the balancing act

I've said it before and I'll say it again: balance is what keeps us sane and happy.

It isn't easy. We've got to balance taking care of ourselves, family, work or school, chores, pleasurable activities and rest. How can we possibly juggle all of these things? And, why would taking care of ourselves and rest be separate things?

Well, we always have to prioritize. But we can only do what we can do. Slow down. Meet deadlines, but pace yourself beforehand. Then, reward yourself with some fun.

Taking care of our health might be the most important aspect to achieving balance. If we let our health go, everything seems to fall apart. That's especially true for those of us with chronic illnesses. The regular things like eating right and getting some exercise make a huge difference in the quality of our lives. When we feel good we tend to feel better about ourselves.

When we're not feeling our best that's the time to let a lot of things go. Maybe we still have deadlines to meet, but we don't have to wash the floors, do the laundry, cook dinner or any home chores. Anyone for take-out? We keep a drawer full of menus to call out for dinner when I don't feel well. And, I watch for coupons so I don't stress about the money.

Fun and rest are as important as staying as healthy as possible and doing our best at work or school. If we're not enjoying our lives then deadlines seem more insurmountable, bills and chores cause anxiety, and, we don't have anything to smile about.

Fun can be simple. Time hanging out with family, a walk at the beach, going for coffee or ice cream with a friend all can be as enjoyable as something extravagant. We chose how fun our lives are. We do it by how willing we are to laugh (at ourselves) and enjoy the little things. We do it by remembering "this too shall pass" and accepting the people in our lives for who they are.

Rest helps us keep up with all of these things. I don't just mean a good night's sleep. I mean a nap, sometime in front of the TV or reading a book or magazine. I've said it a lot- I play word games to relax. But, I nap when I can. Being well rested allows me to have more fun.

All work and no play made more than Jack a dull boy. It makes us all dull. So, take a break, laugh with a friend and do the chores later. That's after the important deadlines are met.

Balance is the key. It unlocks our best selves. I'm going to have some fun and then take a nap :)

peace and love,

sunee

alternative health care

I'm very committed to traditional health care, but I'm learning that it doesn't hurt to mix things up a bit with some alternative ways of healing.

I've been having weekly acupuncture sessions for about a month now and I have noticed some improvements in certain areas.

As for my Fibromyalgia I have noticed that I sleep better and my "brain fog" is a little clearer. I have a slight reduction in pain, though it hasn't taken any pain away.

As for my Sjogren's Syndrome I have had an increase in moisture in my body, which is like heaven for me. I have also had improvement in digestion and digestion issues.

Nothing seems to take all of my ailments away, but I'm learning to be less timid of other therapies than my rheumatologist can offer. I was afraid to try acupuncture because I thought the needles would hurt going in. They don't. Sometimes they tingle. The table is extremely comfortable and after the needles are put in I rest in a warm environment. It's relaxing but it often makes me sleepy.

I guess I'm learning to find ways to feel better so that I can enjoy my life more. I'm open. It's time to feel good again.

Feel good :)

peace and love,

sunee

really, again?

Some days when I wake up and it's hard to move I get frustrated. I haven't even started my day yet! I feel like shouting, "Really, again?"

I know I'm in a bit of a funk, but, seriously, pain in the morning, pain in the afternoon, pain really bad in the evening and pain at night? Can't a gal get a break?

I'm working on keeping a positive attitude and my sense of humor- which is normally good. But I've found myself being snappy, impatient and just plain irritable. And that's if I'm not feeling anxious. It's easy to fall into that when much of your body is in agony.

And, while I'm complaining I have to admit that Sjogren's Syndrome is drying me out. I'm like the desert. My eyes are like sandpaper, my mouth is so dry water doesn't make it feel better and my skin is drying out. When I use my eye drops (every 30 minutes to an hour) it feels like heaven and I think, "This is what normal eyes feel like." Then they dry right up.

But, I'm not going to let these things keep me from being happy. I am doing the little things that make women feel good about themselves. I'm dressing for the day instead of staying in sweats everyday. I'm fixing my hair. I'm writing stories (okay, most women don't do that, I imagine). I joined a Fibromyalgia support group and I'm looking for a Sjogren's one in the area.

I'm slowing down and remembering to laugh. My sense of humor is one of my greatest personality traits, yet I seem to have forgotten that. I get bogged down in the pain and other issues and nothing seems funny. However, lots of things ARE funny. My children are very funny, for example.

"Really, again?" Well, yes, but I need to learn to live with it without becoming miserable. I need to find the humor in my everyday life and laugh.

I hope you laugh a lot, today and everyday.

peace and love,

sunee

pain and daily life

Every single day I have pain in several parts of my body. Every single day I still have things to do. I'm struggling with how to slow down and let things get done when they get done. Clearly some things need immediate attention, but I'm spending so much time doing that my body is fighting back.

To steal a phrase from 12 step programs, I need to take it One Day At A Time. If I have to stop everything and rest so be it. If I need to end my activities early because I need a hot bath or to get as comfy as I can with my heating pads, so be it. The world isn't going to come to an end.

Since I've been having a terrible time with high levels of pain daily I'm (slowly) learning to change my ways. I was a 24/7 get it all done and then some type of woman. Now I need to be a Keep It Simple type of woman.

The plus side to slowing down and taking care of myself is that I'm enjoying my time at home more. Time with my husband, my kids and my mom. I don't need to be out and about every minute.

It's hard. I feel down a lot lately. But each day I'm trying to let go of old ideas and listen to my body. I get frustrated when I can't control the pain or the problems from my illnesses. I know that it's normal, I just don't want to live in that state of mind.

Pain and daily life doesn't have to mean depressing, boring frustration. It can actually open up doors to learning about myself, and, best of all, I can nap whenever I please.

Here's to learning to live with different priorities :)

peace and love,

sunee

I can

I have gotten into the terrible habit of saying, "I can't," to so many things since I've had issues with my health. I can't go here, I can't do that. I know, however, that many of us say, "I can't," because we feel so bogged down by all we have to do. I do that, too, but mainly because I don't think I'll feel well.

I'm not ignoring the fact that often we say, "I can't," because things feel insurmountable. When I get anxious I say, "I can't," to things that if I attacked one by one they would be no big deal. And, as far as the big deals are concerned, we can do our best to handle them.

The truth is we can do many things. Chores and minor responsibilities can actually wait while we enjoy time with family or friends. The "to do" list never ends anyway, does it? Mine hasn't.

So, where's the fun? The little (and big) pleasures in our lives? I'm not suggesting we all pack up and go to Hawaii or Vegas, though that would be incredible. If you can, I'm wonder what you are waiting for. For those of us on a tighter budget, we can opt for the kind of things that remind us why we work as hard as we do. The things we tend to forget how pleasurable they are.

Whether we're over stressed, over worked, over tired or over having pain, fatigue and other maladies, I believe we should say "I can," to the invitations we're offered. It can be a party, baby shower, a visit over tea with a friend or meeting people for a meal. We need to relax and experience these things. These simple pleasures are usually what the best memories are made of.

We can't do all of the things that come up, obviously. I had to cancel a crafting date with a good friend because I was having a very difficult time that day. I didn't feel well at all. And, a few times I had to cancel on people because we had a long series of car problems- I'm sure many people can relate to that.

Sometimes we're just tired or want to be in our own homes. We need that time for getting some things done and then relaxing without the worry of other people. That is a big, "I can't," for many people. If they're home they need to be attacking housework, or they brought their job home. I often say, "I can't," to resting because I feel I need to be productive even though I know I'll be able to do a bit more if I feel well. There's nothing wrong with putting those things aside and reading a good book or vegging in front of the TV. Or better yet, taking a nice afternoon nap.

Yet I write this knowing I have to start saying yes more often. I can always postpone if something comes up or I'm in a lot of pain. However, saying yes and finding pleasure in playing a game with the family just talking to a friend (or whatever makes you smile) reduces our negativity and makes the load seem a little lighter.

Maybe the more we say, "I can," the more we'll smile.

peace and love,

sunee

staying positive

Positive thinking has so many benefits. Besides the health benefits a positive attitude makes us more pleasant to be around. It makes us feel better about our situations. Best of all, it puts a smile on our face which spreads throughout our beings and it just may spread to others.

It can be hard to stay positive. Life is full of bumps in the road. The bumpier our road the harder it is to keep a good attitude.

Whether we are dealing with chronic pain and other disorders or a huge pile of bills while everything keeps breaking down, there must be a few things to be thankful for and to boost our mood to a positive place.

Maybe a phone call from a friend, or something nice a family member says can make our day. Being thankful for the beautiful weather or how nice our flowers look can be enough to start thinking positive.

I started my day feeling very bad. I had a lot of pain and my eyes are irritated and I'm seeing blurry from my Sjogren's Syndrome. I allowed myself to rest and as I did I remembered how much better I felt when I was happier. So, even though I'm at risk of falling into depression from all that is wrong with me, I did a few things that made me smile and I took the time to meditate on all the good in my life.

We all know how easy it is to feel down about all the bumps in the road. How can I be happy with all this to deal with?

We can only count on having today. I don't want to waste it being a Negative Nancy or crawling into a depression about my health. I want to enjoy today the best way I can. I want to see the positive things. I want to feel the positive things. I want to be an example to my children of a positive way of life.

I plan to smile a lot today and be thankful for all I CAN do. I hope my positive new outlook is contagious :)

peace and love,

sunee

the good things

It becomes very easy to focus on what's wrong in our lives. Clearly it isn't just those of us with chronic pain and such. All of us get bogged down in what needs to get done, what bills haven't been paid, what appliances are breaking down, what homework must get done now and on and on.

Today I took the time with my daughter to walk at the beach. We kept it short for my sake, nevertheless it was amazing. The water was so blue. The surfers were out. The air smelled like ocean.

The fact is, we need to take time to enjoy our lives. Time goes by so quickly and there are so many things to experience. It doesn't have to be a big adventure. Sitting under a tree in a park. Reading a book in a coffee house. Going for a drive and admiring beautiful homes. Anything.

These things will help us all reduce our stress and are good for anyones health.

Enjoy the good things. They don't have to be big.

peace and love,

sunee