👇 Doing What’s Necessary | Reset for MS
I can think of 100 reasons to put off what is most important and necessary right now.
Can you relate?
When taking care of your “health” with multiple sclerosis becomes such a BIG focus, it can become overwhelming. At times the thought of finding the energy to just get it done might feel daunting.
I get it. I experience this too!
Three days just before my flight back to Canada from Greece, I developed a sore throat, dry cough and inner ear discomfort.
Oh no, what if it’s covid?
I’ll come back to this part of the story later. But before I do…
Here’s the truth bomb: I was so excited to see my daughter who flew into Greece from Spain with her boyfriend. It had been over 3 years since I last saw them. I was so excited and over the moon happy.
In this joyous state, I eased, well pretty much erased many of the habit systems that support me in effectively managing my life with MS.
This seven-day family reunion started with late night dinners and foods that I normally avoid or at least minimize to very special occasions.
I was now staying up until 1 am and not sleeping as well. I had cut out my morning routine of stretching, and respiratory gymnastics (breathing exercises).
To top it off, I was pushing my body harder than ever with walking and stairs. There are a lot of stairs in Greece, especially if you visit castles or fortresses which in most cases are at the top of a big hill😉. Plus, I wasn’t napping.
Let’s pause here for a moment…
How’s this shown up in your life?
Where do you notice yourself getting away from the routines that support you best while managing MS?
I realized by day five of this seven-day visit; I must start course correcting.
Culturally in Greece and Spain, dinners are eaten at 9 pm or later. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Yet, during their visit, I’d been eating a big lunch and a big dinner while socializing with family. Once the meals were over, we lingered around the table for hours.
My daughter loves to eat her way around a city when she is traveling. She also brought treats from Spain to share her lived experience with me. She had forgotten that I have a gluten free diet. I wanted to enjoy and celebrate with her.
I let go of the guilt I felt around the sugar, dairy, and wheat I’d eaten. Beating oneself up only makes the situation worse.
I knew that if I had tried to tackle getting back on track all at once, I’d feel defeated.
I picked sleep first. We had been staying up past 1 A.M. every night.
On the diet side, I stopped eating gluten which was the easiest. Then I reduced the sugar and dairy. I was aware that when I came back home to Canada, it would be much easier to press the reset button.
Having a game plan to make these shifts is key to getting back on track.
Let’s revisit the dry cough, sore throat and ears.
I started gargling with warm water and salt to reduce the inflammation in my throat, along with drinking herbal teas and warm water. Hydration is critical, especially in a warm climate.
Two days before my flight, I went and got a PCR test to ensure I was not caring the virus. I wanted reassurance that I was in the clear while also not putting others at risk
Fortunately, the result was negative.
It was just a head cold. My biggest fear was that I would experience extreme pressure in my ears which would cause excruciating pain and nausea while flying. The dry cough might worry others on the plane and was uncomfortable.
I went to the pharmacy next to my accommodations and asked what would be best to help me get through the flight. The pharmacist recommended a nose spray and special throat lozenges. She also recommended Advil for pain.
To my surprise, there was no pain at all on my way back to Montreal.
What a BIG relief.
Now home, I’m faced with doing what’s necessary. Preparing and administering a natural salt and warm water nasal spray to take away the ear pain and prevent a sinus infection.
It would be so easy to not do this because I do not like how it feels when I squirt the liquid up my nose. It goes into my sinuses and ear canals. Yucky.
What is it that you are avoiding because you don’t like how it feels, yet you know there are benefits that outweigh the discomfort?
I don’t regret my choices while in Greece. Part of living my best life with MS is ensuring I experience joy.
Today is a fresh start.
Now that I’m back home, I’m reintegrating my selfcare routines.
I’m purchasing food that supports my body and brain best. I’ll resume daily napping and get to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier.
What’s the one thing that you will do this week to course correct?
If you are part of the Women Thriving with MS (and Fatigue) free private Facebook group, you likely know about Motivation Mondays. This is when you commit to one small action (micro action) you will take between Monday and Friday to move your life forward.
Every Friday, I do a Facebook live in the group to celebrate all of you who make a commitment to yourselves that week. You do this by writing your micro action underneath the Motivation Monday post.
Come participate if you haven’t already so I can celebrate you!
I look forward to cheering you on!
Jen
P.S. ✅ Done: first round of natural warm saltwater nose spray.
✅ Done: two rounds of respiratory gymnastic
✅ To do: repeat both again by 8 pm this evening
