This story is sponsored by Epilepsy Wellness Advocates and The Charles L. Shor Epilepsy Opportunity Fund
Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season and are leaning into your mindfulness and gratitude skills to help with your epilepsy. As we head into the new year I wanted to share some tips on how your seizure triggers can help guide your New Year’s Resolutions.
Resolutions: Looking Forward and Back
This is the time of the year when we all want to set intentions for the year ahead and we hope to positively evaluate things in our lives that have gone past. A friend let me know that one of the things she does each year is to look her seizure triggers and try and create a plan of action in order to avoid those triggers. I thought this might be a helpful exercise to add in to you resolutions or vision board or manifestations or whatever it is that you do at this time of year.
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What are seizure triggers?
According to the National Epilepsy Foundation, some of the most commonly reported seizure triggers include lack of sleep, sickness with or without a fever, flashing lights, stress, drug or alcohol use, menstrual cycle, unmaintained blood sugars, and missing medications. My friend’s seizure triggers include stress, lack of sleep, and diet.
Stress
When it comes to stress, my friend has begun a yoga practice. This can be done at home or in a yoga studio, whichever works for you. I also have done yoga over the years. This is a great way to work meditation into your day. It can give you a few minutes to stop, calm your breathing and focus on your body. I really encourage everyone to carve out a little time for some type of meditation or yoga.
Resolutions are great when you can measure them. Then they become goals instead of big ideas. You could set an intention to add yoga to your day 1 time a week for 10 minutes at home. I think you’ve earned 10 minutes of peace and quiet.
Lack of Sleep
Another trigger for my friend is sleep deprivation, and I would say this is true for lots of us. When she finds herself getting off her sleep schedule she will block off a day (or evening) to allow for some relaxation, watch television, have a hot bath, and head to bed at a decent time. Having a sleep or wind down routine can be helpful in making sure you get enough good quality sleep.
One idea here is to each month of the year add something new to your sleep schedule. Come next year you will have loads of gift ideas for your loved ones to make bedtime super cozy!
Not Eating Healthy
Finally, my friend reports diet can be a trigger. Honestly it can be tough to eat right for many reasons these days, one of which is money. But it is true that whole ingredients are better for us and diet plays a role in our health. Those of us living with epilepsy might find learning more about the Mediterranean diet or the Mind Diet would be useful.
As far as eating better resolutions go, small wins count. If you decide to make slight adjustments toward a healthier diet that counts as success.
What are your resolutions?
I hope that this helps you to setup your yearly goals and resolutions as much it has helped me. Can’t wait to hear more about your resolutions!!
Tim
Love this, thanks for sharing. I too am working to reduce stress, get more sleep, and eat healthier!
Ada
Hello!
I was searching for an epilepsy blog to help me with my epilepsy, to see how others have been dealing with this, and your blog was the first in the results. I am very happy I clicked on it, because reading your posts kind of made me feel less alone. I know so many people, and I am the only one with epilepsy, you probably know how it feels. So thank you for writing this.
I find that meditation helps me too, as I can concentrate on my body and calm down. I also exercise every morning, and do Judo, because I find this helps my self-confidence.
Thank you!