We leave for Hawaii (assuming no further calamities) in 30 days which is a wonderful thing to be able to think about and anticipate.
And, I think it is helpful to acknowledge that these next 30 days are going to be challenging. There will be:
- a call week
- a luteal phase (lol)
- much stress and difficulty for my parents as they deal with the recovery phase
- another trip back to PHL — now taking on a very different form / flavor than originally planned, but I’m still glad I have it on the books
- unexpected events to come, because that’s life.
I also do not in any way want to wish them away. Leaning hard into mindfulness, I am going to try hard to notice thoughts and feelings and allow myself to experience them without judgment. I also want to channel my focus into being present for others while also maintaining a high level of self-care, because I know I will need to that to sustain my energy through this stretch.
I think that going in with this mindset is much healthier for me than ruminating on the summer vibes I may be lacking. I will say that even with all of THAT, I remain grateful that overall the summer does offer a slower pace with respect to family life, just due to fewer late activities and less-early camp (vs school) mornings. So even if things do not feel easy-peasy, I can appreciate that there is still more margin than there would be in, say, March.
SELF-CARE PEP TALK:
- You can and should prioritize sleep when possible (and it’s usually possible – even on my call week, I can ask for camp driving help so that I can sleep later if needed after a rough night)
- You can let non-urgent things slide as needed. Many things are elastic.
- Keeping up with fitness routines and eating (mostly) healthy food makes everything else go better.
- This is a time for single-tasking to the extent possible. Try not to overload your system. Set boundaries when it comes to “interruptive” inputs when they are not truly urgent.
- Savor small moments when you can. C got back from basketball camp and gave me some lovely hugs (this is usually not his style).
Here we go.
10 Comments
Hi there
Idea for the self care strategy of distraction. I read and listened to Radar Girls…interesting pieces of history included and will get you excited for HI. Bet you can easily get the audiobook on Libby.
PS-parents going through health challenges is never easy…sure your presence will so be appreciated.
Feels heavy at the moment, hopefully it shall pass and you get to enjoy the trip.
One day at a time, friend. I am glad there are some things to look forward to!
I really like the reminders for self. Hugs.
Great attitude and mental preparedness! Wishing you a thoughful, present, rewarding next 30 days. Oh, and to your self-care ideas, I would add try to specifically do one small, nice thing for yourself every day (maybe even some small pleasure you would normally not allow yourself or skip because you’re busy withothers)–this helped to get me through an extremely difficult time in my life, just knowing that I would pay attention to my own needs and desires, too.
This is a very practical and healthy outlook on a hard phase ahead. I also always put sleep at the top of the to-do list during tough phases! You got this!
I love having a countdown for the family on our blackboard before a trip away. Even when there’s hard and low days, seeing that trip number ticking down steadily is a lovely ritual.
We also had a countdown until our son finished chemo. That one we celebrated hard!
I am so glad it sounds like your son finished treatment and what an incredible cause for celebration!!!
Thank you! Yes, he’s thriving now.