The Holidays: this year looks a little different

Approaching the holiday season with gratitude...and a heating pad

The holidays are notoriously stressful- especially for women. Add in a teenager, a toddler, and chronic illness and the holidays are simply...different. This year is my worst as far as symptoms go. The pain is worse, brain fog is worse, the slew of other symptoms that accompany Fibro and autoimmune disease are all worse this year. Even if I had the energy to put up my decorations I definitely won't have the energy to chase around my toddler to make sure he doesn't destroy them...I won't even mention the dog. This means a bit of change. Our traditions look different. Our house feels different. Our gatherings look different. (Thanks to Bath and Body Works candles it at least doesn't smell different.) I've had to be really aware of how I process all this change. I knew if I had to approach this season with a positive spirit or I would just be sad. Or frustrated. Or super pissed because it's just not fair. I decided to approach this holiday season with gratitude. Being mindful of all the things I do have. All the things that chronic illness hasn't taken from me and all the tiny silver linings it brings: empathy, connection, community, healthier lifestyle choices, patience, perspective, grace, tenacity, a plethora of heated objects that your husband buys you. I think it's made a difference. I have no doubt I'd feel worse if I let myself be bitter and guilty.

So this year I offer to you...

the best Christmas Recipe you'll ever try

The science of gratitude...uh...Cookies?

ingredients:

• Keeping a gratitude diary for two weeks produced sustained reductions in perceived stress (28 percent) and depression (16 percent) in health-care practitioners.

• Gratitude is related to 23 percent lower levels of stress hormones (cortisol).

• Practicing gratitude led to a 7-percent reduction in biomarkers of inflammation in patients with congestive heart failure.

• Two gratitude activities (counting blessings and gratitude letter writing) reduced the risk of depression in at-risk patients by 41 percent over a six month period.

• Dietary fat intake is reduced by as much as 25 percent when people are keeping a gratitude journal.

• A daily gratitude practice can decelerate the effects of neurodegeneration (as measured by a 9 percent increase in verbal fluency) that occurs with increasing age.

• Grateful people have 16 percent lower diastolic blood pressure and 10 percent lower systolic blood pressure compared to those less grateful.

• Grateful patients with Stage B asymptomatic heart failure were 16 percent less depressed, 20 percent less fatigued and 18 percent more likely to believe they could control the symptoms of their illness compared to those less grateful.

• Older adults administered the neuropeptide oxytocin showed a 12 percent increase in gratitude compared to those given a placebo

• Writing a letter of gratitude reduced feelings of hopelessness in 88 percent of suicidal inpatients and increased levels of optimism in 94 percent of them.

• Grateful people (including people grateful to God) have between 9-13 percent lower levels of Hemoglobin A1c, a key marker of glucose control that plays a significant role in the diagnosis of diabetes.

• Gratitude is related to a 10 percent improvement in sleep quality in patients with chronic pain, 76 percent of whom had insomnia, and 19 percent lower depression levels.

give it a go

Practicing gratitude to better health is not ground breaking information but I do think it's worth revisiting- especially this time of year. Be kind to yourself, don't try and do everything, listen to your body and rest when you need to. It is okay if your presents aren't wrapped well...or aren't wrapped at all. It's okay if your tree isn't up. Don't feel guilty or less than. PARENTS! Realize being as healthy and present as possible is the best gift you can give your kids...even if they don't realize it now. Please take the time to be grateful that you get to be their parent...not upset that you were too tired to do gingerbread houses this year. (Mourning our losses is healthy too but that's for another post).

Go rest. Get out your heating pads or cozy socks and spread that gratitude around.