I have been working on a post of tips for travel today , but while I have been checking all my facts , my mind began to wander , as it does for Us all , flipping Brain Fog!
At first the thought sprang to mind that I hoped that everybody knew that most of the tips and tricks that I was offering up behind the doors each day weren't just useful for Festive Pacing , but , were basically , just the Pacing Techniques that we advise all year around , just given a Festive Air.
I then thought , perhaps a post about the Travel Tips on our biggest journey might be helpful today instead . That journey , of course, being the one we travel with GCA, PMR or Chronic Health issues of any sort. As , just like a Puppy , Pacing to cope with our daily needs isn't just for Christmas , it's for Life!
For Life , Aunty Bee , but we won't have PMR , GCA forever , what the heck do you mean??!!!π¨π¨π¨π¨π¨
Well , relax All and read on and you will begin to understand what I mean.
Most of us go through a transition period when we get a new Chronic condition like PMR or GCA , when we feel forced to adapt our Lives to accommodate our Symptom needs , and we all feel frustrated by it . Yet , if we turn the situation on its head , even though the timing of making Adaptions was forced upon Us , the Process can actually be a very positive and invigorating thing.
Pacing Yourself , and Changing your Routines , to accommodate your Health needs doesn't mean that You have stopped being You ; or You have stopped being "Normal".
Just like Pred is not a " Cure " but a Control Method for Chronic Pain ; Pacing is just a practical tool it's not a Crutch .
It just means that you have made a practical choice to be honest about your Body , it's needs and limitations , and taken sensible steps to adapt your Routine to replace the " Old Normal" with a " New Normal" to make Day to Day Life a bit easier.
With the " Old Normal" we would ignore the warning signs our bodies gave us and push beyond the limits it could cope with , sure , that we could make up for it later when the deeds were done and everything would be fine. It wasn't ever really good for us.
Then PMR, GCA or any other of our long term Body changes or Chronic Illnesses arrived on the scene , our bodies finally needed to scream at Us to stop the old patterns to accommodate them.
With the " New Normal " we just choose to adapt our Routine to accommodate our Health Issues , improve the balance we achieve between Activity and Rest , and decide to respect the limits that our bodies can cope with . And then, by choosing not to make the same mistakes that we did in the Past we prevent triggering Flares , and , the increases in Prednisone that go with it.
It's a positive choice for Life , not some sort of Personal Defeat, and helps us to reach our Destination a lot quicker , and do it without a lot of delays and diversions on the way.
From the Aunty Bee book of , "Searching for the Silver Lining" , Pacing becomes a good thing . Rather than resisting Change it suggests it is worth embracing it instead. Not just for Christmas , or even for the Time your Illness runs its path , but to help create a stronger , more balanced Everyday Routine for Life . Long after , PMR , GCA or any other Chronic issue has left the Station.
By turning the " New Normal " into a Life choice it opens your heart to viewing your Self Care adjustments into just another positive step in Taking Care of Ourselves.
You realise that the changes in Pacing your choose while your Body changes are chosen no differently than all the Positive Steps you took in exploring new styles of Life , Exercise , and Diet, throughout your Life . The motive for doing it isn't really that different either , it's still just a step we choose to take to have a healthier body and improve our Life.
So , any tips or changes you need to take along the road called Route PMR / GCA , or Highway RA or OA , even Avenue Fibro or Hip Replacement Avenue , are just like Travel directions that make your journey easier to our regular work each day.
Most importantly , it's nothing we have never done before when we had the chance , often at this time of year, as we look at the road ahead and make our Resolutions for a New Year. Don't believe me , just look at the bunch of Self Help books , Recipe Books and more that are gathering dust on your shelf , or compare the exercise and hobby equipment you use now to the stuff that you keep in the back of your shed.
We have always been Proactive , Practical and Sensible folks that want to Live our lives Pain and Stress Free. Pacing is just the ultimate Lifestyle Choice that you finally found after years of searching.
And one last thing , remember , we are more than a name , a label or a tag. We aren't Sufferers , not even Survivors , and definitely not Victims in any way at all . It's Simple , We are just Humans with Health Issues , Big and Small .
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But Now , for what you all came here for , today's Travel Quiz , the answers will be on tomorrow's Travel Tips Post but what is the question.....
Look at the photo above and tell Aunty Bee ,
Which lucky Capital City's Citizens get to travel to work on a Metro system that looks as Festive as this ?
There will be extra points if you can also name the particular station .
Good luck All , and Keep Pacing , Aunty Bee xxxx
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