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  • It’s the Little Things

    Posted by kevin-schaefer on January 7, 2019 at 12:00 pm

    I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had a friend with SMA who passed away right before Christmas, and my next column is a tribute to him. Between that and dealing with whatever stomach virus I had, this particular Christmas season was kind of rough.

    Still, the weeks since have been better. On New Year’s Eve I went to a party with my brother and his fiancé, and I knew most of the people there through my brother. I had a lot of fun, and it was good to get out of the house after being stuck in for a good part of the break. Then on New Year’s Day I went to lunch with my Dad, and spent the afternoon and evening with two close friends. We recorded an epic three-hourlong podcast, and went to dinner after. I also hung out with a friend that Thursday, and spent the majority of Saturday out.

    Besides socializing, I’ve also been spending quality free time with myself. I’ve been reading, listening to music, watching movies, and just spending time in thought. It’s amazing how much better I feel when I do things like this instead of scrolling through Facebook or Twitter.

    I just wanted to say all this as an encouragement to you all. Whenever I’m going through a rough time, it helps me to focus on the positives and the little things to boost my energy levels. Things like reading and spending quality time with friends and family really help me improve my mental and emotional health. I’m also focusing on eating healthier, as well as exercising outside of physical therapy. There are of course still days when I feel drained and isolated, but it’s important to take care of myself in those times.

    All in all, I’m doing better, and I’ll actually see Carson’s family at a Cure SMA summit this coming Saturday. I have some other friends going to that, and it’s another thing I’m looking forward to.

    I know I’m just kind of rambling here, but if anyone else has any things they like to do for themselves, feel free to share. I’ve said this plenty of times before, but I believe that taking care of our mental and emotional health is just as important as our physical health.

    kevin-schaefer replied 5 years, 11 months ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • adnan-hafizovic

    Member
    January 8, 2019 at 11:31 am

    It is scientifically proven that socializing positively influences the health of man, so we hang out, we think positively.You said all that Kevin.

    • kevin-schaefer

      Member
      January 8, 2019 at 12:10 pm

      Absolutely. And I think the more intentional we are about connecting with people, the better.

  • halsey-blocher

    Member
    January 9, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    I’m very sorry to hear about your friend, and I’m glad you are able to focus on some positives. Personally, I also love reading as well as art, and I always enjoy working on my volunteer work.

    • kevin-schaefer

      Member
      January 10, 2019 at 1:12 pm

      Thank you! I really appreciate it. And yes, it helps tremendously to focus on our hobbies and passions.

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