Let’s talk about hidradenitis suppurativa and motivation during these strange days.
We are now almost a month into the Covid-19 restrictions and people are getting tired of it. Hidradenitis suppurativa can affect our motivation at the best of times.
In the beginning, you were working from home. You had so much time and nowhere else to be. You were going to do so much.
Now the days are starting to melt together, you feel bored and not all that motivated. It is hard to carry on as though everything is normal. Don’t beat yourself up about it.
But if you wish you had a bit more energy or feel overwhelmed, you don’t have to stay that way.
So What Can We Do?
In this post, I am going to give you ten small goals that you can do today. The point is to get one thing done, no matter how small.
This is not a to-do list. You don’t have to complete all the goals. The idea is to take the goal you need and for a short burst of time, effort or energy, accomplish something.
If that goal is the only productive thing you do today, then you are doing great. Be proud of yourself. Give yourself permission not to continue with it if it wasn’t helpful.
Little steps to get started
1. Get out of your PJs. Shower, wear something that’ s comfortable and that you love to wear.
2. Complete a 15- minute workout. Any movement is beneficial no amount is too small.
3. Reduce your caffeine by one drink a day. Caffeine is a stimulant. It contributes to anxiety and insomnia as well as Hidradenitis Suppurativa flare-ups. Most coffee drinkers find it hard to cut down, start small. Remember that soft drinks also contain caffeine.
Or Maybe Try these:
4. Do a 20- minute tidy up. Decide on three household jobs that will take you 15 to 20 minutes altogether and complete them. Wash the dishes, fold the washing and vacuum the floor. It can be that simple.
5. Write 100 words about how you feel today. Writing can be a great help to our mental health. But when you are not feeling your best, a blank page can seem intimidating. Writing in very small amounts means you permit yourself to write as much as little as you want.
6. Read the first chapter of a book you have been meaning to start. If you are not feeling it, put it down and choose another.
And last but not least
7. Practice for 15 minutes. Did you have a goal at the start of the restrictions to learn something new? Pick it back up for a small amount of time. You would be surprised how fast that 15-minutes will go.
8. Doodle. If you want to get creative but don’t think you have the skill, scribble. Try to do it with no expectations, just relax and draw.
9. Prepare a meal. When things are tough, we tend to go for convenience foods. They are quick and effortless but there’s no satisfaction in preparing them. It can be breakfast lunch or dinner, choose one and make it from scratch.
And Finally,
10. Go to bed early. Your routine is all over the place right now. Adding a small amount of consistency will make you feel more on top of things. An early night has never hurt anyone.
Start Something Today!
Very often, it is the idea of starting something that is off-putting. Cleaning the house or finishing a report for work may seem like huge undertakings. But you know if you get started, you will get it done and you will feel better.
It’s getting started that’s stopping you. Don’t let hidradenitis suppurativa zap your motivation.
Take one thing a day, starting today. I am cutting down on caffeine by reducing my coffee a cup a day. I hope it will help me minimise my anxiety and help me sleep better.
Maybe you feel you need to move around more, but you feel too tired. A 15-minute workout could be your start. You don’t have to do any more than that if you don’t feel like it.
This situation is so outside our norm. Nobody has it figured out. There is no perfect quarantine. If you don’t feel up to the super-person routine, that’s perfectly fine. This small goal might be the only productive thing you do today.
That’s perfectly okay.
About The Author
Shannon Sweeney is a psychology and sociology student from Ireland. She is also living with HS and has a keen interest in lifestyle, wellbeing, and Hidradenitis Suppurativa.
