Finding the fun
I'm sure I'm not the only one who, on occasion, has woken in a morning and decided life was too awful to get up and face. I certainly did this in the beginning of our dementia affected life and actually for months and months afterwards. I would wake, my brain would begin to clear and then I'd remember that life was no longer something to look forward to. I dreaded starting the day because I knew there would be arguments, confusion, despair and everything else that was wrong with us. I had no idea how to make things better so I would drag myself out of bed and plod through the day until it was time to climb back in at the end of the evening. That part was equally difficult though because I knew I wouldn't sleep, in fact I would panic at the thought of all those empty hours in the dark of the night which were simultaneously boring and frightening and then, just because I was panicking, I was even less likely to sleep and so it went on.
Cut to now when I wake every single day with a smile on my face and a curiosity about what the day will bring and you'll understand why I look and feel so much better but what is it that's brought about the change? Partly it's been my determination to buy versions of the everyday that make me smile; the mugs, the face masks, the glasses case, all small and inexpensive items which lift my spirits every time I look at them but it hasn't all been about spending. I had to buy the treadmill but my travels around the world courtesy of Youtube have been free and because of them my future travel list is growing by the day; I've turned Saturday evening into film night so I don't fritter it away watching yet another repeat episode of a quiz show I've seen twenty times before, I plan my TV programmes for the week for the same reason, I have regular video calls with friends so I don't feel isolated but my latest (and one of my best) discoveries came last night. For those of you who only know me since I took up running and the treadmill you won't know that I loathe exercise in almost any form but I decided I need to lose a few more pounds so that I can get into the new pair of trousers I've bought. I can get them on and do them up but in doing just that rolls of fat move their way upwards and sit on my waist which isn't a good look. So what sort of exercise? what could I find that would keep me motivated and not see me giving up after the first session? Will you, I wonder, be as excited as I was when I discovered there's a workout done completely to the music of ABBA? It's only 20 minutes long and promised to be the greatest fun so I woke up this morning with the biggest grin on my face and ready to get started. I can tell you now that I wasn't disappointed. Not only that but there's a part two and one using the music from Grease which, again, I can't wait to try. Never has exercise been so much fun and feel so little like hard work. If you want a go just click on this link and let me know what you think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr6WPH7CQm8. I'm now planning to look and see what other music workouts are available and before we know where we are I'll be in those size 10 trousers.
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