You can listen to me reading this post, and reflecting on what I wrote on Spotify and Apple podcasts.
What I will tell you
In this post, I would like to tell you about my daily routine. When you have a disease like Multiple Sclerosis, combined with piercing headaches, you need to have the sense that you have control over your life, despite the obvious fact that there are elements of your life that you have no control of. Asserting control over my diet, certain elements of my day, and taking the time to cleanse my mind, and prepare for my day, are all methods that I use to have control over my life. I believe that these routines are important for people with chronic illnesses, and are also important for people who have no illnesses but are looking to get their lives back in shape. All it takes is to start. It can be just the simple act of making your bed. Now you have control.
What I am telling you
I try to have variety in my days. This, for me, is good, as I don’t like to do the same thing again, and again. That feeling of Groundhog Day would put me into a negative spin. My aim, every day, is to do something positive. This is not always possible, but I do have some tricks that make sure that I have some successes every day.
Repeating Routine
Every day I have some elements that I repeat. These are:
- Breakfast
- Make bed
- Meditate
- Journal
- Dinner
- Play a game/Relax
- Sleep
Breakfast
After I have at least 8 hours sleep I wake up gently. I have found that if I rush in the morning that my headache gets worse, quicker. It may take 20-30 before I get out of bed. This time I use to read. It could be my book that I am reading, or check on the news. I won’t read something heavy, as my brain has not engaged yet.
Then I have breakfast. I have experimented with different breakfasts, but my reliable, and favourite breakfast is:
- Muesli
- Orange Juice
- Coffee (strong, made from ground coffee, never instant)
- Vitamins (Vitamin B-Complex, Vitamin C, Multi-vitamin, Vitamin D, Gensing, Evening Primrose Oil, Fish Oil)
I find this works well for me and gives me the boost for the day that I need. Maybe 3 times a week I will make a Bulletproof Coffee. I probably should have this every day, but it does take more effort, and I am sometimes lazy.
Make Bed
This is an important step in my day. Firstly, I like to be tidy. I do allow the bed to breathe a little while I am having breakfast. When I return to my room after breakfast, I finish making my bed. It isn’t complicated, as I only have a duvet, and throw. However, I do think that by starting the day with a success, however small, means that every day I will have succeeded in something, and will have done that something well. I had been doing this all my life, but now I know the reason.
Meditate
This takes about 15 minutes every morning and clears my mind for the day ahead. I only started this recently, on advice from a psychologist, and after listening to “The Tim Ferriss Podcast”. It is also mentioned in his book “Tools of Titans”.
Journal
After clearing my head with about 15 minutes of meditation I then write my journal. It consists of two parts. The first is a 5-minute journal. This is the blank version of the 5-minute journal (I have created a journal which can be bought on Amazon, this is the link):
After this, I write about what I did yesterday, and then what I plan to achieve today.
Dinner
Every day I have a sit-down dinner that I have with my partner. There is no TV, no radio, no phones or the Internet. I believe that it is very important to have at least 1 meal a day that you share with someone, and that your complete attention is with them, and the meal. Later in this blog, I will write about my diet.
Relax/Play
Every day I have some time that I relax or play. I think that playing games are very important to everyone’s mental health. At the moment the game that I am playing is Rummy. It has an element of skill, and luck. The most important thing is that I am playing with someone that is important to me. We can chat, talk, even talk about serious things. The key issue is that it is social.
Sleep
8 hours sleep every night is a minimum for me. Due to the fatigue that I have with my Multiple Sclerosis, and Headaches, it is important that my body has the time to heal itself without being interrupted by the events of life. It is critical for mental health, and physical health, that sufficient sleep is part of my routine.
What I Told You
In this post I have walked you through the parts of my day that I assert my control. As a person who has Multiple Sclerosis, and Chronic Headaches, I need to have the feeling that I control my own destiny, and that the illnesses I have are not the guiding hands. I have the control over some of my day. Whether it is by making my bed, or taking the time to meditate and cleanse my mind before the day starts. It might seems small, but these are steps that help give me balance in my life. I have to take control of the things that I can control, and actively control them. Then, when life throws you a curve ball, you can handle it. You have the mental strength to overcome these obstacles.
