I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy during this ’COVID-19 pandemic.
Although I’ve vowed to continue my self-care from this point on, I’d like to know what you’ve learned from your break as well? Remember, I said I'd be checking in to see what you’d learned as well. So, please send your thoughts in the Comments section of the blog (bottom of blog posts), as I’d love to hear them!
Here’s what I’ve learned so far….
SLOWING DOWN is critical. For a lifetime, I’ve had a habit of working quickly, thinking constantly, as well as walking fast and “getting things done!” A ‘high level of production’ was my way of living, no matter how small the task or how large the project. So, I’ve worked very hard to slow down my mind first, then my body. Some days, I’m better at it than others, but I’m continuing to work at it! Trying to change 71 years of behavior is a challenge!
MAKING TIME FOR FUN is another important component. For me, that could mean:
Riding my trike! (pictured left)
Watching one of my favorite BBC series;
Taking a walk;
Reading or watching an Agatha Christie or Inspector Barnaby mysteries;
Watching the new YouTube sensation, Pluto the Dog;
Reading a novel;
Taking a drive on a beautiful day;
Listening to music.
I know, exciting, huh? Well I have to say, I’m very grateful I can do these things because many of us cannot. And for quite a while, I couldn’t do most of these. So for those who cannot, I hope you think about spending some time thinking about what would be fun for you now, and envision what you’d like to be doing in the future, as you continue to recover - and you will!
RESTING WHEN TIRED, which is often now, but isn’t my cup of tea, but it’s a must. My body and brain simply cannot function without periodic rest breaks throughout the day. Additionally, since the altitude at the cabin presents issues for me, stopping to replace my oxygen via my Inogen oxygen machine is important for my health.
ORGANIZING “STUFF” IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, especially now. Organizing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. In my childhood, my oldest brother used to tease me about my need to organize things, calling me “Miss Organization.” And, when I was in graduate school in New York City, I lived in a studio apartment. Each time I sat down to study, I was compelled to straighten up the disarray in the apartment before I was able to begin my studies. Simply, my surroundings need to be organized for my mind to be clear enough to work efficiently.
The biggest thing I organized during my break was my daily in-home therapy exercises since I’m adhering to the stay-at-home directive and not attending in-clinic therapy yet. I’d been feeling overwhelmed with the amount of necessary exercises needed to recover (and forgot many of them); so, I spent a large amount of time putting all that on paper so I could “see” it in black & white. The “memory” thing just wasn’t working for me!
JAZZING UP my in-home exercise program with new devices was another important feature of my break. By that I mean I searched for additional devices that provided me with the same, if not better, results than before. And, they’re more fun than the others! So now, I have an organized exercise list AND I’m having more fun, as well as being challenged by the new devices! As Eric Mace, my physical therapist at Entire Care in Sedona, always says, “You must continue to challenge yourself in order to improve!” BTW, my favorite new device is the Billie Jean King Eye Coach! It’s a great workout for improving your affected arm, wrist, hand, and eye/hand coordination. And, it’s fun! See me using it here below!
MY PRIORITIES HAVE CHANGED. Elimination of the demanding pace of writing a weekly blog post writing, along with my other commitments were simply too much for me, I hadn’t thought through the weekly blog idea until it was too late. Thus, the break has given me a better perspective and helped mcontent on the site now.
So thank you all for your patience with me as I, like you, travel this road together, finding what works (and doesn’t work) for each of us.
I’m not going away, however! The blog will continue. I won’t be writing weekly posts, of course, but I’ll be writing to you periodically. I’m not being specific about the frequency because I’m trying to continue my self-care vow to myself so I can continue to stay healthy and work on my #1 priority - a complete and full recovery! We must have hope, backed by hard work! Right?!
The next time you hear from me, I’ll be sharing some exciting news that will involve all of us! So stay tuned, I’ll be in touch!
Hang in there!
Remember, we’re all in this together!
Click here to check out the Eye Coach on Amazon.