“Self care is not selfish, self care is necessary to keep your body and your soul alive and well. Self care is more than taking care of your body, it’s taking care of your mind, your emotions and every part of yourself. Taking time to nurture yourself is critical for your well-being, and it’s hard to take care of others close to you if you do not first care for yourself. Taking care of yourself is not a sign of weakness, but a sign that you have the inner strength to give your body what it needs to feel nourished, loved and cared for.”
Fredandfar.com
One of the most difficult adjustments I’ve had to make during my recovery is the realization I cannot be as productive as I once was during my pre-retirement and pre-stroke life.
Has that been one of your challenges as well?
After much soul-searching and discussions with Jane, my psychotherapist, and my doctors, I’ve decided to step back indefinitely from the intense pace and demands of administering the blog I love.
This was not an easy decision, but a necessary one.
In my eagerness to help others navigate the daunting challenges of stroke recovery, as I’d been helped, I’ve now realized I didn’t fully grasp the enormity of such a project and how it would affect my time, my health, my relationship, or the lack of balance in my life!
It’s taken me all these months of what I now call “the weekly grind” of work on the blog to discover I was stressed out, worn out, and was neglecting my necessary self-care, as well as my vital recovery responsibilities which are enormous by themselves. Simply, it stopped being fun or productive for my full recovery.
And, I want to enjoy my retirement for which I’ve worked for 40 years to relish!
The daily technical difficulties of writing and overseeing a blog became more demanding each month.
Typing with one finger presented daily problems; so I tried the various dictation programs on the market, but I spent most of my time correcting mistakes from their transcriptions, so that “solution” had its own flaws. I was more of a problem than a solution. Learning new programs, concentration, memory recall and eye fatigue were also daily annoyances.
So, where do we go from here and what will it mean for you? The entire scope of details haven’t been determined yet, but this is what I do know at this point:
The Website
The site will remain intact. I’ve been able to create a great deal of content, so new subscribers will have a good amount of content to absorb; and current subscribers will still have the ability to use the Comments section and responses will be forthcoming within 24-48 hours, and engage in social media platforms. So please continue to refer new subscribers to the blog.
I will contribute on a very limited basis:
If I have something important to share and have the time and energy, I will write an article/post.
When I travel, I will blog my adventures!
When I discover new devices to help you, or a book recommendation/summary, I will share.
I will respond to questions and comments from the blog and social media within 48 hours.
I may do other things, but I need time to rest, get on a healthy and productive recovery and self-care schedule, and only then I might have some clearer ideas.
Thursday posts will be eliminated.
SOCIAL MEDIA
It will remain intact, as active as it is now, communicating and collaborating with you! And, this is where the “new stuff will be posted! This has been a wonderful gift, to understand and connect with so many of you wonderful people “virtually.” I am happy to continue connecting here and sharing what we know to help each other.
GUEST AUTHORS
As these articles trickle in, they will be posted on Tuesdays. I’m awaiting articles on Hand Edema, PTSD (the fear of having another stroke), and Integrative Medicine and Strokes among others. We will continue to collaborate with other like-minded professionals as well.
It is my hope my decision might provide a self-care example for you as well. We all need to be true to ourselves, enhance our health, reduce stress, and take time to enjoy life to the best of our abilities! We deal with enough on an everyday basis. For instance, just getting dressed can be exhausting for some; or, just getting through the day without falling can be challenging for others; so, finding ways to enjoy life is vital to our overall well-being.
Most importantly, I want to thank you for your loyalty and support over these past months! I hope I’ve been able to provide some assistance and support for you as you maneuver this incredible challenge and journey.
In closing, I’M CHALLENGING YOU TO WORKING ON YOUR SELF-CARE WHILE I’M WORKING ON MINE!
When I return, I’ll share with you the things I did and what I learned during my “hiatus,” then I'm going to ask you to share your experiences! So keep track of how you do, okay?!
I appreciate your support very much! Take care and be well!