After Halloween wraps up this week, the shops will clear the orange and black off the shelves, and the holiday pandamonium will begin. The holidays are a time of joy, merriment, and most importantly, seeing your family and loved ones.
This usually, however, can cause a relative amount of stress. Traveling to see family members, or having them come to you, can sometimes be a chaotic experience filled with plans, dates, parties, and events. But if someone in your family has had a change in their health condition since last year, you may have to adjust your plans this year.
- Tell your family: If you don’t get a chance to see each other throughout the rest of the year, you may have to let them know that things are different this year. This is also a good opporunity to ask for help with the usual amount of ‘duties’ you take on for holiday planning.
- Take it easy: Your regular packed-schedule of holiday plans may no longer be realistic. See what you can do without this year, and just cut it down to the most important things.
- Delegate: If you are new in your role as a caregiver, you will need to explain to your friends and family that you need help, and ask them to pitch in.
- Let someone else host: If you normally host a big party or dinner, be realistic about what you can cope with this year. It’s not as big of a deal as you may think to have someone else do it this time.
- Remember what’s important: The holidays are about family and friends. Don’t get caught up in too many social obligations if it will leave you run down. Just stick to the important parts of the holiday, and above all enjoy them!