THRIVING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS 12/8/06

Some percentage of us [that means I don'tknow what percentage] who have traumatic brain injuries as well as some percentage of the neurotypicals have difficulties with crowds, noise, lights, overdoing, fatigue and all of that. It is the holiday season-- Christmas, Chaunakah, or other-- and stores are blasting christmas music, lights are flashing, and people are on the go, go, go. Here are some things I use to cope with the excessive stimulation of the season:

• Shop at off-times. Use your computer to order stuff from the internet. Or order from catalogs via telephone.
• You might want to consider asking someone else to drive.
• Wear your brimmed hat, baseball cap, special glasses, sunglasses to cut down on glare and over-stimulation. If you have motility aids, now is not the time to leave them home.
• Take anti-meltdown breaks. No one have ever argued with me when I retreat to a bathroom with "cramps."
• Allow other people their joy. Sure, people assuming that you share their religious fervor can be annoying. Bell-ringers can be annoying. Ask yourself how annoyed you want to be.
• If money is an issue, look for bargains off-season or little crafty things you can make instead. Can you draw? Bake cookies? Make cotton dishcloths? Those that value presents over our presence have their priorities mixed up. Their problems do not have to be ours. And, overspending does not help anyone.
• Remember why you are doing this. Perhaps you celebrate a religious aspect of the holidays. Maybe you have kids in the family. Or you have some good friends to hang with.
• Above all, quit whining. Some folks aren't alive to complain.

sapphoq healing tbi