It’s the most wonderful time of the year! There’ll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow! Those famous words sung by none other than the one and only Andy Williams, definitely ring in the holiday season! Although the holidays are an amazing time of fun, memories, and family visits, they can also bring some troublesome situations for people with chronic conditions like POTS. So, here is my advice for how to survive the holiday season with POTS!
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Why the Holidays Can Be Tough for Chronic Conditions
There’s nothing quite like the holidays!! I absolutely love and cherish all of the memories made from my family traditions over the years. From a holiday dinner spread like none other to watching our favorite movies together; there’s nothing better than the holidays!
However, I have now learned that the holiday season has to look different. POTS has forever changed my life and created some difficulties that come to a peak during the holidays. Here are 5 reasons the holidays can be difficult for those with POTS.
- Travel
- Changes in Diet
- Changes in Sleep
- Difficult to Maintain Exercise Routines
- Stress
Let’s take a look at these 5 reasons more in detail so we can learn how to survive the holiday season with POTS this year!
Why Travel is Difficult for Those With POTS
The holiday season typically means it is time to hit the road…or skies! The holidays are when people gather together as families or go on vacations since most people have time off from work and school. This is obviously a great thing to do, but travel also brings about difficulty for those with POTS.
Unfortunately, any form of travel will create changes to your daily routine. Also, other factors like changes in altitude, climate, and barometric pressure can trigger your POTS symptoms. So, if you’re going to a different part of the country, it may be worth looking in to these factors to determine if it’s in your best interest. For example, heat and humid environments are known triggers for POTS. As a result, you should probably avoid going to the beach unless you have your symptoms under control!
Lastly, long trips also mean sitting for long periods of time. Sitting for a long time will decrease your blood flow and create more pooling in your lower extremities. Unfortunately, it is pretty difficult to avoid this when traveling!
How to Survive Travel During the Holiday Season
Give your health an honest evaluation BEFORE you travel if you have POTS
My top advice would be to honestly evaluate your health and condition before you make the decision to travel. If you are having a flare up, then it is best to avoid travel altogether. I know this may be a tough truth to handle, but it is what is best! You can always try to explain why travel is difficult to your friends and family and invite them to come to you instead. Again, you HAVE to be extremely strict in avoiding things that trigger your symptoms. If travel does this, then it’s best to make other plans!
I would highly suggest you speak to your doctor or specialist to see if you are in a condition that can be safe to travel. They will tell you what you need to hear to help make this decision. They can also give you advice on things to do during travel that will help!
For example, this year my parents are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary in December. Their hope was to have a party with family and friends in our home town. However, I am battling my symptoms and have not been cleared by my doctor to travel long distances yet. As much as I hate to admit it, traveling for me right now would be a horrible idea as it would set me back in my recovery. This has meant that we had to make the tough decision not to travel during the holiday season. Not a fun decision to make, but you HAVE to make tough decisions and sacrifices when you have a chronic condition like POTS!
“You HAVE to make tough decisions and sacrifices when you have a chronic condition like POTS!.”
Stock up on vitamins and other immunity boosting supplements to help survive the Holiday Season
It doesn’t matter if you are traveling, or if others are traveling to you, you WILL be exposed to new germs and potential sickness. So, it is VERY important that you do whatever you can do to help give your immune system a boost!
Check out this post for 10 Easy Ways to Boost Your Immune System
Unfortunately any type of sickness can trigger and exaggerate your POTS symptoms. Getting sick can also set you back in your therapy and recovery plans. This can be very frustrating as you can quickly lose your conditioning levels that you have worked so hard to improve! As you can see, it is best to do what you can to try and avoid any type of sickness!
Make stops every 1-2 hours to get out and walk around if you have POTS
If you are making a road trip like the Griswolds this year, then it is a MUST for you to take multiple stops to get out of the car and walk around. Sitting for long periods of time will be a huge trigger to your POTS symptoms. For me, I notice my feet begin to go numb if I am sitting for long periods of time. This is due to my blood pooling in the lower half of my body. Thankfully, moving around and stretching helps prevent this from happening!
Also, it doesn’t matter if you are flying or driving, you MUST get up and walk around! Try stopping every 1-2 hours so you can get out and walk around. It is also a great idea to stretch during these stops as well. Obviously, this will make your travel time longer so you need to plan ahead for that!
Wear Your Compression Stockings While Traveling
Don’t forget to wear your compression stockings! This is a BIG MUST for those who have POTS. Wearing compression stockings will help improve your blood flow and circulation to help limit and prevent blood pooling. This is so important when you are traveling because you will be sitting for longer periods of time.
Check out these brands to find some that work for you!
Don’t Forget to Stay Salty and Hydrated
Ok, so I know that you may be tempted to not drink as much on a road trip to avoid having to pee every five minutes, but you have to stay hydrated and salty, to keep your POTS symptoms away! The good news is there are plenty of salty snacks you can bring with you on the road!
Check out this post for My Favorite Salty Snacks That Make You Feel Great!
Also check out these electrolyte packets from LMNT to add to your water!
Why Changes in Diet Make the Holiday Season Difficult
Holy smokes I LOVED the Thanksgiving Dinner spread our family had growing up! It was enough to feed an army…literally! In our defense, our family get togethers were actually the equivalent of a small army! Also, THE DESSERTS!!! Who doesn’t enjoy the pumpkin pies, Christmas cookies, and other holiday classics??
It is SO easy to “forget” about your diet restrictions and load up your plate during the holidays! However, changes in your diet, even small changes, will lead to an increase in your POTS triggers and symptoms. I wish I could say otherwise, but that is just not the case. Structure and perseverance are your best friends when it comes to treating POTS!
“Structure and perseverance are your best friends when it comes to treating POTS!”
Also, eating large amounts of food makes your body redirect blood to your stomach in order to help digest the feast you consumed. This will lower the amount of blood flow to your upper body even more! You know what that means? More syncope (passing out), dizziness, shortness of breath, and increased heart rate spikes.
Remember, it’s not worth triggering a POTS flare up! You won’t be able to enjoy your vacation or time together with family if you are miserable with POTS symptoms!
How to Avoid Changes in Diet to Survive the Holiday Season
Step one for this is to know what your food triggers are! If you have not been able to determine this yet, then check out this post:
POTS Triggers and How to Avoid Them
If you do have certain foods, like gluten and dairy, that trigger your symptoms, then you need to avoid them if possible. Remember, the holidays are NOT an excuse to get off your diet plan and consume trigger foods!!
Also, you have to force yourself to eat multiple smaller meals each day. I know the struggle is real with this one! Especially if your Thanksgiving Dinner has as much food as my family’s did!
“Remember, the holidays are NOT an excuse to get off your diet plan and consume trigger foods!! “
Alcohol and coffee is also often served during holiday get togethers. Unfortunately, both of these things can make your POTS symptoms worse. Generally, it is best to avoid both of these drinks. However, there are some lucky POTS patients out there that coffee actually helps their symptoms! So, you will need to listen to your body and ask your doctor if coffee is ok for you. Alcohol, on the other hand, should always be avoided if you have POTS. All types of alcohol will raise your heart rate and blood pressure which is not a good thing for POTS!
However, there is hope! There are some great options to replace both coffee and alcohol. Check out these posts to find out more information!
Why Alcohol and POTS Should Never Be Mixed
How to Replace Your Morning Cup of Joe
Why Changes in Sleep Make the Holiday Season Difficult
Let’s face it, absolutely NO ONE sleeps well during trips! This is due to the fact that you are sleeping in different beds in different environments. Generally, most people get off their sleep schedules as well while visiting friends, family, or special places. The same goes for when people visit you as well. This is due to everyone wanting to take in and enjoy every moment!
However, having a healthy sleep schedule is SO important when you have POTS. Poor sleep will trigger your symptoms so it is wise to avoid this if possible. Also, it’s not easy to get back on a sleep schedule after you have broken the habit. It takes a few days, sometimes weeks, for your body to get back on a regular sleep schedule.
How to Limit Changes in Sleep to Help Survive the Holiday Season
Unfortunately, there’s really no good way to guarantee you will get good sleep during holiday traveling. However, here are a few ideas you can try that can hopefully help you get your Z’s!
- Bring your pillow; especially your wedge pillow!
- Do what is needed to maintain your normal body and room temperature
- Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day as your normal sleep schedule. If possible, try to stay on your schedule even if you travel to a different time zone!
- Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine
- Try calming techniques such as prayer, reading, or yoga before going to bed
- Again, invite your friends and family to you in order to avoid travel altogether
Check out this post for other ideas to help maintain a healthy sleep schedule!
Are you beginning to see why this post for how to survive the holiday season with POTS is necessary yet? This is hard but I promise, you can do it!!
Difficult to Maintain Exercise Routines During the Holiday Season
Let’s face it, NO ONE wants to exercise on vacations! However, if you have POTS, this is necessary to maintain your therapy programs and blood volume levels.
Also, exercising on vacations takes away time from seeing and doing the things you went on vacation for in the first place. Most people would rather spend as much time as possible with the friends, family, and activities they chose to vacation with instead of working out!
Trust me, I learned this the hard way! We were gifted an AirBnb stay in Breckenridge from our group of friends as a way to help get our minds off how difficult this year has been. We only live an hour away from Breckenridge so it was possible for me to physically make the trip.
This was an AMAZING time and honestly was the first time that we did not feel stressed or weighted down by the difficulty of my condition. I made the poor decision to truly be on “vacation” while on this trip and stopped doing the Levine Protocol. Although I felt fine when we were there, reality definitely sank in when we got home! It took me 2.5 weeks to build up my strength again and I felt horrible! Not worth it!!
How to Maintain Exercise and Daily Routines to Survive the Holidays
One of the best ways to ensure you will be able to continue your exercise routines during vacations, is to make sure you stay at places that have a gym. Most hotels these days have gyms that are open 24 hours. However, I would highly recommend calling the hotel first to ask what equipment they have. Remember, you will need specific machines to exercise with when you have POTS!
Also, you HAVE to schedule your exercise in to your travel plans or it won’t happen! Make sure that you communicate the need for this to everyone you will be around so they will know why this is important for you. Set an alarm on your smart watch to remind you!
Lastly, if you have not started an exercise therapy plan, the check out these posts to learn why this is needed!!
How to Exercise With the Levine Protocol Plan
What is the Levine Protocol Exercise Plan?
Why Stress Makes the Holiday Season Difficult
I think we would all be lying if we said the holiday season does not “gift” some level of stress! Whether it’s cleaning the house for family, preparing large meals, frantically shopping to find that perfect gift, or spending time with the “Cousin Eddie’s” of the family, stress will more than likely rear it’s head at some point!
Stress is a major symptom trigger for POTS and can make it difficult to survive the holiday season. This is because stress causes your heart rate and blood pressure to rise. This will lead to more severe spikes in your heart rate and higher chances of syncope, or fainting.
How to Limit Stress to Survive the Holiday Season
To be honest, stress can be one the hardest things to avoid in today’s society! We are constantly busy and filled to the brim with to do lists and activities. Also, most people overly work themselves just to make ends meet. So, it is very important to learn how to manage your stress levels to keep yourself healthy!
Avoiding stress looks different for everyone because this depends on what the source of stress actually is for you. So, you need to know what causes stress in your life in order to know how to avoid it. This should be an easy thing to figure out, but if you need some help, then ask those closest to you what stresses you out. Trust me, they will know 🙂
However, here are some things you can try to help reduce stress during the holidays!
- Have a schedule and plan your daily activities
- Try relaxation techniques such as prayer, stretching, yoga, or mindfulness activities before bed
- Make sure you are getting enough sleep
- Try using lotions, candles, or diffusers that have a lavender scent
- Get outside and soak in that vitamin D!
- Laugh!
Check out this post to learn How Mental Health Can Make or Break Your POTS Symptoms
Closing Thoughts: How to Survive the Holiday Season With POTS
Following these tips can help you learn how to survive the holiday season with POTS! I know it may be different, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be special!
POTS is a life changing condition to have so it does take some changes in every aspect of your life. If you find yourself not able to do the things you normally can do during the holidays, then try making new memories and traditions instead of getting down about your disabilities!
One of the best things that has helped me is to see this condition as an opportunity for new things rather than something that prevents me from doing the things I enjoyed prior to getting diagnosed. Having this mindset will help you learn to find new ways to enjoy life and the holidays together as a family!
So, crank up the volume and let Andy Williams remind you why it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Also, please feel free to share how you survive the holiday season with POTS in the comment below!