By: Cristina Curp
How to protect your health, energy, and peace this season, think of this blog post as your hidradenitis suppurativa holiday support guide!
The holidays are often painted as a time filled with joy, love, and celebration. Yet if you live with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, this time of year can feel incredibly overwhelming. There is more stress, more social pressure, more spending, more expectations. All of it can take a toll on your physical and emotional health and sometimes even lead to HS flares.
I want to remind you that you are not alone and you do not have to muscle through the holidays pretending everything is fine. Let’s talk about what makes this season tough for people with HS and how you can navigate it with more support, boundaries, and compassion for yourself.
Less Stress, More Rest
Stress is one of the most common triggers! Don’t I know it. During the holidays there are financial pressures, crowded calendars, family obligations, travel challenges, and less downtime to recover. Many of us feel guilty if we are not doing it all. We push ourselves even when our body is clearly asking for rest.
Here is the truth. Rest is not lazy. Rest is a vital part of managing a chronic condition like HS. Giving yourself permission to say no can protect your health during a time when stress is at its peak.
Helpful reminders
- Pick the events that truly matter to you.
- Plan downtime before and after big social days.
- Ask for help instead of doing everything yourself.
- Practice simple grounding habits to bring your nervous system back online: deep breaths, a short walk, a quiet moment alone. Find great follow along videos in Healing Space.
Your energy is limited and valuable. Protect it.
Food Boundaries (Eyes on Your Own Plate)
The holidays are centered around food and that can be complicated for people with HS. Some of us have learned that certain foods trigger inflammation and flares (if you want support, join Inflammation Nation) . Others have no food triggers at all, yet still feel judged for what is on their plate because for some reason people think they know better once they find out you have a chronic illness.
It can also feel exhausting trying to manage special diets, explain yourself, or navigate comments about what you should or should not eat.
Food boundaries that support your well-being
- Bring a dish that you know feels safe for you.
- Create a simple script for quick responses like:
- “I choose foods that make me feel my best”
- “I appreciate your concern but I will decide what is right for me”
- Eat balanced meals throughout the day so you are not starving and stressed at gatherings.
- Allow yourself to enjoy food without guilt because pleasure is part of health too.
Your body is not a debate topic. You do not owe anyone an explanation for how you nourish yourself.
Living with HS is Expensive
Chronic illness is expensive. HS medications, wound care supplies, clinic visits, clothing adaptations, missed work. Add holiday spending and the pressure to buy gifts and it can feel like too much. It is okay to scale back. It is okay to prioritize budgeting for your health. It is okay to tell loved ones that your presence is the gift this year.
A supportive mindset
- You do not need to spend money to show love.
- Small thoughtful gestures are meaningful.
- Say yes to free or low pressure get togethers.
- Release the comparison to what others are doing.
Your health deserves to be part of the financial conversation.
The Guilt and the Grief
The holidays can bring up grief for the version of life you thought you would have. The energy you used to have. The ease you see others enjoying. Living with HS comes with invisible weight and it is normal to feel emotional during this time. Come to a support group, lean on your community. You are not alone in these feelings.
Be gentle with yourself if the holidays bring up tears. Both joy and sadness can exist together. One does not cancel out the other.
What Helps: A Supportive Holiday Strategy for HS
Here are practices that can make the holidays more peaceful:
- Prioritize sleep even if that means leaving events early.
- Schedule recovery days.
- Wear comfortable clothing that does not irritate your skin.
- Stick to supportive routines like hydration and medication.
- Find moments of joy that have nothing to do with food or gifts.
- Stay connected to people who understand chronic illness.
- Celebrate the wins no matter how small.
You are allowed to choose what works for you. Every single time.
HS Holiday Survival
You are doing your best. You deserve rest. You deserve comfort. You deserve to be here exactly as you are.
Your presence is greater than any present you could ever give someone.
This holiday season, let your well-being lead the way. Give yourself the grace, space, and support your body needs. And know that you are part of a community that truly gets it.
If you need more Hidradenitis Suppurativa holiday support or resources on nutrition and chronic illness, we are always sharing helpful tools and education to help you feel informed and empowered.
Wishing you peace, softness, and healing this season.