Saturday, November 21, 2009

Don't think ahead.

You are usually advised to think ahead, to plan your future. It is said that it is good to plan your days so you make the most of them. Organisation is essential, in particular organisation of your time as time is precious and time is limited. There are only 24 hours in every day however much you try to stretch an hour.

Aah! Not always and I say this from painful experience - emotional and physical pain. The best laid plans of mice and men to quote Robert Burns are often shoved aside (to quote me) when your RA body is being difficult. Chronic illnesses like rheumathoid arthritis are not always cooperative you know. You make plans to spend time with friends and the pain flares up. What a pain!

Another thing about making plans and having RA is that thinking ahead can be overwhelming , to say the least, and it may all seem so hopeless. Getting out of bed in the morning takes a lot of effort and will power. I pray as I try to push myself off the bed. Sometimes I fall back or I have to sit down again. I need a firmer footing. Then that long journey to the bathroom, my handphone in hand. I place the phone down and continue my shuffle. That's how the day goes.

So it makes more sense for me to get things done in stages thinking only of getting one thing done at a time. When that is done, I go to the next and so on. If I think of all I have to do and go through every day, I will not be able to get any sleep. Everything will keep going around and around in my head. That would just make things worse in the morning.

So for those with chronic illnesses like me, please don't think ahead and anticipate all the problems to come. There will be problems but anticipation will just make it worse. You can get through the day and be proud of yourself when you do. I do every day and I am.

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