Preparing for the Holidays When You Have a Chronic Illness

I absolutely adore the holiday season because of the warm fuzzy feelings it brings out. (It also makes me think of hygge, but that’s another story…) I love seeing all the festive decorations and attending holiday-themed events whenever I can.

But the holidays can also be rather tough on those with chronic illness, particularly if you are struggling with fatigue. There are so many fun events happening this time of year, and chances are, you probably want to attend everything you see!

I browse through local events on Facebook and Eventbrite and click “interested” on sooooo many things, not thinking about how I will muster up the time and energy to attend each one. Everything looks like so much fun! But when it comes down to it, I realize there is only so much I can do, and it’s often less than the average person without chronic illness can manage.

So, how can you enjoy the holiday season without overdoing it or feeling like you’re missing out?

There’s a fine line when managing chronic illness. You need to pace yourself and avoid overexertion, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should resign yourself to your bed or the couch 24/7.

Of course, there are different degrees of chronic illness. Some people, like me, have mild chronic fatigue syndrome, while others have severe CFS and are bedbound.

When I write, I speak from my own personal experience. So, if anything I suggest isn’t accessible to you, please try not to get upset or frustrated. Instead, focus on what you can do. How can you modify the suggestions you read from me or anyone else on the internet?

The goal is to find a balance between fun, responsibility, and rest that works for you. Each person’s situation is unique, so you may need to do a little experimenting to figure out where your balance is.

Here are a few ways to do this:

1. Prioritize the Activities That Matter Most to You 

Chronic fatigue and other limitations caused by chronic illness can make it difficult to pack your evenings and weekends with holiday-themed events. Although you might see your friends, family, or social media acquaintances posting up a storm of all the fun things they’re doing, don’t feel pressured to keep up with them. You’ll only burn yourself out.

Instead, think about which activities really add the most value to your holiday season. Add those to your calendar and skip the rest. (BTW, if seeing loads of posts and pictures of everyone else’s seemingly perfect holiday festivities gives you FOMO or makes you feel bad about your limitations, consider taking a break from social media or unfollowing any account that makes you feel worse about yourself.)

2. Allow for Time to Rest Between Events

Some people like to be on the move from the moment they open their eyes in the morning to the time they lay their head on the pillow at night. A schedule like that can completely fry you if you have a chronic illness.

When planning your favorite holiday activities, be sure to avoid scheduling anything back to back. For the most part, I try to limit myself to one event per weekend, although that can be a little harder to do during the holiday season.

If you must attend events on consecutive days or more than one event on the same day, at least give yourself a little space cushion between them where you can rest. Take a nap, meditate, listen to an audiobook, or do anything that helps you relax and decompress. 

3. Break Holiday Tasks into Smaller Steps 

Cooking is one of the most common holiday tasks, and although it can be enjoyable, it can also be overwhelming if you have a chronic illness. If you are able to cook, I have some tips to help make it less daunting if you tend to get tired while preparing meals. I often need to take breaks when cooking or cleaning, so I completely understand!

• Starting to prepare meals in advance is one of my favorite tricks for making holiday cooking more manageable. I don’t know about you, but cooking meals from scratch the morning of the holiday and then going out to spend time with loved ones can make for a very long and exhausting day, even though it is filled with things I enjoy. Then, I end up crashing the next day, which is a big problem if I have to work. For this reason, I like to break up my cooking into multiple days if possible (ex. Chopping ingredients one day, assembling and cooking the next).
• Take breaks as needed. One of my favorite holiday recipes (which I’ll share later) involves a lot of chopping, so I sit down to rest for a few minutes here and there if I get tired.
• Ask others for help. You can enlist the help of someone else in your household to pitch in with the chopping or other tasks.

On that note, I’d like to share one of my all-time favorite holiday recipes: a Scottish side dish called Rumblethumps. They’re delicious, and of course, I get a kick out of the name (although it always makes me think of Rumpelstiltskin). Anyhow, this dish is based around potatoes, which are hands down one of the best foods, in my opinion! Here’s how I make them:

Rumbledethumps

Makes 8 servings

Supplies needed: 9”x13” baking dish, large skillet, large pot, potato masher or hand mixer

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ head green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 ½ lbs yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 1 lb turnips, peeled and chopped into large chunks
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup chives, chopped (or 4 tsp dried)
• Sea salt (to taste)
• 4 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. 
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Place cabbage in the skillet and saute until softened, about 7 minutes. Set aside. 
3. Add potatoes and turnips to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until tender. Drain and return potatoes and turnips to the pot.
4. Add butter to the pot, then use a potato masher or hand mixer to mash the potatoes and turnips.
5. Stir in chives and cabbage. Add salt to taste.
6. Spread mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Uncover dish and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Now, if you have moderate to severe chronic fatigue, you might not have the energy to prepare a holiday meal at all. In that case, you can opt for prepared foods. Don’t feel pressured to cook from scratch if it is truly draining for you.

And for my fellow budget-conscious folks, you can save on prepared foods by taking advantage of apps like Ibotta (that’s my referral link if you’d like to check it out or enter code: FQKLFHE) and checking the sales at your local stores. You can often find good deals on traditional holiday foods around this time.

Wishing you a happy holiday season! Remember to take good care of yourself. And if you have any other tips for managing chronic illness during the holidays, please feel free to share!