In the midst of all my busy-ness of the past month or so, one thing I have been very grateful for, is my stamina. Okay, so I over-extended myself a good deal, and I ended up getting sick. But I actually got sick about a month later than I “should” have. Last year this time, I almost went into pneumonia I got sick sooner (on less activity) and it progressed quicker. It also took me longer to get over it. After two days of meds, I’m feeling, well, almost perky.
In my own TBI recovery, few things have made as much of a difference, as taking care of my own physical body. The last year, in particular, has seen some great progress. Unbelievable progress, in fact, that has my neuropsych a bit breathless and eager to hear each week what I’m doing now.
While behavior modification and mindfulness practice and taking good notes and keeping to a regular schedule has helped, the foundation of it all is sound physical fitness. I’m not talking about hitting the gym 3 times a week and getting ripped. I’m talking about getting regular exercise that gets me in good enough shape that I can get through the day without being completely depleted.
This is key. It’s vital, because at the end of the day (literally) I need to tend to some of my most important relationships my spouse and my friends. I need to have energy left over to work aroud the house and yard, and run the errands that make my regular life possible. If I don’t have stamina and endurance, I become fatigued. When I am fatigued, whatever good intentions my brain may have tend to fall by the wayside and get lost in the shuffle.
Being over-tired fries me in very dangerous ways, so if I can find a way to be less tired and better rested, then I have a fighting chance of rebuilding my life.
And that’s what I’ve been doing. Looking back on the past years, it amazes me that I was as stuck as I was, that I was as badly off as I was. At the time, I figured that’s just how things were going to be for me a never-ending series of catastrophes and chaos. I figured that was my lot in life, and I didn’t bother to look beyond that. I was in constant fire-fighting mode, which didn’t do much for my nervous system. Being fried all the time, being on constant alert, being in perpetual reaction mode… all potent ingredients for traumatic stress. But I figured that was my lot in life, so why bother changing it?
Hindsight is 20/20, of course, and looking back, I can see that a chief ingredient in my chaos was a bone-tiredness that I got in the habit of ignoring. I’ve fallen back into that old way, in the past weeks, as my job responsibilities have mounted at year-end. I haven’t given myself time to rest, because when I slow down, I start to get nervous, I start to feel pain, and I start to feel bothered and unsetttled and anxious… which feeds my drive to DO.
Now, as I see a little more chaos creeping up around me, and I struggle with things at work that “should” be no-brainers, and I forget critical things that people told me (and then they yell at me because of it), I receive yet another wake-up call. PAY ATTENTION. Look at what’s going on around you. It’s not someone else’s fault. You’re making this happen, at least in part, by straying from the things you know you need to do. KNOCK IT OFF. Get back on the bus, and keep with the program.
Yeah, I’m taking my pills with a big helping of humble pie. The labels say “Take with Food” so I guess that’s okay 
Anyway, for the first time in several days, I worked out this morning. I could only do so much and I couldn’t push myself that hard, because I’m still recovering. But I did manage to get in a workout. I did manage to get moving and work up a little bit of a sweat. It’s good. I’m not quite 100%, but I’m getting there. And this weekend I’ll have a chance to rest.
After all, stamina and endurance and training all require ample rest. Lest I forget…
In the midst of all my busy-ness of the past month or so, one thing I have been very grateful for, is my stamina. Okay, so I over-extended myself a good deal, and I ended up getting sick. But I actually got sick about a month later than I “should” have. Last year this time, I almost went into pneumonia I got sick sooner (on less activity) and it progressed quicker. It also took me longer to get over it. After two days of meds, I’m feeling, well, almost perky.
In my own TBI recovery, few things have made as much of a difference, as taking care of my own physical body. The last year, in particular, has seen some great progress. Unbelievable progress, in fact, that has my neuropsych a bit breathless and eager to hear each week what I’m doing now.
While behavior modification and mindfulness practice and taking good notes and keeping to a regular schedule has helped, the foundation of it all is sound physical fitness. I’m not talking about hitting the gym 3 times a week and getting ripped. I’m talking about getting regular exercise that gets me in good enough shape that I can get through the day without being completely depleted.
This is key. It’s vital, because at the end of the day (literally) I need to tend to some of my most important relationships my spouse and my friends. I need to have energy left over to work aroud the house and yard, and run the errands that make my regular life possible. If I don’t have stamina and endurance, I become fatigued. When I am fatigued, whatever good intentions my brain may have tend to fall by the wayside and get lost in the shuffle.
Being over-tired fries me in very dangerous ways, so if I can find a way to be less tired and better rested, then I have a fighting chance of rebuilding my life.
And that’s what I’ve been doing. Looking back on the past years, it amazes me that I was as stuck as I was, that I was as badly off as I was. At the time, I figured that’s just how things were going to be for me a never-ending series of catastrophes and chaos. I figured that was my lot in life, and I didn’t bother to look beyond that. I was in constant fire-fighting mode, which didn’t do much for my nervous system. Being fried all the time, being on constant alert, being in perpetual reaction mode… all potent ingredients for traumatic stress. But I figured that was my lot in life, so why bother changing it?
Hindsight is 20/20, of course, and looking back, I can see that a chief ingredient in my chaos was a bone-tiredness that I got in the habit of ignoring. I’ve fallen back into that old way, in the past weeks, as my job responsibilities have mounted at year-end. I haven’t given myself time to rest, because when I slow down, I start to get nervous, I start to feel pain, and I start to feel bothered and unsetttled and anxious… which feeds my drive to DO.
Now, as I see a little more chaos creeping up around me, and I struggle with things at work that “should” be no-brainers, and I forget critical things that people told me (and then they yell at me because of it), I receive yet another wake-up call. PAY ATTENTION. Look at what’s going on around you. It’s not someone else’s fault. You’re making this happen, at least in part, by straying from the things you know you need to do. KNOCK IT OFF. Get back on the bus, and keep with the program.
Yeah, I’m taking my pills with a big helping of humble pie. The labels say “Take with Food” so I guess that’s okay
Anyway, for the first time in several days, I worked out this morning. I could only do so much and I couldn’t push myself that hard, because I’m still recovering. But I did manage to get in a workout. I did manage to get moving and work up a little bit of a sweat. It’s good. I’m not quite 100%, but I’m getting there. And this weekend I’ll have a chance to rest.
After all, stamina and endurance and training all require ample rest. Lest I forget…