Navigating the Holidays With Heart Disease

The holidays are a season to be with family, friends, and loved ones. It is a joyous season filled with fun and tradition. It is a time when strangers become more friendly and are more helpful than usual.

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or have heart disease, the holidays can be a less hopeful time of year.

It's hard being happy around loved ones

For me, I find it hard to be around friends and family because it's just a reminder that I have heart disease. It’s hard being happy around people when you’ve been recently diagnosed because your life seems to be falling apart. Then, the negative thoughts start to intrude, and you start wondering how many more holidays you’ll be a part of. Or, maybe you just got a test result back, and you aren’t in the mood to celebrate the holidays with anyone.

It can stir a lot of emotions within you, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy the holidays. I'm going to tell you about a few ways you can navigate the holidays with heart disease.

Follow a self-care routine

Prioritizing self-care may not seem like a big deal to some people. I think it’s because people may not know what it means to practice self-care.

Self-care is when you take care of your health and your well-being. It could be eating healthier, reading a book, going for a walk, or doing something that helps your health and wellness. It doesn’t cost anything to practice self-care, although there are ways you can practice self-care that do involve purchasing something. Last year, I said I wanted to buy myself a candle or flowers once a month because I love candles and flowers. That was a part of my self-care routine.

Create new traditions

Modifying expectations and creating new traditions is another way that we can navigate through the holidays.

For instance, if you always celebrate the holidays with family, you could add a new tradition, something that makes you happy and that feels good to do. That could mean baking or cooking something for loved ones, or instead of hosting the holidays at your house, maybe have someone else host. That way, you can get out of the house and get a change of scenery. 

Focus on quality time with friends and loved ones. I know that it's easier said than done, but try not to think about your illness and be grateful you have life.

Talk to loved ones or a therapist

Talk to your family about how you feel about the holidays. Sometimes, people don’t know how you’re feeling unless you let them know. I know it's hard to bring this subject up, but it only hurts you if you don’t, because nobody knows what you are thinking.

Seeking professional help is a good option as well. I started seeing a therapist at the beginning of last month because I was having a hard time adjusting to my upcoming birthday. I told my therapist that I had been feeling down and depressed for another year, and I hadn’t accomplished anything I said I would do. I felt like a failure, and she brought me back to reality by reminding me to celebrate the small wins and to make my goals more attainable. This is a hard step to take, but it is well worth it having someone who isn’t a family member listening to you voice what’s on your mind.

How do you navigate the holidays?

Navigating the holidays while you have cardiovascular disease isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but I hope that I’ve given you some ideas on how to make it better.

How do you cope with the holidays?