiday season

To cope with the demands of the holidays in light of your chronic pain condition, we recommend breaking your self-care requirements into three manageable aspects. 

Planning ahead

There are only so many hours a day, and when your normal life is already tight, it’s tricky to add to your social calendar or make time for the usual holiday preparations. Keep these strategies in mind as you enter the peak of the festivities: 

• Plan your travel: whether by air or automobile, allow plenty of time for the unexpected and build in maintenance and recovery time related to the requirements of your chronic pain condition
• Prioritize: define the events that matter most to you personally and avoid scheduling everything as “priority one.” 
• Delegate: ask for help and enlist favors from those who offer
• Use technology: online shopping services have never been more convenient, so avoid the unpredictability of crowds and holiday lineups

Know your pace. You won’t gain another gear of speed from force of will. Be realistic with what you expect from yourself. 

Manage expectations

Stress is a chronic pain agitator, and nothing builds stress like failed expectations. 

• Incorporate downtime: relaxation is key to enjoying the holidays and managing chronic pain, so build it into your schedule.
• Have an emergency pain management plan: when a flare-up occurs, be ready to take the steps you’ve worked out with your healthcare provider.
• It doesn’t need to be perfect: the quest for perfection is rarely a path to happiness, so laugh when the soufflé falls or when the cat knocks over the tree. 

In short, roll with the punches. The stress isn’t worth the additional pain. 

Maintain crucial routines

When you know that you do better with 8 hours of sleep, protect that time vigorously. Stay on your medication schedules and don’t drop physical activity when it’s a vital pain management plan component. 

Sample holiday treats in moderation. Stay hydrated. Minimize your alcohol intake. You know the drill; have the self-discipline to stick to the drill. Your enjoyment of the season will skyrocket. 

When pain flares, and you can’t get a handle on it, contact Florida Pain Management Institute at our nearest office. We’re here to help, so call or click to book your visit as soon as it’s necessary. Happy Holidays!