How many of you stay awake at night thinking about things that need to be done amidst worrying about your loved one? It’s no wonder that you can’t get a good night’s sleep when you have an endless list of worries and needs.
Having been there myself, I remember well the nights of one ear open all night long listening for Mom. I also remember the things that I wanted to do and never did and waking up at night thinking about them. I recently spoke with one of our members in the closed Facebook group, and her journey is parallel with mine. A mixed bag of things to do with emotions stirred in, a time many will never truly understand.
When we reach out to you from Breathing Spaces with ideas, thoughts on self-care, we do it from a heart-based place of knowing the journey. The reasons why and why not are understood, and we are well versed on the downfalls of not keeping track. Prior proper planning prevents painfully poor performance, they say. And that planning should include yourself, too.
See if this sounds familiar; I laid awake last night, multiple things on my mind and did the unthinkable. I looked at the clock. Seriously, that is one of the worst things you can do! Here’s what happens; you see that it’s 2 AM and your brain goes off. “Ok, I’ll go back to sleep and still have 3 hours before the alarm. Great. Oh shoot, I forgot to fill out the information for my doctor’s appointment. Can’t forget that. I’ll reach back out to my client by email first thing when I get up, then set up an alert for the follow-up meetings, and…….”. You bet! It’s 3:30 AM when I looked at the clock again.
There is something to be said about creating and checking things off our to-do lists. Doing so produce a sense of accomplishment and helps us sleep. Along with that, keeping thoughts and ideas in a journal of some sort can be a saving grace.
Here are some thoughts to ponder:
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What issues need to be addressed for your loved one?
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Is there something that you are doing right now that isn’t working or needs to be adjusted?
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Is there something that you would like to do for yourself but unsure of how to? If so, what steps can you take to allow that to happen?
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Are there resources that you need or may need that you could look into now that would help your loved one? Perhaps questions for their doctor for the next visit?
Some may call this a brain dump. I think of it as a way to clear my mind, be sure to keep up on the tasks at hand and allow myself a good night sleep. And then that walk I have scheduled is a time to breathe, not juggle those lists. Clear your mind and clear the way because going through life with a scattered mind creates scattered results.
Don’t forget to B-R-E-A-T-H-E.
Hugs,
Cyndi