Just four more sleeps to go before Christmas Day! And for many of us here in the UK our plans for Christmas have changed significantly. If your tinnitus is raging as much as you are, please understand this is absolutely natural given the circumstances.
Whether you can spend Christmas with your loved ones, or you are home alone, here are some more great tips to keep your tinnitus at a manageable level over the next week or so.
Limit your time on social media
If you’re having a stressful Christmas, set boundaries on your social media use. Those fantasy posts from friends about having the perfect Christmas will make you feel worse. They don’t show the burnt Turkey, the fights, the mounting piles of credit card debt, and the horrendous hangovers the next day. Talking of which…
Go easy on sugar and alcohol
Tis the season to be jolly… which often means chocolates and cake, paired with plenty of wine and beer. But for many of us in the tinnitus tribe sugar or alcohol can make our tinnitus seem worse. Also, excess sugar and alcohol can mess up your blood sugar and insulin levels and worsen anxiety. So, try mix the naughty food with the good stuff too.
Protect your downtime
If you’re getting to spend some time over the holidays with family, make sure you take time to yourself. I’m deeply grateful we have a dog, as it gives me a great excuse to take time out from the noise and jollity and ‘reset’ my ears by wandering around the local neighborhood admiring the Christmas lights.
If you’re the host, create a breakout room (it can be a bedroom) where there’s no TV, no music, and no gaming, and you can sit for a while, practice mindfulness, and relax.
Educate others about tinnitus
If you do need to take breaks from family activities because you’re struggling with tinnitus, that’s a great opportunity to explain how tinnitus affects you. Be mindful that amongst the sympathetic responses you receive there may be one from a relative who claims that tinnitus is nothing (there’s someone like that in very family!). Just brush their comments off. You can’t control them and their insensitivity, but you can control how you respond.
So, with the top tips from this week and last tucked under your belt, I hope you have the very best Christmas you can manage in the circumstances.
See you next week!
Lisa