Post: #1

I wasn't going to join this forum but after looking through some of the journals here, I decided that this is something I need!

If I improve myself, my life will improve, and if I improve my life, my Self will improve too. That's why I chose the title of this journal.

Lately I've been using slogans and mottoes to motivate and remind me. Like "Clean to bed" to remind me to shower at night instead of in the morning because a clean body on clean sheets helps me get to sleep.

I chose as the word of the year "Ease". I want a year of ease, not one of "taking it easy" but of "making it easy". I want to do with ease the things that I have to do.

Often the word "grace" pairs itself with "ease". I want to do with ease and grace the things that I have to do.

Last year was a year of change and challenge. It was hard. This year -- I hope it will be different!

I've made up an acrostic with the word Ease.

E is for ELEMentary self care*.
A is for Act. As in "take action", and as in "act the way you want to feel", and as in "don't just sit around, do something!"
S is for "setting things up", or preparing.
E is for Elegance, which I associate with simplicity, dignity, and grace.

*ELEMentary self care breaks down as: "Eat Less, Exercise More"; and "ment" is for Mental attitude; "ar", which is pronounced "air" for fresh air, literal and metaphorical, and "-y", pronounced "eee" is like a squeal of excitement.

I'll think some more about my goals and plans and wishes and dreams for 2012 and get back to you in a few days.

Post: #2

So I think the 21DHL challenge, which I'm participating in, is a good thing. Because I just got a forwarded email about a nurse's heart attack experience (I've seen it before) that said that high cholesterol isn't usually the cause of a myocardial infarction, unless it is extremely high or combined with high blood pressure. The cause is on-going long-lasting stress. Based on that, my risk of a heart attack is very high!

So obviously anything I can do to improve my overall health will be to my advantage. So will anything that will lower my stress and help me cope better.

I'm really feeling it right now. On Wednesday, Mr B was having a problem that caused him to fall (he blacked out) and we had to go to the emergency room. Then his blood sugar was high all day Thursday -- so high that his glucose meter couldn't give him a number -- and I wanted to call the doctor but he said that he thought it was caused by a problem with his insulin pump and was something he could take care of, so I waited -- then Friday his blood sugar was down but he's been sleeping way too much.

He says that I have the final say in matters related to his health but that only seems to be true if he wants it to be. So scary, so frustrating, so stressful.

He has had so many strange and uncomfortable health problems that have been hard to diagnose and difficult to treat. Every time something new comes up, I worry more about it, expecting the worst.

Obviously that contributes to my stress!

Since one of my things for making 2012 a year of EASE is to Set things up, I'm thinking about some things that I can do about the current situation.

1. I can prepare a notebook about Mr B and his health situation, with his medical history, his meds list, his diagnoses, his diet restrictions, his physical therapy activities and exercise plan, and the accommodations for his disabilities.

2. I can have him show me ASAP how to pay the bills online and print checks and otherwise handle the financial stuff that he normally handles. Because if he is not able to, I will have to. That is not exactly a current worry, and in the past he's been able to (and wanted to!) take care of it even when recovering from heart surgery but I recognize that it could become a major source of additonal stress if things go bad.

I can't think of any other things that I can do to Set Things Up but I'll come back when I have more ideas.

Post: #3

Set things up for exercise: I found an exercise video on YouTube that is short and doable so I might actually do it!

Set things up for grocery shopping by swinging by the store on my way home from teaching on Wednesdays. It's a little out of my way, but I'll be out and about anyway.

Setting things up for healthy eating: having the food on hand is only the first step. Not having less healthy foods on hand is another step.

Setting things up for self care: get clothes out the night before, and tend to any mending or ironing that needs to be done. Put my makeup out. Put the cuticle oil beside the bed.

Post: #4

(01-06-2012 05:51 AM)VickiB Wrote:  E is for ELEMentary self care*.
A is for Act. As in "take action", and as in "act the way you want to feel", and as in "don't just sit around, do something!"
S is for "setting things up", or preparing.
E is for Elegance, which I associate with simplicity, dignity, and grace.

*ELEMentary self care breaks down as: "Eat Less, Exercise More"; and "ment" is for Mental attitude; "ar", which is pronounced "air" for fresh air, literal and metaphorical, and "-y", pronounced "eee" is like a squeal of excitement.

Hi Vicki - I think that this acronym that you have come up with is really quite good. I especially love the ACT part

Post: #5

I got caught up in other things -- that happens to me a lot -- but I stuck with the 21DHL challenge and now I think this is the place to continue with my focus on healthier living. It fits right in with the idea of EASE!

The Healthy Living Guide calls for me to keep track of things daily, then do a weekly review and plan for the next week.

Last week I did okay, except for the anxiety-triggered food binge.

So, for the coming week, I'm planning to do these things:

Drink the right amount of water every day. I plan to include things besides water, provided they aren't loaded with caffeine or sodium. Hot lemonade, for instance, and herbal tea. But a lot of soups, unless it's something I make, have too much sodium, so I won't count that for my fluid intake.
Setting things up: If I set out a tea cup and tea bag, and a juice glass, then I can measure out the rest of the day's fluid and put it in the refrigerator the night before.

Eat according to my ideal meal plan. Fruit first is key; so is salad every day.
Setting things up: If I prepare the salad ingredients, either as soon as I get them home from the store or each evening, then it will be easy to assemble a salad for lunch.
I also need to make note of when I eat dairy. I love dairy products! But I suspect dairy of causing some problems so I need to track that.
I'm allowed to have three cookies and a cup of hot chocolate before I go to bed because I have to take some medication then that needs to be taken with food.

Five servings of fruit and vegetables a day: I'll keep count. I'll have to measure the lettuce instead of just putting some in a bowl.

Also NOT working at my laptop in the kitchen.

Exercise! Body motion.
Getting up from the computer once an hour and "walking funny" -- the marching and sidestepping etc that I learned in physical therapy after I messed up my knee. More frequent shoulder, neck, and arm movement to prevent stiffness.
Setting this up: turn up the sound on my laptop so I can hear when the time is announced. If I'm not on the computer but I'm sedentary (e.g. sitting and reading), use my cell phone or another alarm to prompt me to get up and move around.

Going for a walk. Daily. If the weather is bad, it can be a short walk!

Shiva Nata or yoga daily.

Pay attention to breathing!

Meditation/prayer daily.
Devotions with my husband.

Skin care routine.
Tooth care.

Handwashing. I need to do this a lot during the flu season. Also use hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes.

Nasal saline.

Clean to bed!
I like this anyway but I just read that this is your first line of defense against dust mites; they feed on dead skin cells in your bedding. Their waste products are a major cause of allergies. Also, if you have allergens like pollen in your hair or on your skin, you take them to bed with you unless you shower and wash your hair first.

Identify obstacles to doing these things.
What do I need to set up for next week?
Are there other things I need to do for my health?

Post: #6

So here it is April 1 and I am inspired by spring and growth all around me to try for personal growth. Last month was kind of a bust as far as doing the things I outlined in a previous entry.

My husband was in the hospital, discharged, and then readmitted with a new problem. He was discharged a few days later and has been in a wheelchair ever since. However, he is healing well and that is a good thing.

My son has COPD and schizophrenia. His birthmother called me early in March and said that his wife had left him, and he was having problems. It was true; and he has returned home for a while. He has been hospitalized too.

And I wrecked my car.

So things like healthy meals just went by the wayside. Even though self care is really important. and being well cared for would help me cope.

So now it's April and I want to focus on self development and self care and personal growth.

I had an idea of doing art every day on the theme of Vicki Loves Mike. Maybe I'll create a blog and post photos of the art.

I also want to make an illuminated manuscript.

And I told some people that I want to make another photo album.

And I am contemplating yard work and planting lots of flowers.

Because then it will be a pleasure to sit outdoors. That gets me and my laptop out of the kitchen.

And I just realized that if I don't try to create a workspace for messy projects upstairs, I can use that space for storage and it will make things a lot better.

Post: #7

Hi, VickiB!

I enjoyed reading your previous entries. I know you said that last month was a bit of a bust for you, but today is a new start. You seem to have such a wonderful attitude--I'm sure it is a help when it comes to facing the chaos and stress that comes with the medical and family issues you have going on around you.

Self development, self-care, and personal growth! Such a broad and vast area to focus on. Just for curiosity (and because I think knowing the answer to this question is extremely helpful when it comes to accomplishing things), what is the one single thing that you are absolutely committed to getting done this month? Is it the art? The gardening? Returning to some of the ideas from your preceding entries like eating healthy?

Art every day--just the words make me smile. I find that art (and other creative activities involving music/dance/etc.) really kind of smooths out my day and can kind of be like a meditation. (When I typed that, I accidentally typed "medication" the first time--art can be a type of medication, too!)

I'm going to be doing some art this month--and a photo album, too. (Although I have switched from physical photo albums to assembling them on the computer and getting a printing service to print them for me in a hard-back book format--so much less space on the shelf and I like them just as much, if not more!) There is somebody else in these forums who I think it also doing art everyday. Matt, maybe? I think it was a guy.

If you wanted to, you could probably start a thread here specifically focusing on art every day (or once a week...) and see who jumps in. I know there is a way to post attachments and images in these forums as well although I've never done it myself. It would probably be easier than starting a blog unless you already have one going! Just something to consider! :-)

I look forward to hearing how you grow closer to your best self this month!

--Jadzia

Post: #8

Me again! Sorry, but I found the art every day person I was thinking of plus another. The first is Matt and another is Firefly56--check out their threads in the monthly habits forums.