Recovering from holidays

[marti]

This question is kind of a "MOM" question, but I'm sure some men could answer it too.

After every holiday I am totally worn out, fatigued to the max. I know it's because I'm the Mom and I do most of the cooking, cleaning, preparing etc for the family. I'm not complaining, I enjoy it. But I am wondering how long it takes some of you to "recover" from all the activity of a holiday or a family gathering. Or, do we ever "recover" from fatigue? I don't seem to ever be NOT fatigued. Let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks.

[Mamabug]

What I experience is somewhat different. I've learned to set boundaries easily, about what, and how much, I can do. And I have support from others; and help.

For me, the challenge, I think, is the adrenaline that my body creates when I anticipate a happy event (vacation, holiday, special occasion, etc). It used to sometimes put me in a flare and maybe even the hospital, requiring that I missed the occasion.

I learned to cut way back in my activities for a week or two prior to the occasion. It seemed to help to manage my adrenaline.

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KEEP READING:

My suggestion for the future is not to plan for recovery AFTER.

Plan for prevention BEFORE.

- Recruit family to help out. Learn to say "no".
- Redefine what being the Mom means when you have a chronic illness.
- Help your family redefine what family means, how to support a family member with a chronic illness.

PREVENTION. That should be your strategy. If you need to recover from fatigue, you are constantly playing catch up.

[NoraS]

Well, I still do most of the cooking, but I leave the cleanup to everyone else, and they're okay with that. I've stopped fussing over getting the house spotless before holidays. I make sure the toilet is scrubbed and the dishes washed and ignore the dirty floors that no one will be sitting on anyway. The kids have taken to naming the cobwebs, and sometimes I find "Hi, Mom!" written in the dust. They've just become fun new traditions.

I've cut way back on my decorating. At Christmas, I still do a tree, but I've switched to a small tabletop version and leave the lights on it year-round. I no longer make all the artwork on the walls look like wrapped packages or hang tinsel and bows everywhere. At Thanksgiving, I dig out an artificial fall-themed bouquet and use our fall-themed dishes. No more elaborate centerpieces with candles, fresh fall leaves, and gourds. The kids are adults now, so Easter baskets are just candy in a large baggie. "Here. Don't make yourselves sick." Sometimes I'll do window clings, but I didn't this year.

We've discussed holding holiday celebrations at other homes, but it's actually much easier for me to be at mine. I can lay down if I need to, and I don't need to ride any distance in a car. I've always had a "help yourself" type of home, so the ones who celebrate with me are used to pitching in and doing whatever needs to be done. Even my daughter's new roommate has learned to just open cupboards and look for what she wants.

As far as recovery, I always allot myself at least 3 days of doing absolutely nothing. No cooking or cleaning, no changing out of my pajamas, no shower, just watching TV, reading, or whatever else I feel like doing at the time. By the fourth day, I'm usually back to normal.