I had a pretty rough go of it this week. I’m willing to bet you know the type: I played whack-a-mole with paperwork, medical insurance, scans, and appointments. This morning I sent a text to a friend and informed her I wanted either a roommate or a personal assistant, even just to do a few of the mounting pile of dishes or make me a cup of tea. Until I teach my dog to also be my personal chef and housekeeper, what’s a chronically ill person to do?
Here are three ways I took care of myself this week.
Eat: Cooking takes a lot of energy, especially if you need to redirect that energy to other tasks or emotional labor. To combat this, I like to keep frozen food on hand. If you happen to make something delicious for dinner, freeze it in personal sizes. And don’t discount what the frozen food aisle at the grocery store has on hand – especially anything from Trader Joe’s! They have amazing Indian entrees, as well as low-energy starters for any meal. (I’m still mourning the retirement of their shakshuka starter for brunch). In addition to frozen dishes being easy and quick, it’s much more cost effective than ordering take out all the time.
See: Watch television, enjoy movies, and read books that are really comforting to you. I’ve been revisiting the Young Adult novels of my teen years by my favorite author, Sarah Dessen. If you’re craving something new, see if there’s a variation on a beloved classic. Junior Bake Off on Netflix has all the charm of the Great British Bake-Off, but double the adorable personality and 300% more playing with icing.
Do: Go on a walk in your neighborhood. Notice the small ways in which some of nature has been remaining the same -there are still plenty of mosquitos on my little nature trail- and what’s changing. Are some of the leaves changing color where you are? Is it a bit more crisp in the mornings? When we feel off-balance, it’s incredibly restorative to look outside towards the cycle of nature, where things are always changing.
I hope your weekend is less putting out fires, more plans that are straight fire. Cheers to the weekend.
