Holidays: Fun, Family, Cheer  . . . OUCH!

Join the Discussion "What if we could start preparations early? That way no one is stressed when the time comes to really start preparing for the great feast. Have everyone assigned a chore? That way everyone feels part of the spirit" DStone324     Related Resources • The Headache Prevention Cookbook • Food Triggers • Support    From Other Guides • Say "No" To Responsi- bility Overload • Safe Holiday Parties • Five Ways to Beat Holiday Weight Gain • Seasonal Depression

For the average person, the holiday season evokes warm thoughts of family gatherings, special times with friends, holiday baking, snuggling by the fire, snowball battles, and more. You know the drill. For headache and Migraine sufferers, these visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads seem to be wearing tap shoes and have two left feet. 

As the winter holidays approach, let's explore six basic ways to make them easier to handle despite the possibility of headaches and Migraine. 

• Time Management/Advance Planning: The more you can do and plan ahead, the better. We all know that we have no way of knowing when a headache/Migraine will rob us of hours or perhaps even days. More holiday preparation done in advance, can mean less time lost to headaches/Migraine and less impact on our holiday plans. It seems that one of the biggies is last-minute gift shopping and wrapping. Tip: Buy gift wrap at after-holiday sales. During the year, as you see items that would make great holiday and/or birthday gifts, go ahead and buy and wrap them. You can put a note or even a picture on the outside to remind you what's in it. Not only does this get a great deal of shopping done in advance, you can save money this way and find ideal gifts rather than having to settle for something less than ideal at the last minute.
• Delegate/Share Tasks: I had to learn this one myself. Guess what? We don't have to do it all ourselves. It doesn't have to all be done before the family arrives. Daughters in-law don't necessarily want to be treated as guests. Tip: I'm going to torture you with a short family story here, but it makes a point. I used to be so obsessive about wanting things to be done absolutely perfectly before our sons and their families arrived for visits. On one visit, the baking just didn't get done in advance. I was all apologetic. Dear daughter in-law Becky was thrilled. After the kids went to bed, we had one of our best times ever doing the baking that I hadn't gotten done. I learned that she would rather do things with me than have me do a lot of extra work preparing for their visits. Likewise, my husband and our son do the rearranging of beds, etc., after they arrive. It's one less thing to do in advance, and they enjoy doing it together.
• Regular Schedules: One of the most important aspects of headache/Migraine prevention is maintaining as regular a schedule as possible. Eating at regular times and sleeping the same number of hours at the same time each day are very important. Tip: Too much sleep can be as harmful as too little sleep. When taking days off from work, resist the temptation to sleep in.
• Food Triggers: The winter holidays tend to be times of eating more and eating special foods. For many of us it can also be a time of eating foods that can trigger headaches/Migraine, so it can be a time of remembering our dietary triggers and making choices. Tip: If you know that some of your holiday treats contain headache/Migraine triggers, perhaps this is a good time to modify the recipe so it won't trigger a headache/Migraine or come up with a fabulous new treat. Start a new tradition with a new recipe this year.
• Fragrance Triggers: Many migraineurs are so sensitive to fragrance that people wearing perfumes and colognes around them trigger an immediate and severe migraine attack. Needless to say, this can put a cramp in your holiday style. Tips: Though this issue is not an easy one, it can be made at least a bit easier by celebrating the holidays in your own home. To be diplomatic, send warm and friendly written (or email) invitations to those who will be visiting you. At the bottom of the invitation, make a note that since perfumes and colognes make "Mom," "Dad," "Grandma," or whomever ill, that your house is a "fragrance-free" zone. Since someone will forget, pick up a box of alcohol wipes at the pharmacy. If fragrance has been applied primarily to their skin rather than hair and/or clothing, most of it can be wiped off.
• Medications and Other Needs: Be sure that all prescriptions are filled and you have any supplements, over-the-counter medications, or any other products you generally use readily on hand so that you don't run out. Tip: Be sure to check your pharmacy's hours so that if they have different hour through the holidays, you are aware of them.

The winter holidays should be special times filled with people, warmth, and good cheer. Headaches and Migraines can definitely create some problems with our holiday plans. With a bit of planning and working ahead, we can reduce the toll headaches/Migraines can have on this time of year. If you have a tip to share, please join us in our forum. There's a thread already started: