My Daily "Menu"
The one where I plan how to use the gift of time
Yesterday I was gifted an amazing opportunity to prioritize my health
After six years of managing my deteriorating PD and a full time job simultaneously, my supportive admins and FMLA made it possible for me to put myself first as I prepare for DBS surgery in the coming months. It is a gift that I shall not squander.
But where to start?
PD messes with every body system to some degree or another. Which do I focus on?
My new friend AI suggests these:
Five small daily wins could include:
Completing a small task on your to-do list first thing in the morning
- This could be anything from replying to an email to washing dishes.
Exercising for even a short period
- A quick walk, a yoga session, or even just stretching can count as a win.
Making a healthy meal choice
- Opting for a salad instead of fries or choosing a piece of fruit as a snack.
Learning something new, even for a few minutes
- Reading an article, watching a short educational video, or practicing a new skill.
Reaching out to a friend or family member with a positive message
- A simple text, call, or even a thoughtful card can brighten someone's day.
When my boys were younger, their Mom and I insisted that they complete their C.R.A.P. list daily before engaging in their vastly preferred pastime of playing video games: something Creative, an hour minimum of Reading, and a minimum of 30 minutes of Active Play. CRAP. They thought that it was indeed crap to have to endure this unreasonable torture on a daily basis, but they knew the question was coming when they asked to start their gaming: “Have you done CRAP yet?”
I won’t put an unreasonable expectation on myself to develop an equally clever acronym for my list, but I’m also not going to not try to.
Here goes…
Sleep, which is a huge issue for me and is foundational for all of the rest, will be my number one. I recently spent the equivalent of the GDP of a small developing country on an assortment of pillows to try and hack the right combination for a restful night’s sleep, but the jury is still out regarding effectiveness.
Sleep Hygiene
The overwhelming evidence that regular exercise can have significant benefits for Parkies makes the number two an easy one:
Exercise
Nutrition is another no brainer. The pioneering work of Dr. Laurie Mishley on the neuroprotective and neurodegenerative qualities of the food we eat is so clear it would be foolhardy to dismiss this as a necessary win every day.
Nutrition
My favorite part of my job is writing letters of recommendation for kids, upwards of 30 so far this year. The challenge of creating a 3D picture of a kid using only words is so much fun for me. Just like writing a DBQ for APUSH, I’m working with primary source documents that I analyze and synthesize into a cogent, compelling narrative, complete with a “hook” running throughout that reaches out and grabs the reader’s attention. I imagine my audience a beleaguered, exhausted, admissions reader on a Friday afternoon after a long week of doing nothing but reading files, and only has three more to go before they can head home to their loved ones. My kid is one of those three remaining files. That calls for an arresting opening paragraph! I won’t be writing any more letters for a bit, but I will need to do something creative..
Creativity
Trying to keep this list to the number of digits on one hand makes me want to add just one more. I think this has got to be actively doing something to cultivate a productive mindset. Life is 5% of what happens to you and 95% how you respond to it. I recently adapted Ted Lasso’s “Be curious not judgmental” tenet as a way to approach PD. If I judge what is happening (i.e. assign meaning) rather than simply ponder and engage my curiosity, it becomes a whole other thing.
Mindset
So SNECM is my acronym for now; rest assured I’ll be tweaking it.
Add that into my Strive app (a must have for Parkies) and I’ve got my priorities for the day set.
Enough typing, I need to get out and go for a walk!