Well I hope that my last blog about making sure you don’t end up with a car that doesn’t work after not using it every day. Has given you some help as the last thing we need is when things get back to normal is a huge bill for new batteries & tyres.
So today I’m going to talk about routines. Over the years I’ve found that it’s important to try and keep to a routine. Otherwise the days end up messy, you accomplish nothing and your mental health starts to deteriorate. So here is a list that I still try to stick to, but with bad health it doesn’t always happen.
Getting Up in the Morning & Bedtime:
I have found that keeping to a set time for getting up and going to bed is still the best thing for your wellbeing. It’s so easy to start lying in every day and staying up till all hours, but I have found that this puts more stress on your body.
So I get up every day between 10 am and 11 am (unless I’m really not good or haven’t slept at all during the night). I have 3 alarms set on my phone for 10 am, 10:30 am & 11 am. My Fitbit watch also vibrates with a silent alarm too.
I have another alarm that goes off at 9:30 pm, which I class as my bedtime. When this alarm goes off I start to to prepare for going to bed, by turning things off, making sure that cat’s have enough food and water for the night. They know as soon as I turn the TV off it’s bedtime and they come running from wherever they’ve been in hope of getting a treat. More than not they don’t but they do what they can to try and change my mind.
So by 10 pm I’m usually heading upstairs to bed, but then I have my beauty regime where I do a bit of pampering by: Putting on my small humidifier that lets you put natural relaxing fragrant oils in, which helps me to relax more and to eventually fall asleep. I have also found doing a small beauty routine using natural products that have an aromatherapy benefit to them also helps me to start relaxing. Once I’ve done all of that I then turn off all the lights and read with my Kindle for an hour or so. I find reading quietens my brain down and I fall asleep while reading.
Some Kindles have an automatic light sensor, which gradually dims in the dark, helping you to fall asleep and it doesn’t disturb others.
If my brain won’t quieten down after reading I will then do a guided sleep meditation, which I have never gotten to the end of.
Getting Dressed:
Staying in your PJ’s is novel at first, but it can soon start to affect your mental health. Possibly more for someone like me, as staying in PJ’s all day means I’ve just not got the energy to get dressed or I’m ill. If I do push myself to get dressed then that means I’ve over exerted myself and I will struggle to get myself anything to eat. I know it may sound drastic to you but ME/CFS is like this.
Meals:
Stick to your 3 meals a day. Don’t snack just for the sake of it or because your treating this time away from work as a holiday. It’s so easy to put weight on and twice as hard to get it off. Especially as we get older.
Also with not moving around and going out to work etc, maybe now is the time to try and eat a little bit less, making our food cupboard supplies last longer. With everyone panic buying, stocks are low and we won’t be able to stock up in the way we have been used too.
My mum and I have already started to do this, she was a child in the war so grew up rationing. Don’t waste your food, use your leftovers for another meal so you only need to add a bit of something to make it another full meal. I don’t have any food waste, as I have become very good at just making the right amount of food for one person or I make enough food for a family split it into batches and freeze the rest. (OK so I’m probably telling you something you already know).
Week Day’s to Weekends:
Even after 15 years of not going out to work I still treat my week day’s differently to my weekends.
During the Week:
When I’m well enough I still treat the working week as if I’m still working. I have set household jobs that I try to do:
| Monday: | Put the dishwasher on |
| Tuesday: | Empty all of the household bins (general bin/paper & cardboard/cans & glass). Change cat litter boxes and hoover |
| Wednesday: | Wash at least one load of washing and dry |
| Thursday: | Same a Wednesday |
| Friday: | Change cat litter boxes. Water house plants |
I know to a lot of you this isn’t very much and some weeks I struggle to do these basic household jobs, but it still helps me keep a bit of structure to my life. Also I do craft, blog and watch TV during the day as well when I’m able. I think this is one of the things that has helped me a lot over the years.
Weekend:
The weekends I have kept the same as when I was working. Except that part where you go out shopping with friends or go to the pub etc and socialise.
The alarm clock is turned off over the weekend so I can have a long lie in. I stay up a bit later on Friday and Saturday nights. Saturday I usually spend all day reading or catching up with what I’ve recorded over the week, and Sunday I may well have a duvet day. Especially if it’s winter and I watch old movies or watch movies 24, so I don’t really have to pay them much attention.
I know that these are only very basic tips, and you’ll feel as though:
I’m teaching you to suck eggs!!
This is a saying that my mum has said to many a time over the years.
But sometimes we need reminded of the basic things in life and enjoy them, I’ve found over this last week that the world is finally slowing down to my pace of life. My mum keeps saying she feels as though she’s gone back to the 1950’s & 60’s as there are less cars on the roads, no planes constantly going over heading to Manchester Airport.
Please let me know of any tips you may have, as you may have tips or ideas on something I’ve not even thought about.
Take car & keep safe Alex (Gadgetgirl71)
Gadget Girl 71 