Well this wasn't exactly the topic I had next in line for discussion, or even had on my list to be honest! But it has been quite the week over here so what better discussion to be had than having a setback, whether that be injury, sickness, emotional or even, serious family upset.
It occurred to me that anyone travelling a healthy lifestyle change is likely to have setbacks. Whether they be physical or emotional and we could probably all use some guidance about how to bounce back.
"Setbacks are bumps in the road, they are not the end of the roads." Bob Greene.
Just a bit of background first, and very briefly, because I realise the sickness I had this week is small potatoes compared to so many who are really suffering out there. You may or may not know that I was very sick years ago with renal failure. I had an eventual kidney transplant [before having children] and its a near perfect, best kind of match you can get. Donated by my sister. Forever grateful. Super lucky. Anyway, there's ongoing daily medication I need to take to depress my immune system so that my body doesn't reject the transplant.
What this has meant for me over the years is that whenever anyone contracts a bug or virus, I'm usually one of the first people in my family to succumb to it and usually take the longest to get over it. And its obviously easier for it to take hold on me if I'm a bit rundown in the first place. Now that my kids are at school & kindy we are exposed alot more to all sorts of bugs, some nastier than others - and you never know what you are gonna get! Most of the time, with complete rest, my body is able to do that all by itself. But I also need to keep massively hydrated or it can go bad, things can change quite rapidly & I end up in hospital in a bad way. But usually I'm fixed up pretty easily just with a few days on IV fluids & large doses of antibiotics. Thats happened on several occasions over the years but I am usually pretty good these days at keeping the hydration up so I can avoid hospital. Its the last place I want to be.
Luckily this time I avoided it too but its been down to the wire each day as to whether I would take myself in. Each day, managing to shower & then feel a bit better only to break out in a sweat walking down the stairs and finding it hard to breathe. Each night feeling a little chatty with Jeff, taking a shower & then drenching the bed with sweat throughout the night. I know, ewww, the washing, the washing .... My body has been fighting hard to rid itself of whatever infection I've had. By day, I camped out on our lounge for 6 days so I could keep half an ear on the kids, while sleeping fairly solidly through 3 days and napping on & off through the other 3 of them. Buddy in comparison was on the couch sleeping for one day & up mostly bouncing from then on. He was the only other to get sick.
The worst thing as a parent about getting sick, is A] there's nobody to take care of you as the significant other is busy holding the fort and B] that the duties don't go on holiday until you get better, they still need to be done! And the guilt is there too.... I provided only the most tiny bit of mothering I could offer my kids during the entire week. Finger food for snacks & lunch [easy], they did their own breakfasts & Jeff has been taking care of all dinners & bedtimes. God Bless iPads, Lego tables & TV for the kids. We managed to get through, but now he is exhausted too! But get through we did. I don't want to whinge about too much, it is what it is & there are others dealing with far more serious things. More than anything its a pain & a waste of time. Nevertheless, its behind me now. So now we move on.
Following a sickness setback, where does that leave me?
A week behind in my Living to 100 posts, but thats ok, I can catch up on that.
Muscle weakness, ongoing respiratory stuff, lacking in fluid & a bit malnourished [I know, crazy]. I've probably eaten no more than 2500 calories since this time last Sunday night, a week ago. I've lost quite a bit of weight, but I know most of that will be due to fluid loss. Its funny that all I really felt like eating the whole weak was kiwi, cucumber, celery & grapes. All green. I did have bits and pieces of other things, but not much. I'm ready to move forward a bit this week but obviously other than some gentle walking, there won't be too much exercise. There goes the C25K again. Disappointed but I know its only shifting ahead by a few weeks.
I think thats the key thing here, after a setback, you need to get your mind straight & not give up. Right?
So I have been searching for information today. Much of it is very similar.
Here's what I've found about bouncing back after a setback:
Get your mind straight in terms of your health & fitness goals - the basics can still be there.
1] Make best choices for your nutrition as possible
2] Keep hydrated
3] Move in some way, whatever way you are capable of, might not be your planned choice, but anything is better than nothing
4] Rest & get good sleep
These others, particularly after a setback however, may just make the difference:
Make the connections that you need right now:
- maybe thats a doctor or specialist for emotional or physical pain/injury
- maybe that is reaching out to family & asking for help
- maybe its leaning on a friend and sharing a worry or problem & talking it out
- for someone with physical injury & heavily invested in training, consult a personal trainer or sports therapist for a modified programme & rehab plan
Having a positive outlook & developing resilience:
- adjusting your original plan & taking the detour
- doing a daily meditation - focussing on the positives, releasing the grumpies & the stress
- accepting responsibility for a bad week, taking a deep breath, smiling & getting back to the plan
So wherever you are in your journey, whatever setback you may have had or may have coming up the future the thing to remember is that its all part of life. Perfection isn't possible. But personal reponsibility for lasting change is & its important.
Don't let behaviorial drift creep in and stay. Catch it early, get back on plan.
A bad week or two isn't going to ruin the whole year. Get back on the horse!! Unless of course you have a broken leg LOL. And if you have a broken leg, concentrate on hydration, nutrition, reducing stress, meditation....
The point is, do what you can, about what you can & let go of the things that are beyond your control. Taking detours to get to your end goal can enrich your journey & make it a more rewarding one on the long run.
Hope everyone has a great week & makes good choices yeah?
Last minute good tip for you that I read somewhere: drink a FULL glass of water before EVERY meal or snack - it really will help you feel more satisfied sooner & of course goes towards daily water count! Love it!
