Post-Holiday Care for AS

I don’t know about you, but the holidays exhaust me. I don’t even have a big family. We see my dad’s side for Christmas Eve, and then it’s just us for Christmas day, but I’m still so fatigued.

Small things can exhaust us

I took on the challenge of making Christmas dinner this year. Why you ask? Because I must be crazy. Instead of the usual turkey dinner, I decided I was going to make my dairy-free lasagna.

I know that when I make my lasagna it takes most of the day to make. I was determined to cook it, though. Back before I was diagnosed, I used to cook a lot more. Lately standing so much in the kitchen destroys me. I miss cooking a lot.

I started around 12:30pm and finished making it around 6 pm with small breaks in between. I had to make the ricotta “cheese”, make my own tomato sauce and layer it all. By the end, I would lie down in between steps because I was just SO tired.

The aftermath

After eating dinner my family decided to play a board game. After that, I was completely out of energy. I was lying on the couch when I felt a weird sensation take over my body. My limbs felt weak and heavy and my heart felt weak, too.

I decided it would be best to go lie down in bed, so I asked my mom to help me walk upstairs and help me get in bed. I fell asleep pretty quickly (I usually can’t sleep without taking a pill lately), and slept for a few hours.

Waking up around midnight, I felt immensely better. I needed the small nap otherwise I probably would have crashed. I didn’t feel right and I knew to listen to my body in the moment.

How to take care of ourselves after (and during) the holidays

The holidays take a lot out of us. We use up a lot of our energy socializing, traveling, cooking, etc. By the end of it all, we kind of feel like shells of ourselves. At least I know I do.

For those of us with AS, we need to take a step back and listen to what our bodies are telling us. If they’re telling us to take a break and relax, as hard as it is sometimes, we need to do that. If possible, sneak into a room and lie down on a couch or a bed for even 20 minutes. Rest can do the body (and mind) wonders.

Treat yourself

Once all of the family visits are over, treat yourself to some well-needed rest. Use your heating pads, watch some movies, sleep a lot if you need to. Anything to help you get back to your “normal”.

I’ll be sleeping in and hanging around the house for a while. I tend to stay in my pajamas or cozy clothes unless I leave the house. I like to be comfortable at all times.

What things do you do to relax after the holidays are over?