Creating Balance
Hello Everyone,
A short while ago we went through the three things that were massively impacting my life and causing some serious imbalances and impacting my health.
And I am definitely no Health or Medical Professional. This post is the promised follow on containing the items, routines, etc. that I use to cope with my chronic illness and the effects it and my daily life have on my mental and physical health in hopes it may help someone else.
As previously discussed there will always be those things in your life outside of your control and while these things will impact your life sometimes positively and others negatively you can control your response.
I have honestly found that fighting the inevitable changes to your life simply exhausts you and leaves you upset over the lack of control. Now I roll with it, there are plenty of cliche sayings people use to
get this point across;
That's the way the cookie crumbles
Just roll with the punches
Go with the flow.
Hakuna Matata.
So many sayings...
It's time to state 'Plot Twist' and move on, not easy I know but sometimes necessary.
Physical Health.
I was a very active kid but in my later teens I got very fatigued very suddenly. I was always tired, so very, very tired. I was also achy, and slowly dropped out of my many physical activities. I stopped my dancing, stopped swimming, stopped playing netball you would like to think these sudden changes would raise alarm bells, but as usual with an invisible illness it was all put down to something else, in my case teenage laziness.
As I got older and those aches got worse, and the fatigue along with it I starting speaking to doctors about it, I could not believe the comments around me that I was just suddenly this lazy person, that because I didn't 'Look Sick' I must not 'Be Sick'. It took about a decade for a diagnoses and to find a doctor willing to listen to me... this is a common issue among those
But now I can start fighting back and finding the right fight plan for me.
I know now that heavy exercise plans will leave me not just sore but in utter agony, so my workouts are gentle but targeted. The goal is not weight loss, it is muscle tone and resistance the weight loss will be a welcome side effect but it is not the main motivator for my journey. I do light exercises at home, a small stretching routine in the morning and a weights or cardio routine in the evening. All of which is designed to build strength and as such begin alleviating some of the pain.
I am not a gym person, I do occasionally join in to group classes but I have had enough bad experiences to opt out of joining a gym, so I have a small space at home for my exercises instead.
Below is some of the items I utilize for my workouts at home.
I had to swap out the majority of my diet and it was hell! Headaches and nausea were constant for 2 days, I was a cranky mess. And then like a storm, it passed. My headaches cleared, my stomach settled and I wasn't so cranky anymore. But sugar is still there tempting me everyday, and sometimes I still slip up. Okay... I still slip up a lot.. but I can actually control the majority of cravings now and I am no longer dependent on the sugar to get me through the day.
I try to utilize healthy foods to fill me up and stop myself from snacking on the naughty things. I always make sure to have the healthy options on hand over that naughty bit of chocolate...
Mental Health.
How often have you heard someone say, "look at them, there is nothing wrong with them!" when someone has gotten out of their car in the disabled parking spot with a permit.
How often have you thought that?
Invisible illnesses are easy for those who don't experience the symptoms to brush off as you, the sufferer, look completely healthy.
There are always going to be those around you that don't understand what you are going through. Sometimes because they just aren't willing to educate themselves even if you provide them everything they need to do so, and sometimes it is simply a lack of experience that causes the block in understanding no matter how hard they try to educate themselves. Patience, and occasionally forgiveness is required.
I have become extremely protective of my 'Me Time', I have routines and I like them. I do things that I enjoy with people I like, people that are like minded.
Do I still get down days? Yes, but I have gotten better at recognizing them and at working through them.
I have developed systems for those instances and am able to check myself with myself to ensure that I am OK today. Am I feeling anxious today? Am I emotional? Am I just tired? Is my pain influencing my mental health today?
If I am anxious I make sure to do my anti-anxiety exercises regularly throughout the day, breathing and counting. All of these mental settings that you have may not be easily changed on a day to day basis, but there are ways to ID and find a way to better cope with them.
There are short breathing apps that will assist you with your anxiety and small exercises that can help as well. As stated in my last blog I also see a therapist on a semi-regular basis to help me talk through the things that are still overwhelming for me. I use this time to talk through the things I can't talk to anyone else about.
I like to utilize sometime at home doing the breathing and/or mediation exercises to slow down my mind and just be even if it only for ten minutes. It helps begin the rewiring process to allow you to live a little less anxiously and enjoy what good is happening a little more everyday. I also like to count off at least 3 things I am grateful for each day, it could be something small, or something big. These exercises force you to look at the positive aspects of your life over the negative and even in the middle of a depressive episode you can find something you are grateful for, even if it is that bar of chocolate you stashed in your desk draw.
Always make time on your own to just relax, be in your own space, have no demands made of you and appreciate yourself.
I would like to just share a couple of quotes that didn't so much inspire me, but helped me and still help me through my journey.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent - Eleanor Roosevelt.
I know my value. Anyone else's opinion doesn't really matter. - Agent Peggy Carter.
Follow me:
Instagram - tj.patterson_writer
Facebook - fb.me/Tjpattersonwriter
*Stay Safe*Stay Positive*Stay Focused on Your Dreams*Make It Happen*
A short while ago we went through the three things that were massively impacting my life and causing some serious imbalances and impacting my health.
And I am definitely no Health or Medical Professional. This post is the promised follow on containing the items, routines, etc. that I use to cope with my chronic illness and the effects it and my daily life have on my mental and physical health in hopes it may help someone else.
As previously discussed there will always be those things in your life outside of your control and while these things will impact your life sometimes positively and others negatively you can control your response.
I have honestly found that fighting the inevitable changes to your life simply exhausts you and leaves you upset over the lack of control. Now I roll with it, there are plenty of cliche sayings people use to get this point across;
That's the way the cookie crumbles
Just roll with the punches
Go with the flow.
Hakuna Matata.
So many sayings...
It's time to state 'Plot Twist' and move on, not easy I know but sometimes necessary.
Physical Health.
I was a very active kid but in my later teens I got very fatigued very suddenly. I was always tired, so very, very tired. I was also achy, and slowly dropped out of my many physical activities. I stopped my dancing, stopped swimming, stopped playing netball you would like to think these sudden changes would raise alarm bells, but as usual with an invisible illness it was all put down to something else, in my case teenage laziness.
As I got older and those aches got worse, and the fatigue along with it I starting speaking to doctors about it, I could not believe the comments around me that I was just suddenly this lazy person, that because I didn't 'Look Sick' I must not 'Be Sick'. It took about a decade for a diagnoses and to find a doctor willing to listen to me... this is a common issue among those
But now I can start fighting back and finding the right fight plan for me.
I know now that heavy exercise plans will leave me not just sore but in utter agony, so my workouts are gentle but targeted. The goal is not weight loss, it is muscle tone and resistance the weight loss will be a welcome side effect but it is not the main motivator for my journey. I do light exercises at home, a small stretching routine in the morning and a weights or cardio routine in the evening. All of which is designed to build strength and as such begin alleviating some of the pain.
I am not a gym person, I do occasionally join in to group classes but I have had enough bad experiences to opt out of joining a gym, so I have a small space at home for my exercises instead.
Below is some of the items I utilize for my workouts at home.
- Kettlebell
- Hand weights
- Resistance Bands
- Jump Rope
- Exercise bike
- Yoga Mat
- Yoga Block & Strap
- Various DVD's and Youtube.
My diet has also had to change too, a lot. I was living off high energy snacks to get me through the day leading me on a vicious cycle of high and lows. I was eating high sugar, high carb energy dense food that was the last thing my body truly needed. I was also diagnosed with a Lactose Intolerance.
Out went the chocolate and lollies, the soft drink and energy drink. The heavy salt take-away were also a no go.
Mental Health.
How often have you heard someone say, "look at them, there is nothing wrong with them!" when someone has gotten out of their car in the disabled parking spot with a permit.
How often have you thought that?
Invisible illnesses are easy for those who don't experience the symptoms to brush off as you, the sufferer, look completely healthy.
There are always going to be those around you that don't understand what you are going through. Sometimes because they just aren't willing to educate themselves even if you provide them everything they need to do so, and sometimes it is simply a lack of experience that causes the block in understanding no matter how hard they try to educate themselves. Patience, and occasionally forgiveness is required.
I have become extremely protective of my 'Me Time', I have routines and I like them. I do things that I enjoy with people I like, people that are like minded.Do I still get down days? Yes, but I have gotten better at recognizing them and at working through them.
I have developed systems for those instances and am able to check myself with myself to ensure that I am OK today. Am I feeling anxious today? Am I emotional? Am I just tired? Is my pain influencing my mental health today?
If I am anxious I make sure to do my anti-anxiety exercises regularly throughout the day, breathing and counting. All of these mental settings that you have may not be easily changed on a day to day basis, but there are ways to ID and find a way to better cope with them.
There are short breathing apps that will assist you with your anxiety and small exercises that can help as well. As stated in my last blog I also see a therapist on a semi-regular basis to help me talk through the things that are still overwhelming for me. I use this time to talk through the things I can't talk to anyone else about.
I like to utilize sometime at home doing the breathing and/or mediation exercises to slow down my mind and just be even if it only for ten minutes. It helps begin the rewiring process to allow you to live a little less anxiously and enjoy what good is happening a little more everyday. I also like to count off at least 3 things I am grateful for each day, it could be something small, or something big. These exercises force you to look at the positive aspects of your life over the negative and even in the middle of a depressive episode you can find something you are grateful for, even if it is that bar of chocolate you stashed in your desk draw.
Always make time on your own to just relax, be in your own space, have no demands made of you and appreciate yourself.
I would like to just share a couple of quotes that didn't so much inspire me, but helped me and still help me through my journey.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent - Eleanor Roosevelt.
I know my value. Anyone else's opinion doesn't really matter. - Agent Peggy Carter.
Follow me:
Instagram - tj.patterson_writer
Facebook - fb.me/Tjpattersonwriter
*Stay Safe*Stay Positive*Stay Focused on Your Dreams*Make It Happen*
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