Finding the Balance During the Holiday Season

Give us some tips you use to balance the holidays and your health. How do you stay in your own boundaries and make sure you follow your health regime/plan?

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Well, this NHBPM blog entry topic literally makes me laugh out loud (so did yesterdays topic but I was too busy overdoing it yesterday to have time to write so look for that soon), because anyone who has gotten to know me knows I don't do balance well. It's almost comical how well I don't do balance. 

I feel good and do thing after thing after thing after thing until I feel really bad and lay in bed and tell my mom I'm dying over and over and over, wash, rinse, repeat. Or something like that. 

But surprisingly, this holiday season, so far, fingers crossed, I have done a great job at finding the balance. 

Maybe it's because I have just spent so much time in the hospital and have no desire to end up there again soon. Maybe it's because I'm not in school or work this holiday season so I'm ridiculously bored and have always loved the holidays and have time to spread it out. I don't know, but here is how I'm finding the balance for the holidays. 

*I have completed all my Christmas shopping (minus my sister who hasn't given me a list yet *ahem*) and did it all online one person at a time one day at a time so I didn't get overwhelmed. I didn't have to get out of bed. And I have amazon prime and was able to get most of my gifts off of there so I usually didn't even have to pay shipping! Just don't tell that I started with my best friend and my dog...haha

*I've decorated my room for Christmas and just did a small Christmas tree, a nativity scene that was already pre-assembled, and a sign to hang on the door. I also am in the process of making an advent calendar but I'm making that a little at a time since it can't be used until December 1st anyway.

*The house can't be decorated until after Thanksgiving according to my mom so that will be done at a slower pace with help.

*Say yes to a Christmas party here or there. Just know that you can't be the first guest there and the last guest out. Have your pre-planned "exit strategy" and regrets for having to leave early. Make sure you have in your head what you are going to say politely for why you aren't eating so you aren't sitting there explaining to every person "Well, I have this condition, and it makes me allergic to" or "I have a feeding tube so" not the place for that, been there done that. But go with your friends, have fun, just not too much fun, you will pay for it later. ;)

*For Thanksgiving, it's a little more difficult this year. We always do it at my house and I always do the cooking. First off, the cleaning has been done in phases, one room at a time one large thing at a time like steam cleaning the floors only one at a time.

*When the food starts getting cooked we planned for a lot of things that can be started the day before so not all the things are being made the day of so that I don't get exhausted from cooking everything so that I'm not cranky during the meal. There mom I said it. 

*We also seriously trimmed down our menu this year due to several of the people having several dinners to go to, and me not being able to eat any of the food I'm cooking. So that will save a lot of energy too. 

These are just some small ways that you can help find some balance and still enjoy a full holiday celebration with your family. Like I'm on a feeding tube 24 hours a day and still cooking a pretty full Thanksgiving turkey dinner at my house. It's still possible guys. You just have to know your limits and what you can do physically and emotionally. It's going to be hard, but it will be worth it to have my whole family together and I love cooking! Yummo, can't wait!