Take care of yourself

The blog article titled “What you owe your loved ones” has several key points. I wrote about “arranging your affairs” last week. This week I want to address another topic from the article.

Taking care of yourself is a responsibility. You take care of yourself to minimize the stress and concern of your loved ones. For those of use living with Kennedy’s Disease, we learn early on in the progression that we are ‘high maintenance’. And, most of the stress we cause our loved ones is because of our falls and because we try to do something we shouldn’t be doing in the first place. Far too often we let our ego or our stubbornness get in the way of good sense.

Several of my bad falls (sprains, broken bones or concussions) were the result of me not thinking of the worst case scenarios before attempting something. Today, I would like to think that I consider most of the possibilities before starting something. Occasionally, I still miss a scenario. The only reason I know I missed one is because it happens.

Enjoy the topic below and follow the link above to read the entire article.

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In order to be there for your loved ones you need to be the best person you can be. 

Taking care of yourself means:

• You make it a priority to rest and get enough sleep every night.
• You exercise regularly and eat the healthiest foods you can afford.
• You give yourself time alone to meditate or reflect and renew if and when you need to.
• You allow yourself to work on projects you’re passionate about and have as much fun as you can.
• You foster relationships with the people you care about and respect.

These are the basic steps but you can add anything that energizes you and enhances your inner and physical wellbeing.

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Now, since you know I am an exercise addict and have realized the benefits of exercise in maintaining my strength, I need to reemphasize the number two bullet:

• You exercise regularly performing ‘smart’ exercises that improve and maintain your strength, flexibility and general health.

And, even though it is insinuated in the last bullet in the article above, I feel it is important to add:

• You are ‘open’ and ‘honest’ with your loved ones. You keep them informed and share your feelings including your fears. This open and honest relationship nurtures the relationships of those you love. It also frees you from wallowing in your own negative emotions that can lead to depression.

The key message is to show your love to others by taking care of yourself.