My philosophy is to skip the routine and live in the moment. Following a routine provides stability in life. You know the daily routine that’s by the clock; wake up, exercise, shower, get dressed, go to work, work all day, come home then get up and do it all over again the next day. Some people even have routines on their days off; laundry, grocery shopping and dry cleaners; every Saturday morning chores then out for a date night dinner and Sunday family dinners. For those with children, routines are essential to provide stability and safety; school, homework and music lessons or sports activities. However for someone with a chronic illness, routines can be somewhat disappointing since my day depends on how I feel.
Nothing in my life runs like clockwork. As a lupus sufferer, it is difficult to make plans since there are many challenges which require pacing activities to conserve energy. Honestly, my day is planned based on the night before. How many hours I’ve slept or how restful my night was determines how my day starts. It always starts slow in any case. In addition, I never know how I will feel from one hour to the next. Too many times my plans are cut short. Lupus can effect everything from skin to heart and circulation. Of course, there are doctor appointments scheduled and kept at all costs. However, there are many times when I have an outing cut short because of heart palpitations or fatigue.
My philosophy is skip the routine and live in the moment. When I feel “good” I try to live my life to the fullest even though I will probably pay for it for several days after. I think it’s important to do whatever works for you and your loved ones. Of course we all have waking and retiring for the night routines. But each and every one of us have our own individualized way of planning out our day which makes us feel comfortable.
A wise friend of mine said “we are born, we die and in between be happy.” I love that idea. Be happy in between! My mantra is….Live in the moment. Be present. Don’t let life pass you by waiting for perfection. Appreciate the good times. We all live on borrowed time. It’s ok to skip the routine
