Shownotes
The festive season can be a challenging time for so many reasons; more triggers, complex family dynamics, more commitments, late nights and increased food and drink. If you feel overwhelmed about the upcoming festivities this episode is for you. I cover four of the most important things to consider as you support your body through this time and navigate the festive season alongside your healing journey.
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How to Navigate the Festive Season While Managing Chronic Fatigue and Burnout
The festive season is a time that many people look forward to, but for others, it can be a time of added stress and overwhelm. Many factors can make this time of year challenging, from the physical triggers of different foods and drinks to the emotional triggers of complex family dynamics and social obligations.
It’s common to feel out of control during this time, whether with your food choices or schedule. It can be challenging if you’re dealing with a chronic illness or other health condition that impacts your daily life. But there are ways to navigate the festive season more efficiently and support your body through this time.
There are four key areas to consider as you prepare for the holiday season. These areas include practical strategies for setting intentions, nervous system care, managing your food and drink intake and setting healthy boundaries.
1. Set Intentions
Setting intentions that act as a guide or reference point to navigate this time effectively is essential. Intention setting involves asking yourself what’s important to you during the next four to six weeks and focusing on it. For example, it could be a time to slow down, focus on health, rest, or prioritize connecting with friends and family. It’s crucial to make clear boundaries and manage outcomes to achieve these intentions.
It’s also important to remember that everything we do is for a feeling. As human beings, we tend to move away from pain and towards pleasure. Therefore, it’s essential to consider what you want to feel during this time and how you want the experience to unfold. You can think, sit quietly, and journal your thoughts or answers to this question.
It’s possible to have both, meaning you can prioritize your health while maintaining supportive relationships with friends and family. Having a clear framework or north star helps to stay connected to what matters during this season, and intention setting provides a guide to navigate through it effectively. By being intentional about how you use your time, what you say yes or no to, and staying connected to what matters, you can manage outcomes and make the most of this winter season.
2. Nervous System Care
It is essential to prioritize our self-care, particularly regarding the health of our nervous system. Dr. Rosanne Austin explains that having tools and strategies to self-regulate is crucial to managing triggers and setting healthy boundaries during this time. Regardless of whether one has a chronic fatigue condition, the entire world needs these tools to self-regulate. It is vital to maintain these tools during this time and to continue using them.
The nervous system plays a significant role in our ability to self-regulate, and keeping it well-regulated to set healthy boundaries is essential. When the nervous system is dysregulated, we may find that our boundaries are too loose or too rigid, leading to disconnection and exacerbating feelings of loneliness during the festive season. Therefore, it is vital to prioritize the health of our nervous system as the foundation for setting healthy boundaries.
It is also essential to use nervous system self-care to curb anxiety around food, alcohol, and staying up late. Suppose our symptoms are exacerbated because of a change in routine or diet. In that case, it is essential not to spiral into worry and anxiety, as this will worsen the symptoms further. So, having ways to self-regulate during this time is crucial to avoid becoming overly anxious about things that feel out of control.
A toolbox of self-care strategies is essential, particularly during the festive season. Free resources are available on the blog and podcast, including a nervous system mini-course for supporting individuals in finding ways to self-regulate and prioritize their nervous system health. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the next step for keeping our nervous system and not neglecting self-care during this time.
3. Manage Your Food and Drink
The holiday season can also be a time of excess, derailing your health goals. Here are some tips for maintaining health during the festive season and enjoying yourself.
Hydration is essential for healthy cells and supporting the kidneys in detoxification. It is best to drink enough water so that urine is pale yellow. Additionally, if you consume dehydrating beverages, such as alcohol or caffeine, adding electrolytes could be beneficial in keeping hydration levels up.
Apart from that, managing sugar, alcohol, and higher carbohydrate foods are crucial during the festive season. These foods can cause dysregulation in blood sugar levels, increasing inflammation and histamine production. Furthermore, it can impact sleep, which affects recovery. Prioritize these types of food for lunchtime instead of in the evening so you can use the rest of the day to rebalance blood sugar, which may be better for sleep and recovery. It is also essential to focus on protein and vegetables while keeping portions of sugary or higher carbohydrate foods to a minimum.
When choosing alcohol, it is best to have it with a meal and not on an empty stomach. Certain drinks, such as clean drinks like spirits, may work better than others. In contrast, fermented beverages like wine may be more challenging, especially if mold is toxic. Trial and error are recommended to determine what works best for one’s system. Offering to bring a high-protein or high-vegetable dish to a party can also help stabilize and balance blood sugar levels.
Our body responds differently to various foods and drinks. Knowing our body and what works well for it can help us make choices that align with our health goals and intentions for the festive season. As long as our intentions align with our preferences, we should come out of the festive season feeling content with our decisions rather than disappointed in ourselves for going backward in our health journey.
4. Setting Healthy Boundaries
Establishing boundaries around rest, food and drink, connection, and conversations is essential. Boundaries are necessary for protecting our needs, and it is crucial to connect with our intentions to determine the rules we need to follow to honor them. Think about which people we should spend our energy on and avoid.
Setting boundaries takes work, especially for those who tend to please people. However, it is easier to set verbal boundaries if we approach conversations from a regulated space. Understanding that setting boundaries do not mean creating a wall is crucial. Instead, it is about communicating our needs to have healthy relationships with others. If verbal boundaries are not honored, we may need to take a specific action, such as removing ourselves from situations or declining certain events.
Maintaining healthy habits such as eating well, sleeping well, staying hydrated, and limiting coffee and alcohol intake can help regulate our nervous system. The importance of being in a regulated state is that we can be more aware of what we need, which is essential in setting boundaries.
By focusing on these four areas, we can build a robust support system for ourselves and create a holiday season that is both joyful and nourishing.
Whether you’re dealing with chronic fatigue, burnout, or other health challenges, these strategies will help you take care of yourself and stay grounded during an overwhelming time.
So if you’re feeling anxious about the upcoming festivities, tune in to this episode and discover how you can navigate the holiday season with greater ease and grace.
LET’S RECAP!
The holiday season can be an overwhelming time for many people, but it doesn’t have to be a time of added stress and anxiety. With the right strategies, you can navigate this time with ease and grace.
Firstly, set intentions for the holiday season. By asking yourself what’s important to you during the next few weeks and focusing on it, you can have a clear framework to stay connected to what matters. Secondly, prioritize nervous system care. Tools and strategies to self-regulate are crucial to managing triggers and setting healthy boundaries during this time. Maintaining these tools is essential for everyone, regardless of whether one has a chronic fatigue condition.
Next, manage your food and drink intake. It’s easy to fall into a trap of excess during the holiday season, derailing your health goals. But with a few tips like prioritizing hydration, focusing on protein and vegetables, and choosing clean drinks, you can maintain your health goals and still enjoy yourself.
Lastly, setting healthy boundaries is essential. Establishing boundaries around rest, food and drink, connection, and conversations are necessary for protecting our needs. It’s crucial to connect with our intentions to determine the rules we need to follow to honor them. By focusing on these four areas, you can create a holiday season that is both joyful and nourishing, regardless of your health challenges.
So, if you’re feeling anxious about the upcoming festivities, don’t fret. These strategies will help you take care of yourself and stay grounded during this overwhelming time. You deserve to have a holiday season that is both meaningful and enjoyable, so take the time to prioritize your health and well-being.
