Practice the necessary self-care to remain healthy

Talking with my counselor about the anxiety which has wracked my body in recent weeks, acknowledging that I have forgotten how to breathe, forgotten how to be mindful, forgotten how to be…I stumbled across some meditations on iTunes last night and, when I woke early this morning, I took my iPod into the study with me and sat in the big comfy chair and did a little 7-minute “morning time stress prevention” guided meditation. And it really helped. I made it into the early afternoon today before I felt the tiniest grip of anxiety. I am certain that, if I commit to this small yet important act of self-care on a regular basis, I will make it through whole days without feeling that pinch.

spend some quality time focusing on this one for a while. I have not been doing such a good job of this. I do take my meds but I am not exercising, definitely not eating right, not meditating, not doing most of the necessary “self-care” to remain healthy.

I am re-visiting all of my self-care goals and re-invigorating my attention to them. I have not been feeling great for a while. Not sick, just not healthy. Oh, I take my meds but I don’t take care of myself. Well, I didn’t. But now, I am. I am back in the gym. I am back to eating the right foods (mostly). I am getting up early and spending a few minutes in meditation before I start my day. I am prioritizing my activities for each day and putting my self-care at the top of the list. This goal is probably not accurate as currently written, as I don’t believe that I am currently HEALTHY. But I will be. I WILL BE!

I went to the doctor yesterday for a follow up on my blood pressure and cholesterol. I have been pretty wiped out for a couple of weeks so we talked about what might be going on. We are doing complete bloodwork and both agree that it is probably stress. She offered me something to reduce the stress/anxiety and I accepted it but only with the understanding that it will be used only in extreme moments of stress. I don’t expect too many of those in the coming weeks!

I hit the wall this week. I have pushed and pushed myself at work for more than a year, more so than I have since I was young and had to work 2 or 3 jobs just to make ends meet! I thought the trip to California would help, but, while it was a wonderful time, it was not relaxing. And when I returned to work, I was busier than ever. And on Tuesday, I hit the wall. I had to work on Tuesday – our Strategic Plan is due in a couple of weeks and I had to lead the Management Team in an all day planning meeting. But I wasn’t on my game. I made it through and came home and slept for 3 days. And, yes, I have called the doctor because feeling this tired can’t be a good thing. I am due for a followup on my BP and Cholesterol and I almost think that my BP medicine is working too well – I have checked in recent days to find it at 97 over 65 – much lower than my normal. I took some other important steps, too – beginning to let go of some of the things I have been clinging to at work – recognizing that I am not a bad person for not getting them done before letting them go.

Without optimism, I cannot achieve optimal health. I am usually quite optimistic. When I am not, I refer to this Creed, which I carry in my planner.

The Optimist’s Creed:

Promise Yourself:

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have not time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

(Christian D. Larsen)

Thank you for the invite. Of course I am honored to join this team with two of my favorite 43Ters! So, I don’t know if you caught up on your reading yet, you were gone for a long time (and we missed you but certainly understand your absence) so you may not have gotten to my update where I reported that, with the medicine (because, really, the stress in my life will not be reduced until someone applies for the job of full-time manager of my very troubled program) my BP is doing much better. I have had one or two bad episodes since that first one, but mostly, when we check it, it is in the 110/76 range! I also have lowered my cholesterol from a frighteningly high 282 down to 146 (in one month!), also thanks to medication. I am diligent about taking my meds and never complain about it because I know that they are probably helping to save my life. I am also being attentive to my diet, eating lots of fruits, veggies, fiber filled things…my downfall right now is that I have not been as good about the exercise, though my hubby (4xman – have you “met” him yet?) and I have agreed to start trying to do at least 30 minutes in the morning before work. Starting tomorrow. So, for me right now, the necessary self-care breaks down to:
1. Take my meds daily.
2. Continue to eat right.
3. Exercise 4 – 6 times per week for 30 minutes or longer.
4. Manage my stress (because I honestly don’t think I can reduce it right now!)
5. Get enough sleep.
6. Drink plenty of water.

Hmmm…that is all I can think of right now.