It depends on how unwell I am. I usually feel good but in these past few months with Fabulous I felt unwell twice. Once, I decided to go to work anyway, so I did everything in my Fab routine as well. The 2nd time I couldn’t do anything at all, even get up, so I just stayed in bed and didn’t do my Fab routine. I didn’t check the boxes in the app, so my count of positive strike restarted, but I’m ok with that. Someday you just need to give yourself permission to feel sick.
On days I am not well and not feeling the greatest I start with mediation and observation and try to root out why I am not feeling well in order to see what I will need to pull from my Mary Poppins bag of go to mood changers. From there I go into self care mode. Make myself my favorite meal or snack, take a nice long shower, put on my favorite song, do a silly dance or watch a funny movie or tv show. I address why I am feeling the way I am feeling and then treat that emotion as if it were a child that fell and scratched it’s knee up. I give it some TLC, make sure it’s not too injured and then try to advert my attention to the healing process versus the pain.
Rest, drink lots of fluids and do things that nourish my soul like watching a movie I love or playing some stimulating video games.
I take some time off to myself. I treat myself to something nice, food or some crafts, or a movie or song I like. I pray and meditate to calm my mind. I try to be mindful so I hurt myself less and don’t sabotage.
I count as I’m doing it. Breaking it up into small pieces helps me do it. It also helps to have a plan and know what’s coming next.
Self care which means I rest. It’s okay to take a day off and just journal or simply sleep. As a person with MS, I have plenty of days where I don’t feel well. I celebrate everything I accomplish that day even if it’s just getting up to take a shower that day.
I be kind to myself and give my body what it needs. I still go through my list, but on each habit, I ask myself “is this what my body needs today?” If it’s drinking water, probably yes. If it’s a 7 minute workout, I ask if any sort of movement would be helpful. If yes, I adjust the intensity level to what will be beneficial to me that day. If no, I skip it. On the day after being unwell when I’m feeling better is actually the trickier time for me to restart the habit. I try to celebrate/reward myself extra on these days for getting back to my routine.
It depends, sometimes I feel down, lonely and also bored...and most of the time I eat trying to feel better, but It doesn’t work.
Slow things wayyyyyy down. Do my morning routine, but at a slower pace and checking in with what I need in between. And maybe shorten some of the rituals.
The next best thing(s). Cam you still do 1 or 2 parts of your routine? What are the things that will still ground you? Right now, your goals shift from productive work one to recovery ones - how can the new habits you’re learning support goals of getting better?
Answers reflect the personal experiences of Fabulous community members. They are not medical or professional advice — for guidance about your health, talk to a qualified professional.
