Taking Care of Yourself
25 Apr
I do not handle stress well. I give myself stomach ulcers. I clench and grind my teeth. I have a lot of problems with my jaw. By the way, TMJ Disorder is a very expensive way to deal with stress. Retail therapy would be cheaper.
Having a spouse with a chronic illness is stressful. Wasn’t that a really deep, profound, obvious statement?
Anyway, I try to take care of myself so that I can take care of David. It’s not just important for caregivers. I think everyone should take care of themselves. Here are some things I do for myself. What about you? How do you take care of yourself?
- Pilates – Exercising helps a lot. I like Pilates because it’s low impact.
- Reading – I love to read! Classics, Christian fiction, magazines, Twilight…Reading gets my mind off things.
- Manicures and Pedicures – I just feel better when my nails look good. I usually do them myself, but if anyone is wondering what I want for Christmas, a gift certificate for a manicure is always welcome.
- Piano – I love to play when I’m by myself. It’s so therapeutic. However, I am a terrible player, so please don’t ask me to play for you.
- Henry – My dog. He’s wonderful. Petting him melts away the stress.
- Sleep – I get at least eight hours a night. My to-do list may not get done every day, but it’s worth it for me. This is why I try to schedule everything as late in the day as possible. David sometimes can’t sleep because of the pain, so it makes it hard to meet up with friends at 8 AM.
- Laughter – I laugh at everything. My brothers tease me about it. Things are just funny to me.
- Dessert – Sometimes, a piece of cake makes you feel much better.
- Prayer – You can pray anywhere. It doesn’t take any special equipment. And it works!
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