How Holiday Stress is Affecting My Psoriasis

I love the holidays. There is nothing like having family gathered around. Last year was so much different. Most of us did not have the warmth of a family gathering. I was no exception. I did not want to take a chance.

This year I fully intend to celebrate the holidays. After all, my birthday falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is just another reason to celebrate! However, with celebrations also comes stress.

The stress of the holidays

For me, the stress comes from being the one doing all the cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I love it - but that does not mean my psoriasis doesn't suffer.

I have had psoriasis for a long time. Eighteen years to be exact. I have not had the fortune to find a treatment that has totally put my psoriasis in remission. In all the years of living with it, I have come to learn that nothing brings on a flare faster than me stressing.

I am a perfectionist when it comes to my cooking. I never want anyone leaving saying they did not get enough to eat. I overcook. I also want the food to taste great, I stress over making it perfect. Don’t even get me started on how my house should look. Yep, you guessed it, I stress about that also.

Stress can't be avoided, can it?

Last year, there was no stress to deal with over the holidays. It was only my husband and me - that took all the stress out of it. He lives with my cooking every day without complaint. It made the holidays easy and carefree. My psoriasis stayed calm because I did not stress.

What did it matter what the house looked like? We ate on paper plates which made clean up a breeze for me. No stress, no psoriasis flares.

This year? Having just finished the Thanksgiving holiday and heading into the Christmas holiday I can tell you my stress level is high. I am only in the planning phase of what I will be serving for Christmas. It would be so much easier if I could afford a caterer to do it all.

The holidays are worth it

There is the fact that I do love to cook when it goes right. Why then would I subject myself to all the stress? That is easy enough to answer. The last holiday season sucked for me. It felt so empty without having family around. I love seeing my family open their gifts to something that they were not expecting.

My granddaughter is two so she is the perfect age to enjoy it all. Even though I know after the holidays I am going to have to deal with the flare, I would rather deal with that than not have family around again.

With that being said I want to end this by wishing you all the happiest of holidays filled with peace, love, and no psoriasis flares.