Tips To Be Ready For The Bad Days

We have all been there – work, school, and maintaining a household. Some things that most don’t think twice about. It is just a part of adulthood, but for us lupies sometimes that is more than we can give when dealing with pain, rashes, chronic fatigue, and burnout from daily tasks is a real thing. So how do we prepare for those days? Obviously, we don’t want to think “Oh tomorrow I am going to feel like crap!” and often we don’t know when those days will hit, but you can take some steps to be ready for them.

Healthy snacks for lupus

I have had so many days by the end of my work week I have nothing left in me or after a busy couple of days the only thing I am thinking about is my bed, but ya still got to eat. That is where having some good readily prepped food is a necessity. Some things I always keep on hand are canned soup and my guilty pleasure... frozen pizza, but something that is nice is actual meal prepped food. In this day and age, there are a ton of meal prep companies from local or nationwide ship right to your door. I try to keep my diet as whole and natural as possible to reduce health complications and flare-ups so I love keeping 5-10 of these in my freezer at all times. They don’t have the cardboard taste most of your grocery store freezer meals have and they can be packed with nutrients. Most of these can last in your freezer for up to 6 months and they are perfect to pop in the microwave and feel full afterward with minimal effort.

Plan a day ahead

On my work week I know I have about as much energy to get me through my 12-hour shift and that is it. I need to take advantage of as much sleep as I can get so this is where I try to plan a day ahead on everything I will need. Obviously, meal prepping on my last day off is a must but I try and take it a step further. Get your outfits planned for a couple of days and laid out, get your coffee maker ready before bed so you just need to press the magical start button or set a timer, get the pets, or the kid's breakfast ready the night before so you don’t have to do much work with it in the AM, have your work bag with snacks, materials, daily needs, etc. packed and ready to go. I do as much as I possibly can the night before and try to plan for a couple of days so when that alarm goes off at 3 AM I can press snooze a time or 2 without being rushed.

Ask for help

Some days I cannot get out of bed once my weekend hits and this is extremely difficult when you have other living beings relying on you. For me personally, it is my dog, a very high-energy 100 lb German Shepherd who doesn’t believe in days off. I am fortunate enough to have set a system up with a friend that allows me to take him to her house on the days I don’t feel I can adequately take care of him, I also utilize apps like “Rover” for dog walking and daycare where oftentimes the person will come to your home and take your dog for a small rate. If you have kids, talk to your spouse, a friend, or a family member to see if they can take them for a day from time to time. If that isn’t an option look at different babysitter websites and apps to establish care with someone who will be able to help you. Regardless of your responsibilities you need to still prioritize your health and not feel ashamed asking for help.

It is not always easy or ideal but utilizing steps to prepare for those abrupt bad days will help you immensely in the long run. I never realized how much I was letting my body burn out and pushing it to the breaking point by refusing to stop doing little tasks and getting rest instead. It is necessary and okay to take a break, cut out and modify activities in your life for a day or 2 while getting your body back to where it needs to be.