Tips for Jumping Back in After a Flare Or Relapse -- Day 3

The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men       The best laid schemes of mice and men

Gang aft agley...                                          Go often awry...                                   

Original                                                       Translation

The above lines were written by Robert Burns  in 1785, and included in the Kilmamock volume.

So what happens when you have only slept for six and a half hours? Does your fatigued body pop up out of the bed, and you jump right into the days activities? I  can tell you that it isn't what I do, because I am more frequently a creeper than a springer. 

Today was my second day of getting back into a routine;  however, last night, was a sleepless one for me.  I didn't fall asleep until 6 a.m., and that was after I took an herbal remedy.  Needless to say, my priorities changed today;  however, I was still able to accomplish a few things.  My main words for the day were keep activities light.  When I have a sleepless night, I am not going to force myself to do to much, so I can continue my recovery, rather than relapsing.  

From Yesterday's Blog Post - Second Day

1. Get dressed.  I am not saying you cannot clean in your pajamas, because I have been known to do that;  however, I like having on a comfortable house dress (something pretty) or comfortable jeans or skirt.  Being dressed helps you to feel ready for the day.  
2.  After dressing, rest for a few minutes.  Put your feet up.  Perhaps, you will want to make a short list of things that need to be done.  Then pick three things off that list.  Work at them no longer than 15 minutes each.  You may need to cut the time for each activity to a shorter amount, depending on your strength.  The key to getting back  into your routine is adding things gradually.    
3. Make sure you rest between each activity.  Put your feet up.  I often work or play while sitting:   ie.  reading, working on a blog post ( which can be very tiring and time consuming), eating a snack, watching TV, or simply closing your eyes for a few minutes). 
4. You have to learn to listen to your body.  That is not always easy for those of us who like to push through and finish an activity.  However, I have learned that if I take a break and go back to what I was doing, I am more likely to have the energy to do what I  need to do tomorrow. 

Day 3 - Remember you can do anything in baby steps.

1. Get dressed. Rest.  Eat breakfast and take your medicine.  (However, I admit to eating breakfast before dressing.)  It's your routine:  don't try to change everything to match someone else's ideas of how you should manage your schedule.  That can be overwhelming.  
2. List 3 chores or activities you need to accomplish for the day.
3. Work on one activity at a time for 7 to 15 minutes.  It is acceptable to spend less time on a job if necessary.  You may have to break one chore into 3 parts.  As I said before:  it depends on your strength and stamina.  We are all at different places in our lives and our illnesses.  
4. After you have worked for 15 minutes, you need to switch to a different activity.  I have been known to push on, but I usually end up feeling more drained than I should have.  Just a word about the reason for switching activities.  It helps one to stay focused on the job.  Often, I rest after the 15 minutes or do a sitting down type activity, like checking my email, checking Facebook, or writing on my blog.  Sometimes, I read.  
5. Stay hydrated.  I usually keep a glass of water nearby.  Before I sit down to rest, I usually check to make sure there is water in my glass.  Filtered water is my choice of drink, but sometimes I spice it up with lime, cucumber, and ice.

These are basic schedules.  I have not been giving you detailed lists of things to do for a couple of weeks.  I would like to work on my own "routine", and I will pass on new things that I learn.  Even though I can come up with great detailed lists of things to do and when to do them, I have found that usually does not work for me on a regular basis.  I would like to encourage habits of the month to work on;   however, I may not always come up with the habit that most important for you to improve.  

That is when you might want to be creative and choose to list your habit of the month to do daily, not mine.  I am telling you this, because I do not want you to be frustrated by trying to do things you are not strong enough to do.  If you are familiar with various ideas of how to clean and get rid of your clutter, you may have noticed that some people find a fulcrum point to focus your habits and build better ones.  This is an excellent idea, but I found my starting point needs to be the habit of "Getting Dressed."  This is what works for me.  You may find you need to start by making your bed or having 15 minutes of meditation or a devotional.  FlyLady suggests starting by "shining your sink" 

in her 31 Beginner BabySteps.  She also has a page called Getting Started.  

I adapted FlyLady's system to my needs.  I also like to read articles about how other people accomplish tasks they need to get done.  As far as I know, there is no perfect way to get the job done.  That is why I like to emphasize taking baby steps.

You and I can baby step our way through the things we need to do or want to do.  Small steps or little bites add up.  They really do.