Self Care
I’m on holidays on Maui and it’s time for Jillian's blog. Firstly I want you all to know I have stepped down as board chair of PWP . I have been the chair for 2 consecutive three year terms. It’s time for more self care. Living with Parkinson’s takes up a lot of time. The World Health Organisation says self-care can be defined as ‘what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, prevent and deal with illness’.
When you have a chronic illness like Parkinson’s self care is top of the list for optimising quality of life. I also know it takes a significant amount of time to prioritise our health . Other responsibilities can often take precedent over our own care . But at what price?
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and symptoms need to be addressed on a daily basis. Our symptom control can be very fragile. Any change can upset the balance between effective medications and the side effects we may experience.
The key to living optimally with Parkinson’s is to establish a routine of self care.
My meaning of self care is;
Stick to a regular sleep schedule
Eat a healthy diet
Get regular exercise—-See you at the Gym!
Stimulate your mind
Take your medications on time
Don’t forget to relax
Look after your mental health, get help if you need to.
Get out in the world and do what you love 💕
We all have to recognise that a big part of managing this condition is being an active participant, controlling those variables that we do have control over and establishing time for self care.
Back to my resignation from the board . I need time for my own self care. I have just finished an eight week Friday morning Cognitive Behavioural Therapy session. It has really helped me with my mental health. I know I need time to practice what I learned. I also need time to eat a healthy diet. It takes time to cook and plan meals. I need to get to the PWP gym at least 3 days a week. I have had to miss Friday boxing due to the CBT course.
So yes I am in Maui right now eating a delicious turkey salad and drinking lots of water to hydrate. I am relaxed and having a great time with good friends. I will return to PWP in December and pay more attention to my self care. The holiday season is starting.
See you at Jillian’s Gym . I am really looking forward to spending more time with my peeps!
Jillian