So , even if you have been Festive Pacing, if you have been busy doing bigger jobs like Planning, Shopping and Sending Cards , or you are just needing time to keep the Winter PMR , GCA and Chronic Pain Christmas Blues at bay , you have earned a Rest Day.
Even , in the famous Poem ' The Night before Christmas ' , Mamma and Pappa were practising the Art of Festive Pacing and had ," just settled settled (their) brains for a long winters nap" , when Santa interrupted them. So , it's clear , the Nap is a big part of Christmas Tradition , one which you might have been neglecting.
In days Pre PMR / GCA , you , like Me, probably left the sleep to other ' lesser' Beings. You chose , to put the Time to 'Better Use' ,scurrying about , tidying up , preparing nibbles , making all things lovely for the next Round of Christmas kicks.
Or , like me , in healthier days , if snow laid heavily on the ground , you got outside and used your Time 'productively' on a Snowman ( or Snowbear !) so tall it could see over walls and scare your Nosiest Neighbours , and , possibly be seen in Google Maps!
This year , with PMR / GCA , you too will need to Indulge the Power Nap and so today's Tip is really important for every one of You.
Because as much as we would love to say , ' Oh , it's Christmas , I will carry on and catch up on rest later .' , PMR , GCA and Chronic Pain Conditions don't agree. They don't recognise High Days and Holidays . They won't give you a Festive Pass and say , " Oh , Go on! It's Christmas! Do what you like ." To these Chronic Conditions , Christmas Day is like any other day and they are better than the Grinch at ruining Christmas if you don't give them their usual attention. So , how do you fit in your longer rest times ?
The trick is to choose to have your nap at the times you used to use to tidy and work while distracting others with Fun or Naps by the TV .
In Festive Pacing, you delegate ,or share , those tidying up or sorting out chores with everyone else. You put up with a few more bits and bobs on the floor. After years of skill , you have always given yourself the odd hour here and there over Christmas to get things done by distracting your Family with a board Game , a Film or sending them Outside for a quick walk or to play with new Toys . Now , you are going to use that hour more ' productively' to take a well earned and much needed Nap instead.
In time you will learn to enjoy this , just like your Parents or Grandparents before you.
If it's your first year accepting the , ' New Normal' though , then make sure the Family ,with a little help from You, have got the tidying done first so that ' Have To's' don't play on your mind , and ,choose to lie quietly in a bedroom away from the noise instead of on the sofa , save that for snoozing on in front of a Film later!
If you worry about waking up , delegate one responsible Human the role of keeping people's away from your bedroom and giving you a soft nudge and a cuppa at a specific Time ( about an hour is good) . In the old days , these helpful souls were called ' Knocker Uppers' in our house known as the , ' Do not Disturb Elf'.
Hopefully , just like during the rest of the year , these Christmas Naps will help you stay Flare Free despite the extra activity.
So , now , what some have been waiting for , your 15 minutes of ' Me Time ' Challenge
Just how big did we build a Snowman Bear ?
Clue : Look at the surroundings ,and , it was at least two feet taller than Me !
And can you spot a robin in the photo ? There is only one !
If you have any tips on improving your Nap time with crowds in the House , ways to distract others from disturbing your sleep and want to try and show your skills in today's Challenge , please leave a reply below.
Now , Aunty Bee needs a nap , toodles xxx
