Ask me what I think about
having a do-the-same-thing-every-day routine and I’ll tell you it is great. Especially now that I live
with ALS, having and following a consistent daily routine is absolutely vital
to my health.
A daily routine is something almost everyone has experienced at
some point — from our childhood through our teen years and into adulthood. It’s
the comfortable and predictable timetable of our days that helps us cope with
change, create healthy habits, and reduce stress.
And yes, sometimes daily routines can become boring.
That’s where the welcome disruptions of vacations, holidays, or
trying something new fit in. Later, when we return to our daily routine, we
feel refreshed and revived. But a really big disruption, like being diagnosed
with ALS, can shatter a daily routine for weeks, months, or longer.
For me, learning to live with ALS meant building back
my daily routine one piece at a time. Here’s what I did:
Simple strategies
My ALS symptoms made my muscles feel stiff, and it
took so much time to do simple things that I had to simplify my
living environment. This included my clothes. I traded out all of my pants with
difficult zippers for easy pull-on pants with an elastic waistband. Shirts and
tops with buttons and hard-to-reach closures have all been donated elsewhere
and replaced by loose, T-shirt-type tops in all sorts of colors.
Pre-ALS, I used to be up and out the door for an early-morning
walk and workout. Now, my exercise is split up into short bouts scattered
throughout the day.
One special activity that helped me create a new daily routine
was keeping a journal. Once a day, I’d jot down how I felt, what my challenges
were, my goals, and something I was grateful for. This led to a simple formula
for daily living based on the new habits I was developing.
I call my plan the “4 Ms,” which stands for medication,
mindfulness, motion, and mood. You
can read more about my 4 Ms here.
The test of time
My simple daily routine has served me well these past 13 years
that I’ve been living with ALS. Although essentially the same, it has evolved
in response to my symptom changes, and weathered disruptions from happy
events as well as challenging times. I’ve learned to rely on a strategy
to revive my daily routine and get me back into the swing of things.
Of course, paying
attention to self-care is another essential piece of my
daily routine. Pausing to breathe, listening to music, or laughing at funny pet
videos are some simple ways I give myself a mini self-care break.
If you’ve experienced ALS-related disruptions to your daily
routine, try my tips and strategies. Together we can help each other learn to
live well while living with ALS.
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Need more inspiration ABOUT Daily ROUTINES? I
SUGGEST THESE POSTS:
·
How
to Revive Your Daily Life Routines
·
My Tricks
for Adding Movement to My Day
 |
| Dagmar Munn ALS and Wellness Blog |
Do something today
that your future self will thank you for...
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A
version of this post first appeared as my column on the ALS News Today website.
Nice Post!!
ReplyDeletePlease Look Here At Habit is a Routine