Stay Sharp ✏️
Hello! Apologies for this being a little late, covid has pummelled me. Hopefully, regular service will resume over the weekend. Thank you for all your lovely messages, stories and funnies you have all cheered me up so much 😘
Today is the final day of term for schools here in Scotland. On one hand phew what a relief to have made it through another school year. On the other…holy shit 7 weeks to entertain a nearly 15-year-old! In our house I work from home, my partner is half home-half office and my eldest daughter (19) has a summer job waitressing odd and late-night hours. Oh and don’t forget the collie! All this adds up to not much peace in a small 1st floor two-bed flat. I’m not complaining as such, I loathe the school year and its enforced routines so holidays yay! But any change seems to knock Mr P into touch.
The thing (among many ‘things’) with chronic illness is the fine balance you have to maintain. Time is both your enemy and your greatest assist. Non-ill folk don’t understand that even a few minutes out can throw everything into survival mode.
When your resources are the scrapings at the bottom of the barrel you really need to eek those buggers out. Anyone with time-sensitive medication will tell you that on time every time is paramount. But that also applies to routines, food, work and socialising.
When things take longer than expected or routines have altered the margin for adaption can be huge. For example in Parkinson’s a dash of stress can cause symptoms to go doolally. Sometimes this is an immediate effect like freezing, or tremors going into overdrive. Other times it is delayed and you are knocked out of action for a few days with fatigue, anxiety or other joys.
I have learnt if I plan and set some structure things generally run better and I actually achieve some stuff! Here are my thoughts.
Set boundaries: I limit my social interactions to short bursts. Even phone calls can take it out of me and throw my day out. Practise your personal time limits.
Don’t take on too much: this is coming from the ultimate superhero in ‘taking on every projects my insane brain imagines’. I’m still learning to slow the fuck down.
Peak Times: I am best in the morning, not too early or before coffee but after lunch I get floppy. Interestingly I often pick up in the evening.
Expect stuff to bugger up: allow yourself extra time for EVERYTHING!
Tell everyone to back off: seriously, say no. Help folk manage their expectations by being firm about what you are able to do.
When the fun stops, stop: or stop while you are ahead and don’t over do it.
Rest: no, really. It may seem like you are ‘resting’ because you are having an off moment/day/week but that is recovery not rest. Rest and relax maybe even get wild and have fun.
So applying my own advice I will take the changes in the household in a positive way. And tell them all to bugger off and give me some peace! Ahem. Ok I’ll chill and have an extra glass of wine.
With love
Emma xx