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Flying With Broken Wings: 27 Easy Ways To Get Back Your Groove
It’s very easy to get stuck in a rut when you’re faced with chronic illness. Dealing with pain and fatigue day in day out can really get a person down. However, there are ways to brighten up your life and make yourself and others smile. Here are just a selection that I devised together with my beautiful sister-in-law Heide.
- Try out a new recipe or buy a new cookbook. It’s fun to experiment. You could even invite friends round and cook together.
- Order a new dish from your usual restaurant or takeaway place. All too often Corey and I order the same damn dishes from our favorite Greek takeaway place Pauls Grill. Dare to be different! Alternatively, look up the restaurants in your area and try out a new one or a new kind of cuisine.
- Volunteer as a dog walker or pet the puppies at an animal home. Studies show that contact with animals releases endorphins and makes us feel happy. I can attest to that thanks to our cuddly kitten Biscuit. Alternatively, consider adopting a pet of your own.
- Treat yourself to a massage or a facial. If you’re short on cash, you might want to consider trying out one of the beauty schools that offer reduced rates. If you have even less cash, consider just getting your eyebrows shaped and/or tinted or get a lash tint for an inexpensive change that will make you feel good.
Nordstrom’s offers free facials at their make-up counters. If you are in a mean mood and can’t really afford to buy their products, have them do your make-up, tell them you look like a clown and walk away;-). Truth be told, I have had my make-up down at places in the past only to feel as if I could have done it better myself. - Get a new haircut or color. If you’re feeling flash with cash, consider getting highlights. They can add a touch of fun to your look. Alternatively, volunteer to get your cut or color at cut-price rates by one of the trainees. Many salons offer these schemes, including some of the big-name ones and in my experience the trainees tend to be supervised by one of their superiors, which prevents you from ending up with a mullet, which is something that once happened to me over the Easter weekend and so I went home crying. I had to wait until Tuesday to get this fuck-up fixed and was so embarrassed that I wore a hat to the salon. Unfortunately, the only hat I had at the time was one with a picture of a hash leaf on it that my ex-boyfriend had brought me back from Amsterdam, so everybody thought I was a druggie as I passed them on my way to another hairdresser to get my hair fixed. I told her “I will call you Jesus as I need you to perform a miracle!”
- Try out a new lipstick or make-up look you have seen in a magazine. Find the right color for you. For instance, red seems to be this season’s color, but there are both cool and warm reds and depending on your complexion and coloring one or the other is going to look more flattering on you.
- Invite friends round for a clothes-swapping night. Sort out the clothes that no longer fit and that you’d like to give away. I certainly have plenty of those in my closet …
- Meet your husband/wife or significant other at the door when he or she comes home and treat him or her to a striptease he or she will never forget.
- Paint your dog’s toenails. He or she will look swish and stylish and you’ll have fun acting as their own personal beauty therapist. Would not recommend doing this to your cat unless you plan on going to the hospital to get your lacerations stitched, which might be an option if you’re hoping to marry a nice cute doctor
- Join your local library or treat yourself to some new books. Drink from the fountain of knowledge and never grow thirsty
- Find a classic movie, genre or comedian you have never watched before. Never be afraid to try something new. It might enrich your life and anything that makes you laugh gives your health a boost.
- Go to a karaoke bar and sing on stage. You will be proud that you had the guts to do this and it’s also a very enjoyable experience as long as you are with the right crowd.
- Arrange a cleaning exchange where you and your friends help each other clean your houses. This saves you money and gives you time to enjoy spending with your friends, turning a tedious task into time-saving teamwork. Reward yourself by performing beauty treatments on each other such as painting each other’s toenails and fingernails and giving each other facials.
- Do a good turn for the day. Volunteer for a local charity or visit a friend who is ill or depressed and lend them some support. It’s important to realize that you are not alone with your illness and helping others will help you do just that plus giving will increase your self-esteem and it can’t be bad to spread positivity.
- On the weekend visit the farmers’ market to get some organic fresh fruit and veggies or visit one of the stores where you can buy yummy appetizers (e.g. Greek or Italian).
- Send your loved one a text message to tell them you love them. This is something we tend to take for granted, but it’s always nice to remind them.
- Take your laptop and go work outside – that way you can combine work and pleasure and also absorb some vital Vitamin D.
- Do a search on your city or check their webpage to find something new and interesting to visit. All too often, we take our surroundings for granted, but sometimes it can be fun to explore the town you live in.
- Check out a new music group or buy a new CD. Sing along to it. I’m pretty sure that singing releases endorphins too and I can certainly say that music never fails to cheer me up.
- Look up an old friend you have lost touch with and get back in touch with them. Sometimes we lose touch with people we still care about and reviving a friendship can sometimes be beneficial for both parties.
- Go for a walk in nature. Sometimes it’s important to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and to clear your mind. Nature can be very healing.
- Use Magic Sliders or a similar product to help you easily rearrange your furniture and give your home a new look. Anyone for feng shui? Single girls feel free to enlist the help of that cute neighbor you’ve been trying to pluck up courage to talk to for so long.
- Hold a murder mystery party or a theme party. We did a 1950s one and it was very fun to dress up and act the part. This gives some shy people a great opportunity to come out of their shell and the games are generally available in games stores along with tips for organization, food and decorations.
- If you are a chocaholic, go to a specialty chocolate store and try out a new chocolate you have never tasted before. These days, there are so many varieties on the market including chocolate with chili, green tea and even bacon to name but a few.
- If you’re a wine aficionado attend a wine tasting and enjoy getting drunk as a skunk. This year, we have been to two wine tastings at two of our favorite restaurants – one is Greek and the other Italian. Both included set menus and were a fun experience.
- Sign up for a class at your local college, store or school. Many stores such as Joanne Fabrics, Home Depot, Michaels and Lowe’s offer a range of classes. During the school holidays, many schools offer low-cost courses such as computer courses, mushroom hunting, pottery, karate and arts and crafts
- If you enjoy sports and have the energy, consider joining a local sports team or perhaps sign up for a gym membership or find yourself a personal trainer. Many hotels with gyms and pools offer discount memberships. YMCA also offers scholarships for low-income families, enabling you to use their gyms and pools and attend their classes for discounted rates or even for free.
Belly dancing classes are a great way to keep fit and feel sexy whatever your size. All too often, we forget what sexy beasts we are and tend to rigidly focus on our illness. In fact, it actually pays to have a few extra pounds and you will find that most belly dancers are traditionally curvaceous, which doesn’t mean to say that you are disqualified if you have a slimmer figure. This is an exercise that is open to everyone.
Aqua aerobics is also a great way to work out without putting strain on your joints thanks to the gentle flow of the water. It’s also an excellent way to keep cool on hot days. For those of you who suffer from temperature fluctuations, taking a fluffy robe to the pool might prevent you from freezing your butt off when you get out of the pool.
I hope you enjoyed these tips and that they provided you with some inspiration. I’d love to hear about any suggestions or tactics you use to brighten up your life.
Love,
Sarah
—
Upcoming Interview With Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum – Please Submit Your Questions to Me Now
I will be interviewing the renowned chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and thyroid specialist Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum MD. Dr. Teitelbaum is the Medical Director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers (www.fibroandfatigue.com) and author of the bestselling books From Fatigued to Fantastic!, Three Steps to Happiness! Healing through Joy and Pain Free 1-2-3 A Proven Program for Eliminating Chronic Pain Now. He’s appeared on both Dr. Oz and Oprah and Mary Shomon also recommends him on her website. If you have any questions you would like me to ask him in this interview, please email them ASAP to sarah@dearthyroid.org. Check out Dr. Teitelbaum’s website if you want ideas for questions or are looking for more information: www.Vitality101.com. Thank you!
Tags: chronic illness, fatiqgue, Flying With Broken Wings: 27 Easy Ways To Get Back Your Groove, fun and healthy ways for thyroid patients to feel good about themselves, improve self-esteem, pain, tips to feel good about yourself, Written by Sarah Downing
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38 Responses to “Flying With Broken Wings: 27 Easy Ways To Get Back Your Groove”
Leave a Reply to Rania
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sarah
as always your writting brings a smile to my face. this article is amazing! my fave part was the animal part, i am an animal rights person so i do spend lots of time with our four legged friends. i do beleive their company is thereputic. ive already tried some of your other ideas to get out of this depressing slump called cancer and they do work. im going to print out this list and keep it in my journal and cross off ideas as i try them out. again thank you so much..
smiles and hugs,
gina
What a wonderfully positive post! Thank you Sarah x
I definitely recommend #3 I’ve been ‘fostering’ dogs for local rescues for many years now, and its extremely rewarding, especially when you see that bedraggled, mentally screwed up mutt, go off to his new home, as a happy, healthy & confident doglet!
My current foster dog is a deerhound lurcher, and she’s lovely, such a clown – never fails to make me smile, no matter how much of a funk I’m in. She’s proving hard to re-home though, because she’s HUGE!
In addition to her, I have 5 other dogs of my own, 2 of which are ‘failed fosters’ that I just couldn’t let go of – blush
Some really great ideas there…I plan on working slowly through the rest of them, thanks again Sarah x
I agree that all these ideas are nice, but they are not reasonable for somebody who is completely debilitated by thyorid disease. I haven’t been able to leave my house in months, and what little energy i have, is used up as soon as i shower for the day. Then it’s the couch for 8 hours, then back to bed. The days of me being able to go take a walk, go out shopping, get my hair done, clean my house, or even cook, are long gone. Had to get rid of my pets, cause i could no longer care for them. There’s nothing left to do when you become so horribly ill, and your doctors won’t help you. This list just depresses me, and reminds of all the things i use to be able to do 🙁
Some great tips there Sarah some i would do and others I just wouldn’t I rarely eat out because I just don’t know what they are putting in food these days and you do really have to watch what you eat. Makeup never wear it never have but strip tease well that is up my street I have even poll danced and the local fire station got a thrill from that.
One i would always do and that is have a pet around me my dog keeps me active if i didn’t have her I think I wouldn’t get half the exercise i get today. Plus she is definitely therapeutic she’s my soul mate and companion.
Thanks for the list Sarah, it’s funny that you mention animals because yes, they usually calm us down.
My little shit of a cat – Jack – somehow got to my photo project that I need to turn in tomorrow. I found it this morning, the negatives all over my house and cat hair all over them. So, my blood pressure went THROUGH THE ROOF.
But yes, if you don’t have a male tabby named Jack, animals are a great way to calm down : ) I have another kitty, Ace, and she’s a freakin’ angel.
Hi Gina,
Glad you liked this article and were able to identify with some of the suggestions. We also have a cat, Biscuit, whose presence is incredibly therapeutic. Animals can be very loving and empathic. It´s great you are printing out the list – hope you have lots of fun trying out the other ideas!
Love,
Sarah
Hi FuzzyThyroidBrain,
Thank you for commenting. I am glad that some of these ideas were helpful to you and that you have had such wonderful experiences with fostering dogs. Have fun working your way through the list!
Love,
Sarah
Hi Debra,
I am sorry that my article depressed you. I´m sure you can imagine that that was not my aim when I wrote it. I understand how frustrated you must be to have to watch your old life slip away from you, give up your pets and be robbed of your energy. I am so sorry that you have to go through that and hope that at some point this improves.
However, if you take another look at the list, you will see that there are a few suggestions there that people can do from the comfort of their own home, such as renting a new movie you haven´t seen before (there are mail-order DVD rental places) and these days you can even have hairdressers, massage therapists or beauty therapists come to your home. However, I can also understand that you may not even have the energy to do these things. When I was at my worst, I didn´t even have the energy to read or focus on a film. I´m not sure what else to suggest. My aim was to provide a wide range of ideas so that there is something for everyone.
It sounds like you are not happy with your current doctor. Is there any way we at Dear Thyroid could help you? Have you considered changing doctors? Are you looking for a recommendation? It sounds like your first priority right now if possible should be to find a doctor who gives a shit, so that you can get your energy back and enjoy life a little more.
Please let me know how we can help you. Again, I´m sorry if my article upset you.
Love,
Sarah
Hey Lolly,
Glad you found some tips you like. As I said above, I tried to provide a wide range of tips so that there is something for everyone. These are not even necessarily all things I would do myself, although some of them are. Different strokes for different folks.
When we eat out, we enjoy trying local restaurants with good ingredients, but I know that these can be hard to find. For instance, we have a great Italian and Greek place near us, which are pretty authentic as they are run by Italians and Greeks. Otherwise, it can be tough to eat healthy stuff at certain restaurants, so I do understand your predicament. We also enjoy trying the local foods whenever we travel (and that excludes the tourist places). We went out for paella and tapas today (we´re in Barcelona right now). Yes, we do have to watch what we eat, but when I go out I enjoy eating good food that is made with good produce.
You´re right – make-up isn´t for everyone. I am somebody who enjoys combining different colours and I think I have a bit of an artistic streak, so I also enjoy applying make-up in cool colours. Did you really pole dance? That sounds like a blast. Good for you! It was quite the fitness craze a few years ago, wasn´t it? Lucky firemen!
I am so happy you have your little dog and that she keeps you active because of her walks. Keep up the good work!
Love,
Sarah
Hey Nicole,
Sorry to hear about naughty Jack. My friend Becky also has a cat named Jack. I once had a rabbit named Filou who chewed through my Internet cable on a Sunday – I had a deadline on Monday, so I had to get my neighbour to patch the cable – lucky he was around! It´s hard to be mad at animals, isn´t it? When our cat, Biscuit, is in a sulk, she likes to poo on the floor, but she gets upset when we go away and can even sense it ahead of time now. So sorry about your photo project. I really hope you manage to get that sorted out!
Love,
Sarah
Great article! another suggestion is to do some yoga! I find yoga and massage to be relaxing and great stress releavers!
Great suggestion, Rania. A workout can really help, can´t it and I know that yoga is supposed to be very relaxing. I´m a big fan of massages too – it´s so important to remember to relax!
Thanks for commenting. Love,
Sarah
Great article Sarah. I am getting out more these days and some variety back in life really helps me get through the bad days when I can’t seem to move. I can’t walk much but even a 10 minute walk or sitting by the ocean is a wonderful break during the day this time of year. I am lucky, I can hop in the car and be at the beach in 5 minutes. It wasn’t long ago I couldn’t even manage this so I’m thrilled. We recently saw a comedy show and really enjoyed some great laughing. I have two more concerts planned and another comedy show. I haven’t done this much in the last 10 years. I don’t really still have the stamina for these big nights out but I can have a bad day even without going out. We started talking about getting a small dog today and I’d love to do it right now but I’m concerned about training the dog properly because I still have joint surgery in my future that will require long rehab. I may just go ahead because my thyroid is still not balanced enough yet to plan surgery yet, IMO.
I would be very leery about makeup counters with all the germs that get passed on. Sorry but that one really grosses me out. Great article though and lots of variety. An idea for someone who really is too ill to do anything is embroidery, knitting or crochet. Also puzzles are great to pass the time when you are too sick to get out of the house or off the sofa. I had the whole house covered in craft projects during the years I wasn’t able to even walk around in the yard. You could even find me doing paint by numbers a few times. I couldn’t even finish a project many times but my goal was to just do something, it didn’t matter if it wasn’t usable during the worst days. Even a soak in the tub with some epsom salts is nice treat to this day and helps relax the muscles.
Hey Lori,
Glad you liked the article and happy to hear that you are getting out more these days – I know you still struggle sometimes, but it does seem like you have made a lot of progress recently – congratulations!
Thank you for sharing your experiences and, in particular, your tips for those who can’t get out and about as much. I think there are any number of craft activities that one could do at home if one was so inclined. Another one I enjoy is karaoke on the Wii, although I know that several other computer systems offer karaoke systems these days.
I hope you do get your little dog. I know Heide is having a whale of a time with their new family member!
Your comment about the make-up counters didn’t even occur to me. This one was actually courtesy of Heide and I thought it was a good idea as it is something I have done in the past. One would hope that they would disinfect their brushes after use with barbicide or something similar, right? But I guess it could be risky. It’s not something I’ve done that often anyway, as I usually prefer to do my own make-up.
Thanks again for your valuable input!
Love,
Sarah
To elaborated on the makeup, until I saw an investigative report on what was found on the one-time use applicators, I would have assumed they were careful about this sort of thing. It was the same scenario with hot tubs.
Hey Lori, thanks for elaborating. That is both interesting and scary. One would think it would be a bit of a no-brainer for them to use sufficient hygiene measures, but apparently not. It’s almost midnight here, so I’m off to bed. It’s been quite a long day and tomorrow is our last day in Barcelona. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Sarah
Sarah–brilliant column! I am always looking for new ways to de-stress. The best thing for me is to go for a jog–when I am not overly tired, that is.
Thanks for these great ideas!
xoxo,
Joanna
This was one of my favorite columns. I love them all so much. This reminded me to think about myself and provided excellent ideas for how to improve self-esteem. I was so inspired by this. I had a manicure and a pedicure today! Plus, I feel like I now have an arsenal of positive things to do for myself, especially when I forget to.
thank you, Sarah!
xo
K
Sarah, I love you girl, and I just have to post my reply just in case there’s somebody in the thycomm. who feels like me. I am so deep down in a pit of (a thousand negative emotions) that there’s no point painting myself a different colour or humiliating myself naked at the front door. I just can’t get on the whole fake feel good train of bubbly people who just act and think themselves into a state of bliss despite the baddies crapping on their doorstep. I don’t want to bring anybody down, but there’s a rage inside me that I just haven’t even begun to express. If I let this wild monster out who knows what will happen.
Great article Sarah. I am an introvert and homebody. Finding comfort in my own little world, but I know it is good to shake it up with something… anything when you are in a rut. Luckily my daughter is an extrovert, and she shoves/pushes me to do things even when I feel shaky and weird. Good ideas to add to her “get Mom out” list. Even if I don’t enjoy the things I go out and do/try, I appreciate what I have more when I am back home… and we have lasting memories. Mostly she has “Mom was so embarrassing when we…”, but that’s ok.
i just have to say that i loved this so much i shared it with my hubby. he has always been such a great support for me but as i got sicker and sicker he decided he didnt want to be intimate to save me from using too much energy, whatever,lol.. i have always been a woman who needs that kind of attention from him ecspecially as i got bigger and bigger. i was insecure and that was a kind of reassurance. any ways im not going into detail, we resolved our intimacy issues and when he read your wonderful list he got really silly and asked if i would feel comforitable with a couple of the items on the list. i just have to say thanks for addressing those types of things in your wonderful list, because it got us talking about things like that again and it has been a while..sorry ladies if this was sharing too much, i just feel very comfy with you all.
thanks again,
gina
Beautiful Sarah, just beautiful. You are so positive and that is only one of the many things I love about you. Keep up the good work sweetie, I appreciate you!
Hi admin , This is excellent posting for my homework from school Do u have twitter account ?? i want to follow your twitt . bye
Great ideas here…definitely can do more of these now that I am feeling a bit better!
This reminded me that I have a spa day gift certificate from my hubby that I have yet to use!!! Gotta try to schedule that for next week…this one is full of doc appointments!
Hey Joanna,
So glad you liked my column. Hope you enjoy trying out some of the ideas and: happy jogging!
Love,
Sarah
Hey Katie, glad you liked my column! So glad you took the opportunity to have a mani-pedi with your mother and sis! That is excellent! You go girl! You do so much for other people, so it´s very importnat to make sure you pamper yourself every once in a way. I´m glad you were able to do this together with those you love. I bet your tootsies look fabulous right now!
Continue being good to yourself!
Love,
Sarah
Hey Shan, I love you too. Thank you for being so bravely honest! Nobody should feel obliged to try out any of these things and I think it takes being in the right frame of mind in the first place to be able to try any of these. At the end of the day, you need to do what you feel comfortable with and if you force yourself to do something just for the sake of it, you are right – that is fake. However, there are people who are ill and enjoy these things because they cheer them up and make them forget if even for just a moment that they are ill. It´s important to enjoy life, but I don´t think that everybody has reached that stage yet. It´s important to be able to express how you feel and this is the perfect place to do just that – whether it is negative or positive, you should feel comfortable being yourself here because that is precisely what Dear Thyroid is for. If my column helps anyone at all, and apparently it has, then in my book it is worth writing it. However, I wish I could help everyone with this column, but apparently that´s unrealistic. Instead, I would like to ask you if there is any way we can help you feel less negative and angry – not that I am saying it is wrong to feel this way (as I said above, you should feel free to feel the way you feel), but if there is any support, advice or anything whatsoever you need from us here at Dear Thyroid, please just say the word!
Love and hugs,
Sarah
Hi Amanda, glad you liked my article. I am glad that your daughter encourages you to try out new things and that you are able to spend this precious time and carve out these valuable memories with her! Carry on doing just that. And for what it´s worth, I think it is perfectly normal for many kids to be embarrassed of their parents – at least from a certain age. I wouldn´t take it personally. It just seems to be a part of growing up.
Love,
Sarah
Hey Gina,
This is awesome and really made my day to read your comment! I think talking openly about our diseases and reading some of the articles and letters on DT can truly help a lot of us.
This wasn´t sharing too much at all. BIG congratulations on getting back your groove in terms of intimacy! This is fabulous! You mentioned you are going to print out a copy of this article so that you can tick off the items – if you want me to send you the article with the items correctly numbered (the formatting seems to have suffered somewhat due to the transition from Word to the Internet), feel free to let me know.
I hope you and your hubby have fun trying out some of these things together. I´m very happy that he is so supportive and that you can talk to him so openly about what you are going through.
Love and hugs,
Sarah
Hi Donna, thanks for your kind words! I try to be positive, but it takes a lot of hard work sometimes, doesn´t it? I want people to know that nobody should feel forced to try out any of these suggestions. As I mentioned above, not everybody feels in the right place right now to do any of them. It´s sometimes hard though to write an article that rings true with each and every member of Dear Thyroid.
Thanks as ever for your support.
Love,
Sarah
Hi Antonio, glad you liked the article. I don´t have a Twitter account (Dear Thyroid does though).
Love,
Sarah
Hey Bernadette, glad that you feel up to trying out some of these ideas. Enjoy your spa appointment! Love, Sarah
Wow! It’s Cosmo for thyroid patients!
Sometimes I think it is important to write more lighthearted articles, Sarah, and in fact at one point I did want to write for women’s mags!
Thanks very much for your fantastic article; this is the stuff that keeps me motivated through the day. I have been looking around for this website after a recommendation from a colleague and was pleased when I found it after searching for some time. Obviously, being a blogger myself, I’m glad to see others taking initiative and adding to the community. Just wanted to show my appreciation for your work as it’s actually very encouraging, and many bloggers do not get the recognition they deserve. I know I’ll come back to read more and will refer some of my friends here.
Hey Dave,
Thanks so much for your kind comments and support. So glad you enjoyed the article and found it motivating and encouraging. It’s interesting to hear that you are also a blogger. If you are ever interested in writing something for Dear Thyroid, let us know. What do you blog about? I’d love to read some of your stuff too!
Love,
Sarah
Loved it! I love the idea of going to the makeup counter and then telling them you look like a clown. That made laugh! Recently I went to a makeup counter and told the girl i felt blah and needed a pick me up. She was so happy to do my makeup. I really ended up liking it so i bought some new eyeshadown.
Please go rescue/adopt a pet! They are great to cuddle with and play with when you are feeling down. I think I will paint my dog China’s toenails tomorrow! lol SOUnds so fun! I also enjoy getting drunk as a skunk and doing some karaoke! Chocolate.. oooh yes.. always makes me feel better. HEre in Japan, they have many different Kit Kat flavors from green tea to corn. My favorite so far has been banana flavored! Today I went to the antique store to look for photography props! It was very exciting to purchase a new prop!
Im going to print this one out and laminate it and hang it up on my fridge!
Love ya!
Cynthia
Darling Cynthia, thank you so much for your lovely comments! I have to give Heide credit for the one with the make-up counter and looking like a clown. That said, I’m rarely that happy when someone does my make-up, but then again I mostly do it myself anyway. Lucky, lucky, China! I bet she’ll love all that pampering! I’m glad you like karaoke – I know it’s not everybody’s dish. Banana Kit Kat sounds fab – I have a weakness for banana-flavoured everything!
Love you too, sweets! Enjoy trying out the tips!
Sarah