Spoonie Gift Guide: 36 Comforting Presents for Your Chronically Ill Friend
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Do you struggle with lethargy, brain fog, more pain or an increase in symptoms now that the days are getting shorter and colder? You’re not the only one.
Although it’s not a formally recognized medical term, many people with chronic illness experience that feeling of ‘the October Slide’: a frustrating dip in energy and symptoms flare-up as fall begins. If you’ve noticed that pattern during this time of year, it’s not just in your head. There are biological reasons why your body feels out of sync.
Let’s break down why the October Slide happens and how you can best navigate it, with actionable strategies for different energy levels.
Why do symptoms often flare up in the fall?
1. Less sunlight and vitamin D
When it’s dark and rainy outside, we spend a lot more time indoors. But less exposure to natural daylight can disturb your circadian rhythm, which makes you feel sleepy and groggy during the day, leaving you irritable, less able to focus and craving unhealthy foods.
2. Weather changes
As lovely as the crispy fall air feels, cooler temperatures can also tighten your muscles, worsen joint pain or trigger nerve sensitivity. And the humidity of rainy days may worsen migraine frequency and fibromyalgia pain, or trigger breathing problems.
3. Cold and flu season kicks off
Fall marks the start of virus season. And for those of us with compromised immune systems or conditions that get triggered by infections, catching a ‘simple’ cold can worsen your symptoms. Plus, it’s exhausting to deal with coughs, fever or stomachaches on top of your usual pain, vertigo or digestive problems.
4. Social isolation
Spending more time at home – whether it’s because of bad weather or sickness – could also means less social contact for people with chronic illness. Feeling lonely doesn’t just affect your mood and emotional wellbeing, but can even intensify pain and fatigue.
Given all these seasonal changes, it’s no wonder you’re feeling sluggish and you notice a chronic illness flare-up in autumn. So if mornings feel impossible without hitting snooze and simple tasks take twice as long this time of year, you’re not being lazy. The October Slide is simply your body responding to less sunlight, colder weather and viruses.
What can you do to navigate the October Slide?
What helps you to best manage your chronic illness in the fall depends on your specific condition and the kinds symptoms you’re experiencing. So choose the strategies that work best for your situation to stave off the October Slide.
1. Expose yourself to natural daylight
Natural daylight, especially early in the morning, helps you to reset your internal clock as the days are getting shorter. Research confirms light exposure is a surprisingly effective way to boost your mood and energy levels, support your immune system and even lessens pain sensitivity.
So how can you still catch some sunlight on grey autumn days?
It’s good to know that even on cloudy days, natural daylight is still much more potent (around 1500 lux or higher) than artificial light (around 300-500 lux). Here are some accessible ideas to let the light in:
- Open the curtains after waking and drink your morning tea by the (open) window.
- Look into how you can maximize natural lighting at home, like changing your curtains or shades or strategically placing mirrors to bounce the light around.
- Explore ways to still (safely) head outside during fall. Layer up to stay warm and dry, make sure you’re easily visible for traffic and take precautions to avoid falls when the pavement is slippery. That way, you can hopefully still enjoy a stroll amongst the fall foliage, visiting a pumpkin patch, go trick-or-treating on Halloween or roast marshmallows above the fire pit.
- Avoid bright lamps, overhead lighting or blue-lit screens in the evening, so you don’t disrupt your circadian rhythm.
- If you struggle with low mood and energy during all the fall and winter months, you could consider getting a 10,000 lux light therapy lamp to ease your seasonal symptoms. You could also ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels.
2. Support your immunity
Firstly, t’is the season to focus on hygiene. Because as the WHO states, washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds is still the most effective thing we can do to stop germs from spreading. You could use hand sanitizers in public spaces, regularly clean often-touched surfaces like your phone case and doorknobs at home, or wear masks in crowded spaces if you’re immunocompromised.
You should also consult your doctor whether it’s wise to get a yearly flu shot or update your vaccinations to prevent infections – and their consequences for your health.
More so, to prevent the October Slide, you can support your immune system by getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and moving your body gently. During your sleep, your body produces T-cells and cytokines that help defend your body against infectious diseases, while (gentle) exercising stimulates your lymph flow to help circulate immune cells and flush out pathogens.
When it comes to your food habits, you want to be mindful of your sugar intake, because consuming too much sugar undermines your immunity by promoting inflammation, disrupting your gut microbiome and reduce the ability of your white blood cells to destroy pathogens. Instead, focus on adding in some disease-fighting nutrients by eating:
- Fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C
- Fatty fish and eggs for vitamin D, healthy fats and protein
- Yogurt and fermented foods for probiotics
- Spices like garlic, ginger, cinnamon and oregano that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties
Of course, despite your best efforts to support your immunity, you can still catch a cold or stomach bug. That’s just life. But hopefully these healthy practices help to minimize the length and severity of the symptoms, plus the impact of a virus on your existing condition.
3. Manage flare-ups of symptoms well
If you notice an increase of your usual symptoms, you could try some (new) strategies to best deal with this flare-up. Take extra good care of your body and mind, make practical adjustments to overcome challenges like limited energy and mobility, and find ways to cope with the difficult feelings you’r experiencing, whether that’s anger for missing out on life again or health-related anxiety.
Check out ‘The Flare-Up Survival Guide: How to Cope When Your Symptoms Get Worse’ for more detailed coping strategies.
Do you tend to have a chronic pain flare up in autumn? Depending on your condition, you could try a warm bath, heatable cherry pit pillow or cold pack to ease your pain. Practicing relaxation techniques like breathing exercises, mindfulness, visualization and progressive muscle relaxation, can release tension from your muscles and help you cope better with the aching. Create space for rest days and try to take your mind off your pain with positive distractions.
Are you struggling with fatigue in fall and winter? Make sure you pace your energy. Alternate between physical, emotional and mental tasks, and schedule in time for rest before and after more strenuous activities. You could also use the darker evenings to your advantage to go to bed earlier.
Use mobility aids, household tools and technology to save your precious energy for the people and activities that matter most to you, and find ways to simplify your life.
What’s more, experiment which subtle energy boosts work for you. Science shows you can start feeling lively and alert by timing your caffeine intake wisely, exposing yourself to early morning light, taking contrast showers and listening to upbeat music.
Sadly, it won’t always be possible to prevent the October Slide, so finding ways to manage your flare-up well can make the fall a little less disruptive.
4. Combat social isolation
Both the October Slide and an increased risk of catching a virus can cause you to stay at home more often than you’d like. If you know you probably won’t be able to attend many social gatherings this season, make an extra effort to stay in touch with people.
Social isolation and loneliness both hurt your health. Feeling alone doesn’t just increase your risk of depression and anxiety, but also makes you more vulnerable to colds and flu, heart problems and type 2 diabetes.
So reach out to your family and friends, whether it’s through texts, a phone call or FaceTime. Join online groups with other housebound people so you can support each other during this indoor season, or look at virtual clubs involving your hobby, like books, chess, photography or Trivia nights. You may also consider doing remote acts of kindness that make you feel part of something bigger, whether that’s sending a letter to soldiers or knitting blankets to people in need.
When you are able to leave the house, don’t overlook the positive effects of making small talk with your neighbor, local barista or the person who’s standing in front of you at the checkout. You don’t always need to have deep conversations with your best friend to feel more connected.
5. Find safe, accessible ways to enjoy the season
When your symptoms worsen each fall, you might not look forward to this season. But having a (reasonably!) good mood and optimistic outlook on life doesn’t just feel nice, they both boost your resilience, lower your stress levels, improve your immunity and make it easier to stick to healthy habits, all of which supports your overall health and longevity.
With that in mind, what are some accessible ways to still enjoy autumn? That depends on your personal situation of course, but here are some ideas:
- Turn those necessary rest days into a cozy moment, by curling up under a soft blanket with a mystery and a pumpkin spice latte. You could also make yourself comfortable in flannel pajamas and rewatch You’ve Got Mail, Good Will Hunting or Harry Potter for the hundredth time.
- Invest in seasonal items that will help you get outdoors this season, from a colorful umbrella and warm sweater to a travel mug to carry some hot chocolate with you on walks.
- Engage your senses when you’re able to head outside. Admire the foliage, feel the crispy air on your skin, see if you can spot mushrooms or squirrels. And to hold onto that feeling, bring the outdoor indoors and collect some chestnuts, pine cones or sturdy branches for some natural fall decoration.
- Create seasonal joy indoors with fluffy socks, fall scented candles or a mini pumpkin on your nightstand.
- Treat yourself to comfort foods that happen to be packed with health-boosting nutrients, like Sweet Potato Turkey Chili or a White Bean Mushroom Stew.
- Use the October Slide for some introspection. Get into the habit of journaling, pray or meditate on dilemmas you’re facing or turn to words of wisdom for insights, inspiration and comfort.
You can find even more inspiration in ’19 Cozy Fall Activities for Chronic Illness Self-Care’.
Like any health setback, the October Slide can feel discouraging. But understanding why it happens and having a few accessible strategies to turn to so you can navigate this flare-up of symptoms, can help you make this season more manageable.
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