Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The value of routines

The last month has been difficult, trying, and chaotic. I have Bell's Palsy, my husband has a cracked tooth with an abscess, my daughter switched daycare centers, one of my dogs has an ear infection, the other dog has a nose infection, my grandmother passed away, and my water heater fan needed to be replaced. We have been flying by the seats of our pants for the last month. As a result, I'm edgy, anxious, and irritable. I've been triggered by my health issues. I feel like everything's out of control. However, October is a new month, and we're hoping to get back into the swing of things.

I've found that having a flexible routine is key to my ability to cope with the PTSD. There's something comforting about knowing, in general, what's going to happen next. I don't feel the need to plan every minute of the day. I don't obsess over eating dinner at 6:30 pm instead of eating at 5:30 pm, but I've found that following my routine makes it easier to stay on track. It keeps me in the present and looking forward. It reduces my anxiety levels which I desperately need after the last month. Reducing anxiety means less irritability which makes life better for my entire family.

I can't wait to get back to my routine. Get up, get dressed, get peanut to daycare, go to work, pick up peanut from daycare, cook and eat supper, play with peanut, have an hour or so with my husband, and go to bed.

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