How to stop having bad days
Sometimes I feel like I've nailed it. I have a routine and a good balance of exercise, work and pleasure.
Last night I woke up with awful back pain. It was like toothache but in every vertebrae of my spine. I took painkillers and eventually got to sleep. This morning I was very grumpy.
Bad days
I've stopped having bad days. I break days down into morning, early afternoon, late afternoon, evening. Just because I'm having a bad early morning, it doesn't mean my early or late afternoon will be bad.
In fact if I have a bad morning, I'm more likely to focus on yoga or going to the gym in the early afternoon, that means I'm more likely to have a good late afternoon and evening.
Life gets in the way
There's always something that breaks routine. I used to say "Life gets in the way" but actually life is what life is all about. Whether it's work or a family gathering. The point of focusing on personal well being is to enable us to enjoy those moments.
Sometimes it's hard to find your mojo, find your centre or feel grounded. I've recently taken to removing myself from a situation for just moments and focusing on my breath.
Seeing the day in context
It can be hard trying to stay positive, especially when you can be in such pain and the pain can just come out of the blue. I'm really writing this blog for myself as a reminder. Don't let MS ruin your day.
If you have a bad morning, have a think about what you can do so you enjoy your afternoon. I find discovering new music, catching up with friends and creative writing always helps.
Doing something that you enjoy for yourself every day can give you a huge boost. Also writing a journal can help. It can help you keep track of your happiest moments in each day and it can help you think about what you want to achieve the next day. I also give myself a mark out of ten for how much pain I was in. This can help you to see the day in context.
I find looking back through my journal at the end of each month helps with planning for the next month.
You can't really plan to be happy but a little bit of planning helps.
Wishing you all many happy days.
Ann is a 38 year old TV addict and writer with relapsing remitting MS. She hosts a pub quiz and a spoken word night called Verbalise. She loves Batman and has a border collie called Barbara. Read more from Ann on her blog.
