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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nRecently I have been helping support a close family member who had serious surgery and a rough recovery. In this process I have been reminded of so many tools I have gathered over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A key piece for me (and my personality) when faced with difficult unexpected medical situations is finding what I can control. I find it helpful to focus my energy on the best next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe it is just the productivity nerd inside of me but when I am in a difficult scenario that I didn\u2019t choose, I look around and find ways to be productive anyway. It might be something as simple as enjoying a coloring page or a puzzle (while quietly sorting out my feelings). Or it could be typical tasks that get an adjustment (like folding laundry while laying in bed on bedrest).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I have the capacity to do something, then making progress makes me feel better. I find myself spiraling when I just sit there. Doing actions that help future me or other people give me an anchor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I feel like this is not talked about enough. So often the expectation is that we run at 100% all the time or we lie comatose on a hospital bed. This perspective is not realistic or helpful. Why is this culture so all or nothing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Life is full of ups and downs. We (and our close family members) will all experience illnesses, difficult diagnosis, adjustments, getting older, pregnancy complications, and unplanned ER visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nAs Kate Bowler<\/a> says, \u201cIt is part of being human.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
So in the spirit of being practical, I will share some ways in the past that I have been in that middle ground. The very lows when I have been battling illness, caring for someone with a serious diagnosis, or hit with life-changing loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Below are some ways that I have chosen to redirect my energy in the midst of unexpected difficult times over the last 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My personal examples:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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- Watching all the Jane Austin themed movies with my daughters while we were sick with a nasty flu over spring break.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Having an \u201cactivity basket\u201d of things that I enjoy doing to keep next to the bed or living room couch while on bedrest with my 3rd child. (magazines, knitting, picture books to read aloud to my littles)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In my early 20\u2019s I had knee surgery and found that creating variety in my day was essential to my mental health. I would carefully relocate to do different activities like eating, napping, reading, or watching a movie.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Baking cookies, muffins, bread, and dessert bars to take to the extended family while I cried in my kitchen wrecked with grief over the loss of a beautiful but troubled 16-year-old cousin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Babysitting kids and making countless meals made for friends battling difficult news, miscarriage, and sudden job loss.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Creating a \u201cThings I Can Do\u201d checklist specific for the situation. This is especially helpful when confined to a hospital room, in quarantine, adjusting to a new baby, or unable to walk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Being intentional about having \u201cspecial snacks\u201d in the pantry, soft clean blankets, and popcorn for the kids to enjoy while watching movies with their little cousin who just came back from chemo and radiation treatments. (It\u2019s a happy ending, she just celebrated 3 years cancer free!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Bringing my favorite cookbooks and meal planning notebook with me to a day at the hospital. Sitting in waiting room anxious for Grandma\u2019s surgery results, I used quiet moments to write out ideas for my fall season meal plan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Long slow walks in the neighborhood staring at the sky and listening to hymns. In winter of 2023,<\/a> when the grief would begin to overwhelm my day, this was my favorite way to process and feel like myself.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A few years ago when my IBS was at its worst, I found myself often sitting on the couch in the early morning hours, struggling to stop dry heaving. I would pick up \u201cPrayer in the Night\u201d by Tish Harrison Warren<\/a> and read. Snuggling my dog as the sun came up and the comfort of those words brought peace in the midst of frustration and pain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Chopping veggies to put into a slow cooked soup or a pasta salad. The slowness of this meal prep gives me time to think and be present (especially on difficult days).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Letting other people show up to my messy house, bring me meals, help me with laundry or caring for my kids\u2026 It can be hard to be vulnerable and let people see me struggling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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Medical emergencies and unexpected health challenges have a way of shaking up everything we thought was certain. But even in those heavy, uncertain moments, small actions can create calm, and tiny steps can offer comfort \u2014 both for ourselves and for the people we love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gentle productivity isn\u2019t about hustling through hard times; it\u2019s about anchoring ourselves when life feels unsteady.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope these ideas remind you that it\u2019s okay to meet yourself where you are, to choose small wins, and to care for your future self even in the middle of the mess. This is part of being human \u2014 and you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019d love to hear \u2014 what small things have helped you stay steady during a medical emergency or hard season?<\/p>Leave a comment<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes the smallest efforts \u2014 a load of folded laundry, a journal entry, or a quiet moment with a puzzle \u2014 are the very things that steady us when the big picture feels impossible to hold. These little anchors won\u2019t fix the situation, but they can give your heart and mind just enough room to breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve walked through a season like this, I\u2019d be honored to hear what helped you feel like yourself. Your story might encourage someone else walking a similar road. Thanks for being part of this little corner of the internet \u2014 it means more than you know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wishing you steadiness and strength, wherever life finds you today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Simple ways I\u2019ve found to stay steady \u2014 through gentle productivity and small, meaningful actions \u2014 even in the middle of medical chaos. . Recently I have been helping support a close family member who had serious surgery and a rough recovery. In this process I have been reminded of so many tools I have… <\/p>\n