Friday, July 29, 2011

Mood- so-so

Health- so-so

Other than getting up for a few hours around 10am, today is pretty much a repeat of yesterday... a few phone calls and a lot of sleeping.

That is one of the aspects of having an incurable chronic illness that can bring a person down if they do not find ways to counter the affects.

It is important to have hobbies... things that both take time and engage the mind so that you feel you are contributing something and accomplishing goals. 

Things you can do include- working to raise awareness of your condition (always needed, though it can be frustrating and it takes a long time to see results), knitting, crocheting, quilting, painting, sculpting, making models and more.

Go to a craft store and wander the isles... look at all the different things available and make a list of the things you might like to try out.  Not only will you have something to occupy your time but the things you create will make wonderful gifts for family and friends and the sense of accomplishment, making something from nothing, will go a long way in lifting the depression.

I work on Gastroparesis Awareness, paint and crochet mostly... and when I am unable to work on one I am usually able to do one of the others so there is always something available for me to do.  When I finish a project I have a sense of completion from setting a goal and meeting it that always lifts my spirits.

If you are just not the 'crafty' type, consider getting into coupon clipping.  Not only can it be time consuming (and therefor fills otherwise empty days) but the challenge of matching a coupon with a sale and trying to get items for free is very empowering and can save you quite a bit of money each month.  There are many online sites that teach you how to coupon and post weekly "match-ups" of current coupons and sales at stores as well as where to find online printable coupons and more.  Those little bits of paper are actually MONEY, you may not be able to pay your bills with them, but when used carefully you can save enough to make bill paying much easier and maybe have a little more left at the end of the month.

Just remember... you have your condition and it is YOUR job to make sure that you do not let it have you.  It has impacted your life and probably has taken things away from you that you mourn the loss of, but that does not mean that you cannot find things you can still do and be proud of.