Managing Holiday Season Stress

For many families, the holiday season is the most important time of year. As loved ones gather – sometimes from around the country, or even the globe – there can be mounting expectations to make the season joyful, meaningful, and fun for all. But for people living with Parkinson’s and their carepartners, these exciting times can also be overwhelmingly stressful.

As a progressive disease, Parkinson’s disease (PD) can present new challenges every year, and make it difficult to keep up with family traditions. In order to make the most of your holidays, it is important to acknowledge and evaluate your current situation, and employ healthy coping strategies to keep stress levels low.

Plan Ahead

Be prepared for anything that PD may throw at you during your holidays. If you are travelling, pack well in advance, and schedule your trip to give you extra time at the airport, train station, or any rest stops if you are driving. Be sure to visit your doctor before your departure, so you may plan your medication schedule ahead, with regard for time changes or extra dosage that may be required. You should also ask for an official letter explaining your PD and any notable symptoms, so you may provide a copy to an unfamiliar healthcare provider in the case of emergency.

Also be prepared for your interactions with loved ones you may not have seen in a long time. It can be soothing to talk openly with a trusted group or individual about your experiences with Parkinson’s, even if the prospect seems daunting at first. To help ease the conversation, prepare some answers to questions you anticipate, and consider how you will respond to questions you are not comfortable discussing.

If you will be spending time with children or teens, consider taking time to talk to them about your condition. This will help them make sense of the disease, and the changes they see in you as your PD progresses. Provide accurate information, and share resources if they wish to learn more. It is important not to shield children from Parkinson’s, as they may form their own inaccurate assumptions about the disease and those who have it. Honest conversation will help your young family members grow to become compassionate adults, and future advocates for the PD community.

Reflect and Make Resolutions

With 2020 around the corner, many will take time to think back over the last year, and set resolutions for the next. In much the same way, people with PD and their carepartners benefit from honest self-reflection as a means of coping with disease progression, and moving forward.

Just as you may track changes in your symptoms, or your progress with a new therapy, journaling your emotions, stressors, and coping strategies can be a great way to selfmanage your mood during difficult times. Many find it helpful to keep a diary of their day-to-day lives, but not everyone’s journaling routine needs to be so regular to be effective. For example, you can try journaling weekly, or even monthly, to self-reflect on your accomplishments and challenges, and how each one made you feel.

Counsellors and psychologists often also recommend working positive affirmations into your routine. This can take many forms, like repeating inspiring or motivational messages to yourself to trigger positive thoughts, or thinking about the things you are grateful for in life during times you may lose sight of them. The holidays are full of positive affirmations, as families and friends will share love and gratitude with one another, along with well wishes for the year ahead. This season, collect any greeting cards you get from loved ones, and note down the highlights of your holidays together. Try to use these as affirmations to brighten your mood when you feel stressed. This can help you to not lose sight of what the holidays are all about – joy, love, and togetherness.

Extend your positive affirmations into the new year by writing out your new year resolutions, both PD-related and not. Focus on the wording, as this can help you stay motivated when you revisit your list. For example, write it as “I will exercise more regularly” rather than “I want to exercise more regularly.” Here are some examples of resolutions:

• I will devote more time to my hobbies and passions.
• I will try a new activity. (boxing, dancing, painting, and singing can all help with PD symptoms – ask a qualified healthcare professional for personalized advice)
• I will speak up more during support group meetings.
• I will go on more dates with my partner/spouse.

You may also find it helpful to develop resolutions that are more specific, and make plans that will help you stick to them. Scheduling time to work towards your resolutions is a positive step towards getting out of your comfort zone. For example, book a new workout class you want to try, print out healthy recipes and buy ingredients for them, and make plans with friends. Even if you do not achieve your goals, it can help to make a habit out of taking these first steps, so you may reach new goals more easily in the future.

Cherish Time with Loved Ones – And Yourself

A chronic and degenerative disease like PD can change the way you view your own identity. Your roles in life will change, and sometimes it may feel like the role of ‘person with Parkinson’s’ or ‘Parkinson’s caregiver’ overshadows all else. However, spending time with loved ones, especially over the holidays, can help you get back in touch with yourself.

We tend to self-identify using our roles, because they are stable and habitual parts of our lives. When asked to describe ourselves, we may use our career, relationships, hobbies, or passions to define our identities to others. Example: “Who are you?” - “I’m a teacher/parent/amateur photographer/film enthusiast.”

When day-to-day life is occupied by Parkinson’s, whether you live with it or care for someone who does, it can shape your self-identity just like any other role. It requires taking medications, exercising, going to medical appointments, managing symptoms, and many other daily or habitual duties. With this, disease management can overwhelm your sense of self, and make it difficult to identify with other roles that better represent who you truly are.

Loved ones can help you reconnect with yourself in many ways. Spending time with family or old friends can bring to mind the ways you self-identified before Parkinson’s. You can also find new ways to self-identify by focusing your time together on hobbies and passions, and making plans to revisit these activities again in the future. Most importantly, joyful time spent with loved ones over the holidays can serve as a reminder of the significant roles you play in others’ lives – as a family member, friend, partner, or parent.

Start Parkinson’s-friendly Traditions

Many families have holiday traditions that may be difficult to uphold with age or illness. If your family has holiday plans that you may not be able to participate in, it can be a good practice in selfadvocacy to voice your concerns, so you may work together to make adaptations.

Throughout your journey with Parkinson’s, there will be losses to grieve, and these may include family traditions. Rather than pushing through an activity that may be too strenuous, work with your family and friends to make traditions more inclusive. Here are some examples:

• Snow sports: Parkinson’s may make it difficult to ski and snowboard, but many snow sports clubs have adaptive equipment like sit-skis available for rent, and guides can help you make your way down the mountain safely. If that does not work for you, make time with your loved ones to do other snow activities together, like snowshoeing or a light hike.
• Holiday meals: Some people with PD benefit from changing their diet as a means to self-manage symptoms and reduce medication side-effects. If you need to manage your protein intake, or eat more plant-based foods, try working new recipes into your holiday dinner, or adapt your traditional dishes. For example, try a vegetarian roast instead of turkey, and top it with a mushroom gravy. Look online together to find recipes that can be enjoyed by everyone – most recipes can be adapted with the right ingredients.
• Time with children: For the youngest members of your family, the holidays can be a formative time, full of memories they will carry throughout their lives. Spend time together doing activities that keep them interested, but are not too physically demanding. Try playing board games, watching holiday movies, cooking together, doing crafts, and putting up decorations.

Make Memories

Do not let Parkinson’s overwhelm you during the holidays. By making adaptations early, you can avoid stressful surprises during your time with loved ones. The most important worry of your holiday season should be “did I take the time to make lasting memories with my family and friends?”.

This content was published in the Winter 2019 edition of our quarterly magazine, Viewpoints. The content was accurate as of this publication date.