For most people, last night would have been a stellar
evening. I went out for my annual birthday bash with a group of dear friends.
We laughed and carried on and had a blast. However with my neuralgia and the
cold even the best of nights can come to a screeching halt. When our night came
to a close I said my goodbyes, warmed up my car with my automatic starter,
bundled up and headed out. In the time it took for me to walk to my car the
pain started and before long it felt like knives were jabbing my eye socket.
The 45 minute drive home seemed twice as long, the headlights painfully bright.
Fast forward to today, I’m medicated and pressing on. Making my way through my
work day and Mom duties the best I can while resting in between.
It’s funny how God’s messages are so timely, it’s like He
knows our lives or something?
At our weight loss group this week we talked about how to stay
on track with our wellness routines during tough times. And today I find myself
struggling with my eating, wanting to soothe my pain with food and go back to
bed until it all goes away. Yet we just can’t do that. We can’t pull the covers
over our head and hide because we’ve got this life to live. We’ve got responsibilities,
commitments, relationships, plans, goals, dreams…we have to keep on keeping on.
Why is it that when life gets hard one of the first things
we sacrifice is our own wellness? It seems kind of counterproductive. When everything around us seems to be
spinning out of control, we have the ability to breathe, to slow down, to
refocus and take control of our wellness and maybe, just maybe it’s the only
thing we WILL be able to control for a time.
This kind of focus in the middle of the whirlwind takes more than
fortitude, it takes planning, patience, persistence and a positive outlook- I
like to call it the four P’s.
Planning: There’s
comfort in having a plan, in having control of something when everything is
falling apart. Many people believe that planning takes time that they just don’t
have when in reality planning is a time saver. It’s important to make time for
our wellness. Notice I didn’t say take the time, I said make the time. Examine
your day, and find a way to begin to build healthy routines into your day. Take
five minutes the night before to plan out your eating for the next day or take
15 minutes to prep your food for the next day. Spend some time over the weekend
grocery shopping and preparing meals for the week. I know that some of you
reading this are thinking “Tara do you EVEN know my life? I’m just too busy!!!
I have not a moment to spare in my day.” And to that I will ask you to
re-examine how you are spending your time and to think about what you can let
go of that’s less important than taking care of your health. Schedule in your
fitness plans as non-negotiable appointments. What’s more important than taking
care of you so that you can then help others?
Patience: This is
a funny one because as my husband knows I’m one of the most impatient people we
know. Impatient with myself, others…Yet I’ve learned that being well is a long
term and full time gig. We will be faced with many challenges that are
temporary. In the moment they may seem like they are going to last forever.
They will try our mettle and be the bane of our existence. They will exhaust
and test us. They will take every last ounce of energy we have. Financial
strains, marital issues, work challenges, health woes, death, divorce,
parenting our children, parenting our parents- doing for and caring for
everyone but ourselves. To this I say hang in there baby. Kick, scream, battle,
do whatever it takes to survive. Do your best to remember that this too shall
pass. Accept and acknowledge the slow down while doing whatever you can when
you can to take care of you.
Persistence:
While you’re kicking, screaming and battling your way through, remember this-
sometimes the challenging circumstance has moved on and we have not. We’re so
mired in the woefulness that we don’t even remember to come up for air and
re-evaluate; to truly take a look at where we are and what needs to be done. Sometimes
we use life challenges as excuses to not take care of ourselves. Don’t we all know that one person who seems to
always have something going on in their lives? Drama and chaos follows them around
like a shadow and while some of it is real, some is also self-induced because
if they continue to focus on others they won’t have to take a hard look at
themselves. I know- I’ve been there.
Persistence isn’t about doing it just right, it’s about doing IT,
doing something, ANYTHING to move forward. It’s about accepting the
circumstance that we’re in and making the best of them. Making one decision
that we have control over and taking actions based on that decision.
A positive outlook: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right."- Henry Ford. The brain
believes what you tell it. The brain has a hard time differentiating between perception
and reality. So fake it until you make it honey. You really can think yourself
into being well. Words spoken and unspoken are so powerful. Being positive has
been extremely important in learning to manage my chronic pain. Pay
close attention to the story you’re writing in your mind. Whatever story you
write will come true, you control the ending.
Use these four P’s to press on wellness warrior. You’ve
already got what it takes to reach your goals. God knows your heart and He’s
prepared you for this moment in time. Know and believe that He’s equipped you for the task at hand.
Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with
courage.
Hugs and Friendship,
Tara
