Spoonie tips for surviving the festive season!

I adore Christmas but thinking about my actual plans makes me feel the same way as I do when I think about going on holiday... Extreme excitement but even 'extreme-er' anxiety. I think every other spoonie out there understands me when I say that. As exciting as it all is, it is a very busy, sociable time and to me; that sounds rather daunting. So I'm going to share a few tips with you on how I'll be making sure my Christmas runs as smoothly as possible!

Gift shopping!
Before you can begin to worry about how you're going to get through the Christmas party, you have to worry about the secret santa exchange that will be happening there!
Shopping in December is a nightmare for anyone but for us who are in pain just walking around the house, the thought of trying to manoeuvre 'round the eager sale enthusiasts, is more of a night-terror..
So the obvious solution is online shopping! I sometimes think 'I can just do a few shops, it will be nice to be around the festive spirit' and then I regret ever thinking that when I'm in bed, barely able to move a limb. So if you're like me, don't risk it, get all your shopping done online. There's also a lot more sales online, especially around this time of year, so as long as you can make it out of bed and to door; you're sorted!

Sleep!
Prioritise sleep. Sleep plays a big part in my day, if I haven't had any my symptoms are often worse than usual and I find it a lot harder to get through the day. I would recommend a strict routine the week before xmas, not that it always works but a good amount of sleep and rest is going to help a lot!
I have a sleep schedule that I was given at the hospital a couple of years ago that is helpful for temporarily putting a sleeping pattern in place, if it would be useful for you to see, let me know and I can type it up and put on my Facebook or Twitter!

Don't over do it!
Don't over-book your time, it's ok to say no. Festive gatherings; spending time with family and friends sounds great but sometimes if you've already had a 'busy' week, for your own good, you're better to kindly decline. I've made the mistake many times before of over planning, when I'm having a good day I sometimes forget to think ahead and I try to take on the world and then again, I end up back at square one! So even if something seems manageable at the time, we've all learnt by now that even the slightest task can come back to bite us in the ass, so please do treat yourself extra delicately this Christmas and don't ever be afraid to ask someone else to step in and help you out.

Take a break!
Take a step back out of the crowd. Socialising is one of those things that catches me off guard, one minute I'm laughing, happily chatting away and then the next, my energy has plummeted and I find it hard to carry on the conversation, which at that point I'm better to politely take myself out of the situation. So if any point you feel like you could do with disappearing from a busy atmosphere, don't be afraid to take a moment out, I'm sure that your family will understand and won't miss you too much!

Stay warm!
I don't know about you but my body doesn't act well with the cold weather, I have flare-ups from walking down the fridge aisles in Asda...
Most chronic pain sufferers symptoms worsen throughout the winter, so layer up and keep your fingers and toes snug! If you're traveling, whether it be a 10 minute drive or across country, take a blanket with you, keep your body warm and comfortable to avoid pain increase. Hot water bottles are also my best friend, all year 'round but especially in the winter, they're a good thing to have most nights but they're also a jolly good traveling companion!

Pre-ready!
Something I do to save a little energy on the day is I start getting ready the night before... Which sounds outrageous but I don't mean that I go to bed with my false 'lashes on. I find it helpful to style my hair the night before, so that in the morning, I only need to brush my bed head out and go over my already, almost done hair! I also break down my tasks in the morning when getting ready, so I'm not just sat at my table for 2 hours straight. I could paint one eye on, go have a drink, come back and do an eyebrow and so on... If you already have manageable hair that doesn't take long or you're a man... then I suppose this isn't a useful tip for you but for me, if I were to wash, dry and style my hair as well as get dressed and put my face on in the morning, I'd have to crawl out of the door.

If you have anymore tips for me on how to keep my feet on the ground throughout this busy time, please do let me know!

 I wish you all the best health and I hope that your Christmas plans can be achieved (and that you don't suffer too horribly afterwords!)