We've both faced major hurdles recently, and I just got home less than 12 hours ago from my latest life obstacle.
I was on course to blow up my income with the equivalent of an extra work week's worth of pay at time-and-a-half when I suddenly became ill. I spent an entire day in the bathroom (I'll spare you the details) and then had two days of worsening nausea...nausea that became so bad that I had to call in sick for one shift and finally go to Urgent Care. Two prescriptions, a negative flu swab, and a follow-up plan in place and I was feeling a bit better.
I headed back to work.
On my way home?
BOOM!
I had the worst abdominal pain I had ever had in my entire life--and I've given birth, had a gallbladder problem, and had appendicitis in the past! This felt like the pain from labor but high up in my abdomen--I am NOT pregnant, FYI!
I was almost home from work when this happened and so I just kept on driving to the nearest emergency department. A few hours later and I was being admitted...
Not what I was expecting at all!
I was in the hospital for three days, two nights, but I had been sick for a few days prior and thus not getting anything done at home prior being hospitalized anyhow.
I am feeling much, much better (but still don't have answers as to why this pain occurred in the first place...I'll be following up with a specialist), and spent as much time as I could resting since getting home, but now I am restless...
Even if I wasn't restless, my approach to recovering from major life disruptions is about the same anytime something knocks me off course.
First though, if you are recovering from a medical issue, know your body and follow your doctor's instructions! Got it? We don't want you putting yourself back in the hospital or your doctor's office because you overdid it in your attempt to get life back on track!
So, how I do I recover from major life disruptions?
As you can imagine, as a single mom to an 18 year old and with two dogs, our home was a WRECK when I got home! My son did some basics like taking care of the dogs and putting his dirty clothes in (or close-ish) the laundry basket, but the house was still pretty trashed!
My first order of business in getting back on track is to REST!
After I've rested some, I start by clearing up and cleaning up the area around my bed. I start here because it's super easy to stay in bed and tidy your bedside table. If you get tired while cleaning up around the bed, you can just sit back down or lay down for a bit more rest. I got rid of old tissues and scraps of paper, poured out a glass of old water and emptied a can of ginger ale and put the glass and can in the sink and recycling, respectively, and put anything that didn't belong on the bed, bedside table, or floor where those items belong.
I next move to the bathroom--again, if you get tired, you can just take a seat on the toilet and rest for a moment before either continuing or heading back to bed for more rest. I took any random drinking glasses to the kitchen sink, put away loose hair ties and accessories, tidied up toothbrushes and such items, and put the laundry IN the basket.
While cleaning up the bathroom, I also lit a nice candle and refilled my drinking glass with ice water--staying hydrated is important for anyone, but also super important for me based on one of the problems uncovered while I was admitted.
Next, I cleaned up and organized my backpack, lunch bag, and wallet just a bit. I had previously cleaned up my backpack and wallet as part of a challenge McKenzie and I are running in a private Facebook group (you can find our public page HERE), so they only needed little touch-ups.
I could do a lot more right now, but as I mentioned above, it is important to REST!
By tackling the areas around my bed and in the bathroom, I have a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of life getting back to normal.
I plan to get some more rest over the next few days, as well as to do some yoga as I am STIFF STIFF STIFF from basically just laying in bed for several days!
But, as I feel up to doing a bit more around the house, I will:
- retouch up and tidy the area around my bed and in the bathroom
- clean up the kitchen a bit (shared by my son and I, my uncle whom we live with, and my uncle's roommate)
- tidy my car
- tidy up the counter/table surfaces where things start to just accumulate
- do some laundry
- meal plan
- budget for the remainder of the year
- DELEGATE a lot to my son!
Once again though, REST is my priority!
If you are recovering from a major life disruption, go slowly, pay attention to what your body and mind can and cannot handle, and give yourself a break. If you are a mom, you are probably a lot harder on yourself than anyone else--give yourself a break! Your family will survive a bit of mess and chaos, and you can always get them involved in helping pull your routine back together!
How do YOU recover from major life disruptions? Leave a comment and let us know!
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