Taking My Medicine on Days Like These

Some times life hands you sunny days and peaceful times. Ahhh…those are so nice. *sigh*.

Other times, like today, life hands you clouds and hurricanes, political intensity, young adult college applications, mid life hormones, and work meetings on zoom.

It is days like these that I purposefully lean into the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine. It is more than tempting to set them aside and pull the blankets over my head, but in my experience I never feel better laying around going down The Weather Channel rabbit hole. In the old days I might just pull out the wine and try to handle life from a nice fog, but I discovered that life is always still there waiting for me.

So ESPECIALLY on hard days I treat this like real medicine in a pill. I have six prescriptions that I need to take today to stay healthy. The prescription never asks if I *feel* like taking it. It only tells me I need to take it.

This is what this looks like today for me:

1. Physical Movement: The world seems to be cancelled for a hurricane. Local school is cancelled and we are all racing to charge our devices and make our coffee before the power goes out. But, for now, the YMCA is open. So, it seems anti-hunker-down-worry-mode-mentality, but I go to my 545 HIIT class. I take my medicine
2. Nutrition: I drink water and make myself a whole-foods-plant-based breakfast of grape-nuts and blueberries and bananas. I have mentally already planned and prepped my lunch and dinner even if the power is out. Tragedy and bad weather make me want sweatpants and Oreos, but this morning I will do as prescribed.
3. Stress Management: I got up and did my prayer time as usual and took time to do 5 minutes of meditation after my exercise, my prayers and meditation were scattered as my mind jumped around with all the work meetings and clinic schedules needing to be down today in the midst of power and travel unknowns. It wasn’t my best effort, but I did as prescribed to the best of my ability.
4. Restorative Sleep: Last night (and tonight) I put down my phone before bed. I read a fiction book to give my mind a rest and let my eyes get tired. I reminded myself that tomorrow will still be there tomorrow and I can set it down for tonight. It’s doctors orders as I picture myself setting it on the shelf by my bed.
5. Social Connection: I will reach out to those with personal connections to the areas hardest hit, and to my neighbors. I will be of service if I can, and use my voice and my actions to communicate and remember that we are all here together on this wild ride of life. It might be unpredictable but we don’t need to, and in fact can’t, do it alone. It’s a prescription to plug in to life, not just the power outlet.
6. Avoidance of Risky Substances: Today I will not drink the storm away or engage in mindless scrolling. I will make a plan for the day that includes rest and things enjoyable, and walk through the plan to keep my own mind from getting lost and looking in the wrong places for peace and rest. My mind needs this medicine on days like today

I don’t know what today will hold, but I do know that you and I can do it together, and living out Life’s Medicine means we can be the strongest and most resilient selves to show up.