Enjoying Christmas and New Year With Osteoarthritis
The holidays can be a difficult time for anyone suffering from arthritis, and those with osteoarthritis are no exception. According to some experts, this form of arthritis can actually put the biggest damper on the holidays due to its negative effects, but I'm here to tell you it doesn’t have to.
You may think the holidays with OA will be disappointing, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy the holidays just as much as everyone else, and by following these guidelines you will have one of the best holiday seasons of your life.
Rest Up Before the Festivities
During the holidays, you’re going to be spending a lot of time on your feet. Between shopping to buy gifts, mingling at parties, and baking Christmas cookies, your body is getting a lot more stress put on it than it normally does. While some people think that this means they simply cannot handle the holiday season, the mean reason behind this difficulty is largely because you put too much stress on your body during the weeks leading up to the holiday.
While it’s nice to spend weeks and weeks planning, this simply isn’t necessary. To avoid this, you can consider doing some of your holiday shopping online, hire someone to help you with cooking, and spend a little more time sleeping at night to give your body the rest it needs. The less activity and the more rest you get leading up to the holiday, the better you’ll be able to cope once it arrives.
Ask for Help
A lot of people want to do things for themselves, and while it’s a great thing to be independent, it doesn’t hurt to ask for help every now and then. You can ask someone close to you to help finish up the baking, or . Asking for help will allow you to get everything done, while offering your body with the rest it needs.
Avoid Extra Stress
Reducing your stress levels during the holidays might sound easier said than done, but it can play a huge role in how you feel. As you may know, osteoarthritis and stress takes a toll on your body, and the hormones released during stressful events can even cause a flare-up to occur.
A lot of people find themselves under a lot of stress during the holiday season, but it’s often because they didn’t plan ahead. Without the right planning, you’ll end up running around trying to finish up last minute chores, and put more stress on your body than you really need to. With all that extra activity, anyone is going to feel terrible once Christmas and New Year actually arrive.
Take some time to plan ahead, then create a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. You’ll get everything done in a timely manner, and rather than scurrying around with the others who didn’t use proper planning, you’ll be resting in bed, preparing for the upcoming festivities.
Happy holidays!