Just Truckin’

We went out to eat tonight and I saw something really funny. There was a big ol’ trunk in the lot next to us that I swear must have bought all the auto accessories available in our town. They had stickers all over the tailgate, huge mudflaps and fairies (or something similar) hanging from their rearview mirror. Underneath was some crazy blue light thing that I just know killed their battery before they came out from the restaurant.

While we were in there, Pee Wee ate more than Grump. I don’t think it could have been possible for someone of her small size to eat that much food. And I’m pretty sure Grump was trying to catch up to her. I hardly ate anything because I wasn’t really in the mood to be out (not to mention it was fascinating watching those two shove so much food down their gullets). I’m officially traumatized.

On another completely unrelated note, I’m going to see about putting this blog in Entrecard and taking out Simply Stating. I’m thinking about it. I also need to find something to put in those ad spots. Not ads though. Maybe I’ll mess around with my photoshop tonight.

Working From Home With Small Kids

I’ve written before about managing time while working from home when you have young children. It’s important to find the time to do the work as well as managing to spend quality time with your children. It’s also important to have a comfortable place from where to do that work.

The Office

For many work-from-home parents, the majority of their work time is spent online. They’re either networking or doing their assigned tasks or whatever. So it’s important to have some kind of home office from where to work. For parents of small children, like me, this can be in the middle of the room, or if you’re children are older, a small room where noise and distractions are minimal.

You can have contemporary office furniture or older, used furniture, but either way it should be functional and comfortable. If you’re working in the middle of the family room (like me) make sure that it’s a little out of the way, and yet placed in a way that you can keep an eye on things. Keep your computer turned on so when you step away from it you don’t lose any work. Don’t forget a small filing system of some sort. I have a plastic, white container on my desk that holds disks, pens, paper and whatever else I think I might need for a job. It saves me time and aggravation to have everything right there when I’m working.

For parents who are chronically ill, comfort is also important. I have a nice chair and a foot massager. The chair keeps back pain to a minimum and the massager keeps my feet from swelling too much. I also have a wireless keyboard. I can lean back in my chair to get more comfortable and with the help of a food tray bring my mouse and key board with me. Everything I need for a day at the “office” is right at arm’s length so that my time can be productive. I never know when the little one is going to come calling.

The Time

Staying at home with small children requires some time management skills, no doubt. But for parents with chronic illness it’s even more challenging. We can’t do what my first article suggested. Trust me. I’ve tried waking up before the child and staying up later. It wears me down and makes me miss work. That’s no good. My solution is to do as much as I can in the morning and take mini-breaks throughout the day to spend time with Mags.

As I said above, my office is in the “family” room. This is where Mags spends the majority of her time. I have a small t.v. set up on a table behind me and some videos from which she can choose. I also have a special chair and pretend keyboard for her to use when she wants to help me work. It’s really cute to see her tap,tap,tap and think she’s bringing home some bacon. These two things help me utilize my time better (sometimes it gives me more time too goof off) as well as spend time with her. I don’t have to stop so much now that I’ve set things up this way and she’s a lot more happy.

Of course, if you’re financially able, you can hire in-home help. This could be a teenager in the evenings who will entertain your kids while you get some work done or someone who will help with the laundry and cooking while you work. I haven’t actually tried this (though I have tried to get my own teenager to help more), but if you can afford it go for it. You’re still available and the children are still getting attention.

Ending Your Day

Sometimes when you’ve found the perfect solution you find yourself getting back online every chance you get. There has to be time to end your day and step away from the computer. This is important for your family as well as yourself. It’s addicting networking, making the money, writing, reading the news, etc, but your family and your mind need you to step away from the Internet.

Pick a specific time each day where you won’t be online. Shut the computer off, or schedule it for maintenance. Whatever you do, don’t allow yourself to get back on that thing once your work day is done. If your day revolves around naptimes, then make sure you don’t even check your computer while you’re spending time with your kids. You have to give yourself a break.

Also, pick a day (whatever day) to not work at all. If you need to be online, do something fun and entertaining, but don’t allow your time to be spent working. Mini-vacations are refreshing and just as important as spending time offline during the day. Don’t let yourself become a slave to your computer. And if you have, try to break the habit. It’s important to take breathers and to spend a whole day in the “real” world interacting with “real” people, breathing “real” air, and getting “real” sunshine. Pick a schedule and try to stick to it.

Working from home seems the easy solution to most people (especially those who don’t do it), but it can become as bad as working in an office if you don’t have a comfortable place to work and you spend too much time doing it. It’s easy to get caught up in the work especially if it’s always close at hand. Your body and your mind need for you to be comfortable so take some time to make sure you are.

Low Impact Exercises to Get Your Blood Flowing

I woke up this morning feeling better than I have in ages. Unfortunately my rash is back. I’m pretty sure this all has to do with the wonderful weather we’re having here in Southeastern Ohio and I’m so thankful for it. I’m going to take some time today and get out of this house. And hopefully burn some of Mags’ engery.
We have some old bar stools in the basement and I’m considering bringing those up so I can do some stretching exercises. Low impact, low stress exercises are recommended to keep the fatigue and pain at bay. Start out slow to adjust to any new workout routine, and don’t overdo it. Otherwise, if you’re like me, the next day you’ll feel it in bones you didn’t even use.

What kind of exercises make me feel better?

Stretching

The bar stools will be good in stretching my back without hurting my knees and/or elbows. If you have something similar- high chairs or counters that are relatively close to each other- you can use them. Make sure to place your chairs close enough together that you’re not going to fall down trying this and far enough away that you actually get some benefit. Simply place one leg as high as you can on one stool (or chair), turn to the other top, place your hands on the top and lean into your hands. You do this with both sides. Do it slowly and far enough that you feel some stretching. You’ll wake up your muscles and help them remember that they are useful for something.

Walking

Another good exercise is walking. Of course, you’ve heard this all before, so what am I going to tell you that’s new? Nothing. It’s important for both your bones and muscles to be active. For people suffering with chronic pain, I’m certainly not going to advocate running or power walking. That would take too much out of you. But a gentle stroll around town for about an hour will do your body good. You’ll absorb some much need vitamins from the sun, get fresh air, and get the blood flowing properly through your muscles. It’s also good for your spirit to get out in the world and be a part of it. Many people with chronic illness spend way too much time cooped up indoors, so getting out is incredibly beneficial. Oh! And if it’s raining just take an umbrella. Rain is good for your soul too.

Dancing

Another thing that I like to do (and something which I did a little of yesterday) is dancing. You don’t have to do the hip-hop thing or be a prima ballerina. Just get a groove going and let out a little sweat. You know which moves will cause you the most pain and which will invigorate you- and if you don’t you will after a couple of days of this - so get with it! I do some Salsa dancing with Mags (to the tunes of Fisher Price Little People on CD) and get a little sweat going. It’s nice and she has tons of fun. A good half hour of this will do the trick and maybe even raise your spirits. If you’re body-conscious then close the door and do it alone. You’ll like it and might make it a habit.

Yoga

Low impact yoga is something else that I do. I don’t do this often because Mags and the pooch think that floor time is play time and so I don’t get much done with them around, but you can find one or two days a week to fit this in and it could be beneficial. I use the beginners version every time. If I get more advanced, the poses get more painful, and I pay for it the next day. I’m trying to fight off the fatigue, not send myself into episodes (”flares” to most people).

Yoga is an excellent way to learn deep breathing and relaxation techniques, which are also beneficial in fighting chronic pain and fatigue. As you stretch and bend you have to take deep, cleansing breaths and that can carry over into other aspects of life as stress relievers.

Not For Losing Weight

I don’t do these exercises to lose weight. For that you need cardio exercises and sweating and pain (for me- ultimately). My body can’t take that. However, you should see some weight loss benefits if you couple these low-impact exercises with a healthy diet. You won’t get the results you see on “The Biggest Loser” though and it’s important that folks with chronic pain and fatigue realize that. Slow but steady wins the race and makes us healthier, but not dramatically thinner.

I’ve basically given up going to the gym, walking fast and trying to lose that last 30 pounds quickly. I can’t handle too much activity. I certainly can’t handle getting sweaty for an hour three times a week. Nope, I take it slow and easy, which helps me fight the fatigue and be a part of my family again.

That’s my goal.