Staying Healthy When Times Are Tough

It’s essential to make health a priority, even through the ups and downs.

I prioritise exercise in my week and follow a regular routine of training and nutrition. I have a fairly structured week, and generally stick to my routine. However, four weeks ago, our life was thrown into a spin when my son become unwell and ended up in hospital. During this time, a wild storm hit Sydney and our house was without power for 5 days. On top of having our son in hospital needing 24 hour support, a fridge with food going bad, two other children to care for, the usual end of year busyness and our jobs which still needed attention, it’s been an overwhelming few weeks.

It would have been so easy to let my exercise fall completely by the wayside during this time, we just had so much going on. Nutrition is also difficult at times like this, and I can see how people end up living on vending machine snacks and coffee. However, I was determined to keep some form of healthy routine in my week as I knew I needed to stay strong both physically and mentally.

What we went through was only a tiny glimpse into what many families with sick children juggle month after month. And yet this experience allowed me to gain an insight into the complications associated with these times. There are some simple things you can do to take care of your own health when dealing with an unexpected difficulty or challenge.

1. Accept help

People are kind. Our family has been overwhelmed with messages of support, visitors to the hospital, home cooked meals, and care of our other children. One of the most powerful things I learnt during the past few weeks is the importance of accepting help. I am an independent person who keeps things pretty organised. I also have wonderful support from my family so felt we were going along ok. However, a few days into our “journey”, when a friend messaged to ask if she could bring over a meal, I was exhausted and said yes please! It was such an incredible and unexpected relief to have a home cooked meal arrive at my door. I began to say yes when people offered to pick up the kids, or drop into the hospital to visit, and it changed everything. I felt so loved and supported, and there were simply less things to think about every day. I was then able to focus on other more important things such as my son, my family, my work. Humans like to care for each other. It makes us feel useful and needed. Just say yes to offers of help when you need it and know that you will pay it back one day.

Ask for help, not because you are weak, but because you want to remain strong.

2. Exercise - do something every day

I am lucky that I have a very active job, so while I am at work I am usually running and jumping around. However, during the two weeks that my son was in hospital, when I wasn’t working I was sitting beside his bed, confined to the hospital ward. I therefore made sure I moved at least every hour, walking around the hospital corridors or out in the grounds for 5 minutes. I took my running gear into the hospital, and when I could sneak out for 30 minutes I would go for a quick run around Parramatta Park. When I was at home I would squeeze in a 20 minute strength session in the lounge room whenever I could. My exercise routine was not as ordered as usual, but I made it a priority and these small additions in my day made the world of difference.

3. Nutrition - make wise choices

I admit this is a tough one. Not being in our own kitchen and being able to cook (especially having no power even when we were at home!) was a challenge. However, we have so many choices around us now that there really is no excuse to eat rubbish, it’s all about making wise choices. When you are tired and stressed, it’s so easy to reach for fast, convenient sugary foods. However, these types of foods are only going to make you feel worse.

The main dietary issue to focus on during challenging times is how to fill your body with nutrient rich food. Have fruit and nuts on hand at all times. If you are having to eat on the run, most cafes now serve salads of some sort - even McDonalds offers salad options. Choose a salad with some form of protein (chicken or cheese) and ask for the dressing on the side. It may not be the best salad you’ve ever had, but you are getting your veggies in and not filling up on fried or sugary treats. Sushi shops are all over the place now and the veggie filled rice paper rolls are a great option if you are on the run.

4. Sleep - Do your best

One of the most difficult things I found during this time was figuring out how to sleep well. The pull out sofa bed in the noisy hospital ward certainly wasn’t conducive to a restful night. And there were many late nights and early mornings trying to juggle everything. What I would say is that as long as you are eating well and exercising, when you do manage to get yourself into bed, you will sleep better. So continue to work on the things you can control and there will be a flow-on effect in all areas.

Life is not always smooth, and challenges will occur. The healthier, stronger and fitter you are, the more equiped you will be to handle anything that comes your way.

by Angie Black