A Fall and a slump and 6 steps to get out of it

Two days ago, I suffered my second fall in a year. I am at that age where falls become our greatest danger; I will be 79 in a couple of weeks. My fall was my own fault, the result of a careless move. I have been trying to be more careful and mindful in what I do and to be aware of what is dangerous and needs to be avoided.

Anyhow, as so often happens, I didn't feel the full repercussions of the fall, which ocurred on Friday, until today, Sunday! When I went to my car this morning for an errand, I could hardly make it to the car. In my fall, I was stepping up with my right leg and my left slipped out from under me and I crashed backwards on my fortunately well padded posterior and my creaky back. I used my arms to push myself up from a kneeling position, the only way I can get up now. What this brought to light was the weakness of both my legs and arms.

On Saturday, I felt well enough to walk the dog, but as the day wore on my arthritic hip and my knee with the torn meniscus and arthritis got worse. This morning I really felt it. I am forced to drag my cane around the house for safety today.

As I have written many times in this blog, I have my own tried and true recipes for getting out of a slump. I am determined NOT to WASTE any of my precious life-time in fruitless negativity. My personal 6 are: 1.Walk the dog 2.Read a magazine 3.Engage in a short art project (make a card, do a small water color painting, maybe of a botanical nature or maybe a landscape) 4.Look at my photo roll 5.Watch a tv series on my laptop 6.Listen to an audiobook 7.Talk or text a friend 8.Eat a treat (a milkshake, Tate's walnut chocolate chip cookies)

Today in my e-mail feed, NPR offered 6 tips to jump start yourself out of slump, many of them overlapped with my own, but some had surprising and useful notes: 1.The walk of course (surprise addtion - give yourself a challenge - note down 6 kinds of trees, or 6 kinds of flowers) 2.The NPR 6 tips included a cold shower. It does something to your endorphins. Good luck if you want to try this - I hate the cold and would never take a cold shower on puurpose! 3.The NPR tips mentioned a walk down nostalgia lane, perhaps through photographs or a talk with a friends about 'the old days' whatever your old days may have been. I have done this with scrapbooking! 4.Of coure NPR mentioned lunch with a friend - a stand-by of mine! 5.Do something kind for someone. (I do this as well - I have a regular list of ;rojects like the Free Books Project that I participate in) 6.Keep a gratitude journal (I do this too, every day)

So there you are, NPR and I have given you a good number of free and easy tips to lift yourself out of any funk you may have fallen into. Another one from NPR and from me i

7.Eat something good (you may be hungry) I get myself the occasional food treat and I find a Dunkin Donuts Latte' does me a world of good. I had one today!

Speaking of this moment: I don't spend frivolously but I do find a new top or shoes or a pair of new slacks can sometimes give a boost. I am wearing a plaid hooded zip up flannel shirt/jacket that I bought myself for my birthday from L.L.Bean. It is soft and warm and it was on sale! I had a latte' this morning which always boosts my mood and energy, I took my dog for a short ride since we couldn't walk due to my injury, and I have written this blog and am about to watch a tv series on my laptop called The Lincoln Lawyer - not too violent, not negative, likeable characters and clever plots! Also I must mention my cats who give me hours of enjoyment watching them, having them sit on my lap or beside me on the sofa purring, and it has been provent that petting your cat or dog will lower your blood pressure. I find it soothing! I am grateful for my pets, my home (humble though it may be) the weather, my sister, my friends, my lifetime engagement wit art and writing, and living in America, and in New Jersey, and in my nice little town of Mt. Ephraim! There is much much more that I am grateful for but I am done here for today!

wrightj45@yahoo.com

Happy Trails - Jo Ann