Preparedness and Success
The next milestone in the process is to prepare yourself. Modifications to the environment and systems help, but preparing yourself is even more necessary. Since your diagnosis, worry has been growing and taking control. Now is the time to regain your strength. Don’t let anxiety and fear ruin your time. If it ruins your time, it ruins your life.
The preparations begin as soon as the plans are made. Learn and practice relaxation techniques consistently, but especially before you leave. These will calm your mind and body, sending you to a more positive place.
Optimistically visualize yourself completing the activity and having a fantastic time. This is another useful tool because you can see yourself doing something that seems tricky or impossible. Once you can see it and imagine it, you can achieve it more naturally.
Reducing the anxiety through preparation will not only benefit you mentally, it will aid you physically as well. People that are anxious tend to be physically tense and rigid. Anxiety leads to muscle tension that can actually increase the risk of falls and injuries. Finding a relaxation technique or set of relaxation techniques that work for you will be immensely helpful.
If the anxiety seems to be an unstoppable force, consult with a mental health professional. He or she can assist by observing the thoughts and behaviors that result in the feelings of fear and anxiety. Also, she can fine-tune your relaxation techniques to be more effective.
Whatever skills you utilize, be sure to modify them for someone with osteoporosis. Something like progressive muscle relaxation can yield a great range of benefits for anxiety, but it also contains a risk of placing too much strain on your body. Be sure to start slow and build your confidence with the relaxations as your tension reduces.
Go, Do. Do Again.
As needed as the previous steps are, there is nothing that can compete with the benefit of going and doing. Leaving your house and changing your environment changes the way you see yourself and the world. Going and doing maintains and further expands your comfort zone. Each time your world will feel a bit bigger and more fruitful. This provides more encouragement to continue the process and continue the cycle. You can gain the momentum to do whatever you desire.
Remember, quality of life is too important to relinquish. As long as you take the steps to find activities, modify the activities and perform the behaviors, you will drastically improve your quality of life. If it seems like a selfish activity, it is, but it is one that will indirectly benefit all the people in your life. They want you to be happy, healthy and safe as much as you do.
