Check out this activity calendar to keep yourself active and engaged this month!
February 2021 Activity Calendar
Check out this activity calendar to keep yourself active and engaged this month!
How to Deal with Cabin Fever
Cabin fever is often associated with being cooped up on a rainy weekend or stuck inside during a winter blizzard.
In reality, though, it can actually occur anytime you feel isolated or disconnected from the outside world.
Indeed, cabin fever is a series of emotions or symptoms people experience when they’re confined to their homes for extended periods of time. This may be due to a variety of circumstances, such as a natural disaster, lack of transportation, or even social distancing for pandemics like COVID-19.
Recognizing the symptoms of cabin fever and finding ways to cope may help make the isolation easier to deal with. Keep reading to learn more about how to do this.
In popular expressions, cabin fever is used to explain feeling bored or listless because you’ve been stuck inside for a few hours or days. But that’s not the reality of the symptoms.
Instead, cabin fever is a series of negative emotions and distressing sensations people may face if they’re isolated or feeling cut off from the world.
These feelings of isolation and loneliness are more likely in times of social distancing, self-quarantining during a pandemic, or sheltering in place because of severe weather.
Indeed, cabin fever can lead to a series of symptoms that can be difficult to manage without proper coping techniques.
Cabin fever isn’t a recognized psychological disorder, but that doesn’t mean the feelings aren’t real. The distress is very real. It can make fulfilling the requirements of everyday life difficult.
Symptoms of cabin fever go far beyond feeling bored or “stuck” at home. They’re rooted in an intense feeling of isolation and may include:
- restlessness
- decreased motivation
- irritability
- hopelessness
- difficulty concentrating
- irregular sleep patterns, including sleepiness or sleeplessness
- difficulty waking up
- lethargy
- distrust of people around you
- lack of patience
- persistent sadness or depression
Your personality and natural temperament will go a long way toward determining how cabin fever affects you.
Some people can weather the feelings more easily; they may take on projects or dive into creative outlets to pass the time and ward off the symptoms.
But others may face great difficulty with managing day-to-day life until these feelings pass.
Because cabin fever isn’t a recognized psychological condition, there’s no standard “treatment.” However, mental health professionals do recognize that the symptoms are very real.
The coping mechanism that works best for you will have a lot to do with your personal situation and the reason you’re secluded in the first place.
Finding meaningful ways to engage your brain and occupy your time can help alleviate the distress and irritability that cabin fever brings.
The following ideas are a good place to start.
Spend time outdoors
Research shows that time spent in nature is time well spent for mental health.
Not only does spending time outdoors boost your cognitive function, it may also help:
- improve your mood
- alleviate stress
- boost feelings of well-being
Depending on your reason for isolating, be sure to check all local regulations and avoid any spaces that are closed for safety or health reasons.
If getting outdoors isn’t an option, you could try:
- opening up your windows to let the outdoor breeze in
- adding a bird feeder outside your window to bring birds closer to your living space
- ordering or buying fragrant, fresh-cut flowers and placing them where you can see and smell them throughout the day
- growing herbs or small plants on a windowsill, patio, or balcony
Give yourself a routine
You may not have a 9-to-5 job to report to while you’re isolated, but a lack of routine can cause disruptions in eating, sleeping, and activity.
To keep a sense of structure, try to create a daily routine that consists of work or house projects, mealtimes, workout time, and even downtime.
Having an outline for your day helps you keep track of the trajectory of your hours and gives you mini “goals” to hit throughout the day.
Maintain a social life
So you can’t go to the movies or meet your friends for dinner. But you can still “meet up” with them — just in a different way.
Use real-time video streaming services, like FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype, to chat with your friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Face-to-face chat time can keep you in contact with the “outside world” and make even your small home feel a whole lot bigger.
Connecting with others who are in a similar situation can also help you feel that you’re not alone. Sharing your thoughts, emotions, and challenges with others can help you realize that what you’re feeling is normal.
Connecting with others may even help you find creative solutions to an issue you’re grappling with.
Express your creative side
Did you play a band instrument in high school? Were you once interested in painting? Do you have stacks of vacation photos you once promised yourself you’d put in a scrapbook? Is there a recipe you’ve always wanted to try but never had the time?
Use your time in isolation to reconnect with creative activities that you’ve had to put on hold because life got too busy. Spending time on creative activities keeps your brain busy.
Keeping your mind occupied and engaged may help ward off feelings of boredom or restlessness and make the time pass more quickly.
Carve out some ‘me time’
If you live with others, feelings of cabin fever may be intensified by the nearness of other individuals.
Parents have responsibilities to children; partners have responsibilities to one another. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any time on your own.
Give yourself time “away” from others to relax. Find a quiet place to read a book, meditate, or pop in some earbuds for an engaging podcast.
If you’re feeling stressed, you may even want to tune in to a podcast on mental health or anxiety.
Break a sweat
Research has shown that people who exercise regularly are less prone to anxiety than people who don’t exercise. That’s because physical activity lowers your body’s stress hormones, such as cortisol.
At the same time, exercise causes your brain to release endorphins. These neurochemicals can boost your mood and overall feeling of well-being.
If you can’t get outside, you can do a strength training workout at home using just your body weight or simple equipment, like dumbbells or resistance bands.
Or you can put together your own routine by focusing on a few basic but effective exercises, such as:
- pushups
- squats
- burpees
- lunges
- planks
If you need a more structured program, there are plenty of online exercise options on YouTube and through various exercise apps.
Chill out
Not every minute of every day you spend at home has to be planned. Give yourself some time to rest. Look for constructive ways to relax.
Mindfulness, deep breathing, and relaxation exercises may help you maintain your emotional health and balance feelings of isolation or frustration.
When to Get Help
Cabin fever is often a fleeting feeling. You may feel irritable or frustrated for a few hours, but having a virtual chat with a friend or finding a task to distract your mind may help erase the frustrations you felt earlier.
Sometimes, however, the feelings may grow stronger, and no coping mechanisms may be able to successfully help you eliminate your feelings of isolation, sadness, or depression.
What’s more, if your time indoors is prolonged by outside forces, like weather or extended shelter-in-place orders from your local government, feelings of anxiety and fear are valid.
In fact, anxiety may be at the root of some cabin fever symptoms. This may make symptoms worse.
If you feel that your symptoms are getting worse, consider reaching out to a mental health professional who can help you understand what you’re experiencing. Together, you can identify ways to overcome the feelings and anxiety.
Of course, if you’re in isolation or practicing social distancing, you’ll need to look for alternative means for seeing a mental health expert.
Telehealth options may be available to connect you with your therapist if you already have one. If you don’t, reach out to your doctor for recommendations about mental health specialists who can connect with you online.
If you don’t want to talk to a therapist, smartphone apps for depression may provide a complementary option for addressing your cabin fever symptoms.
The Bottom Line
Isolation isn’t a natural state for many people. We are, for the most part, social animals. We enjoy each other’s company. That’s what can make staying at home for extended periods of time difficult.
However, whether you’re sheltering at home to avoid dangerous weather conditions or heeding the guidelines to help minimize the spread of a disease, staying at home is often an important thing we must do for ourselves and our communities.
If and when it’s necessary, finding ways to engage your brain and occupy your time may help bat back cabin fever and the feelings of isolation and restlessness that often accompany it.
May 2020 Activity Calendar
Check out this activity calendar to keep yourself active and engaged in May!
For Caregivers: Respite for Two
Adult day care centers provide a break (respite) to the caregiver while providing health services, therapeutic services and social activities for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia, chronic illnesses, traumatic brain injuries, developmental disabilities and other problems that increase their care needs.
Some adult day care centers are dementia specific, providing services exclusively to that population. Other centers serve the broader population.
One difference between traditional adult respite, both group and in-home care, and adult day care is that adult day centers not only provide respite to family caregivers but also therapeutic care for cognitively and physically impaired older adults.
Benefits of Adult Day Care
Adult day care allows caregivers to continue working outside the home, receive help with the physical care of a loved one, avoid the guilt of placing a loved one in institutional care, and have respite from what can be a “24/7” responsibility.
The caregiver’s loved one can also benefit from adult day care. He or she is able to remain at home with family but does not require 24-hour care from the primary caregiver. Adult day care participants also have an opportunity to interact socially with peers, share in stimulating activities, receive physical or speech therapy if needed, and receive assistance with the activities of daily living with dignity.
Contact the National Adult Day Services Association for a set of guidelines for adult day service programs. The U.S. Administration on Aging Eldercare Locator can also direct you to adult day care centers in your area. Ultimately, word of mouth is often one of the best ways of finding quality adult day care.
How Do I Choose an Adult Day Care Center?
- Conduct an individual needs assessment before admission to determine your loved one’s abilities and needs
- Is there an active program that meets his or her daily social, recreational, and rehabilitative needs?
- Does the center develop an individualized treatment plan for participants and monitor it regularly, adjusting the plan as necessary?
- Are there referrals to other needed community services?
- Are clear criteria for service and guidelines for termination established based on the person’s functional status?
- Is a full range of in-house services offered, such as personal care, transportation, meals, health screening and monitoring, educational programs, counseling and rehabilitative services?
- Does the center provide a safe, secure environment?
- Are the volunteers qualified and well-trained?
- Does the center adhere to or exceed existing state and national standards and guidelines.
Parkinson’s and depression: it’s not all in your mind
Depression is a very real and debilitating condition that many Parkinson’s disease sufferers experience. ParkinsonsLife guest writer Dr Nicola Davies explores the causes of and treatments for depression and Parkinson’s.
It’s well-documented that people who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness such as Parkinson’s are at higher risk of developing depression as well. Indeed, it’s estimated that 50% of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s will experience depression.
As Suma Surendranath, professional engagement and education manager at Parkinson’s UK, says: “Parkinson’s is a long-term progressive condition for which there is currently no cure, therefore a diagnosis can be a psychological blow for a person and those around them as they may well be concerned about what the future might hold.”
The following scenario is a common experience among many newly diagnosed Parkinson’s sufferers. First there is confusion: ‘What does this mean?’, ‘What can I do?’, ‘How will this impact me?’ Then the shock comes as the reality of the disease sets in and the impact that it will have on the rest of your life is realised. The shock gives way to grief and depression. The feeling that your life has ended and your hopes and aspirations have been shattered is less time than it takes to make a cup of tea. As one person with Parkinson’s told us, “When I was diagnosed, I came home and cried. I thought it was the end of my life.”
“There is evidence that suggests depression is an early symptom of Parkinson’s”
However, receiving a diagnosis for Parkinson’s isn’t the only factor that can cause depression in people with this condition – the very course of the disease changes the brain chemistry that usually keeps depression at bay.
Surendranath says: “Depression may occur amongst people with Parkinson’s as a result of the condition as dopamine, the neurotransmitter that becomes depleted with Parkinson’s, is [also] involved in motivation and a sense of reward.”
Experiencing depression after receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson’s isn’t a sign of emotional weakness or a flaw in character. Depression is caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, which is what Parkinson’s is all about: low levels of chemicals in the brain.
There is evidence that suggests depression is an early symptom of Parkinson’s. Despite this, people with Parkinson’s aren’t routinely tested for depression and therefore might not receive treatment for the condition.
It remains unclear whether the medications prescribed to reduce the physical symptoms of Parkinson’s contribute or worsen symptoms of depression. It is also unclear how Parkinson’s affects pre-existing depression or how medication prescribed for Parkinson’s impacts pre-existing depression.
Surendranath says: “While medication, in the form of anti-depressants, can be beneficial to people with Parkinson’s it is still important to ensure that there are no adverse effects from medications interacting with each other.”
Words of hope
Depression is treatable even if it co-exists with other conditions. Depression is also limited in duration. Often, finding the right mixture and combination of drug therapy can improve both the physical symptoms of Parkinson’s and the symptoms of depression. However, it is important to know that the treatment of Parkinson’s must be comprehensive and include both the physical as well as the emotional symptoms.
Reaching out can also ease the depressive symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. As one patient told us, “I started meeting other people with Parkinson’s and it helped all of us to talk to someone who had the same condition.” There are many physical and online communities where other people with Parkinson’s can meet up virtually, or in person, and share their experiences with others who are feeling the same and suffering from similar symptoms.
Most importantly, you have to set a goal in for your life. Unless you have something to aim for, or something that drives you to get up every morning and face the day fighting, you will find yourself drifting through life. It is best to accept that you have Parkinson’s and move on.
Dr Nicola Davies holds a Master’s and a PhD in Health Psychology. She is a member of the British Psychological Society and the Division of Health Psychology. Article from ParkinsonsLife.
Do You Know How Lucky You Are?
While my grandkids were here last week, we read books every night before bed. And, of course, each night at least one book had to be by Dr. Seuss. The night before they left, we read “Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?“
It starts out by offering some rather sound advice:
“When you think things are bad,
when you feel sour and blue,
when you start to get mad …
you should do what I do!
Just tell yourself, Duckie,
you’re really quite lucky!
Some people are much more …
oh ever so much more …
oh, muchly much-much more
unlucky than you!”
Of course, Dr. Seuss then spends the rest of the book expounding on all the different ways the reader is lucky as a ducky.
Most people would agree that having been handed a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is anything but lucky. In fact, it can be downright scary. Even so, there are things to be thankful for. Things that cause you to pause and say, “I am so lucky” or “I am so blessed.” Things that take your mind off the unknown. Things that give you hope.
Today, I fell
I was puttering in my yard, trying to eradicate the wounded and the dead and replace them with the new. I stepped down on the shovel to finish digging the hole for a salvia plant, and I lost my balance.
It seemed as if I was falling in slow motion.
On the way down, all I could think of was hitting my head on one of the rocks that line the pathway. Some of them are sharp. I fell hard on my arm and then, with a rocking motion, came to a halt, my head never touching the ground. I waited a minute to assess the damage before trying to get up. No pain. No scratches. I was lucky. I was blessed. Given what could have been a terrible accident (considering the DBS wires tucked in my brain), I was indeed blessed.
Life is so beautiful
I went over to my grandson’s house yesterday to help him and his mom weed their backyard. When we had finished, he began yelling for his mom and me to “Come here. Quick! Come here!” He was jumping up and down (literally) with such joy on his face that I was certain he’d found a bug he’d never seen before. (Or perhaps George, “his” praying mantis, had shown up again.)
I approached where he stood, next to a small, bushy plant. He looked at the plant — a weed, by most standards — and with great excitement exclaimed, “It’s so beautiful!”
It was a smallish plant with little yellow flowers scattered here and there. To him, it was so beautiful.
Oh, how lucky I’d be if I could see the world through the eyes of a child. But wait! I did!
Oh, how lucky I am!
“Thank goodness for all of the things you are not!
Thank goodness you are not something someone forgot,
and left all alone in some punkerish place
like a rusty tin coat hanger hanging in space.” —Dr. Seuss
Caregivers: 8 Things Caregivers Need
It’s not uncommon for spouses to decide to leave when the other gets sick. I think it could be a matter of “having had it up to here” and then finding out the one you’ve “put up with” for so long now has a condition that will most likely make your life — and theirs — a lot more difficult. Parkinson’s may change the relationship between a married couple. Bonds between a father and son. Between a mother and daughter. Friends. It comes in and subtlety takes away the ties that once bound these relationships together.
The PD patient changes. They are physically familiar, but mentally and emotionally, they’re not the same. And the caregiver is left struggling with how to deal with this new role in life: taking care of someone else while taking care of themselves.
If you are a caregiver to anyone, first of all, thank you for your commitment and sacrifice. You might get hit, have to change yet another big girl or big boy diaper, clean up another spill, or wash another naked body, but we (your charges) appreciate you more than we might be able to say or show.
Following are eight little things you can do as a caregiver that will hopefully, make your role easier:
- Breathe deeply and when you get one free minute, do one thing that puts a smile on your face. Go out to the garden and breathe in the fragrance of a rose. Put on encouraging music. Read a short devotional. Fix a cup of tea. Scream. Screaming is highly underrated.
- Don’t focus on the what-ifs. They’ll defeat you most every time. Do focus on “now.” It may seem like a tremendous struggle at the moment, but things could be worse. Today may be one of the harder days, but when the clock strikes 12, it’s a new day. Something wonderful could be ahead, waiting to happen. Your patient may turn into a pumpkin! Don’t lose hope.
- If you don’t have one already, get a sense of humor. Without one, you’ll often despair. Find something funny in every day. You need to laugh.
- Get yourself into a support group locally or online. You may not think you need it, but you do. Especially as the road becomes bumpier. And it will get bumpier. Get some support in place now, as it will make things easier to deal with later.
- You need your friends. Don’t alienate them by thinking you can do this by yourself. Accept their invitations to help. Accept an hour off, washing the dishes, picking up some groceries, dropping the kids off at practice, or cooking your family a meal. Give yourself some slack and let your friends feel needed, because if they are offering to help before you have even asked, they may see your need better than you can.
- Try to think ahead. Your loved one’s mental faculties may not be so great anymore. A daily schedule may be useful, with a reminder for doctor’s appointments, visitors, special occasions, etc.
- Don’t beat yourself up. There will be good days and bad days. You may have more bad days now due to your new, unwanted role. And because this admittedly is an unwanted role, you feel like your life has been swallowed up along with the one you’re caring for.
You have thoughts of packing it in. Giving up. Throwing in the towel. Walking away and leaving the patient to fend for himself or herself. You’re tired, weary, spent, worn out. You want it to end and you feel guilty for thinking and feeling the way you do. And it’s OK. It’s normal. You’re caring for the one you’re grieving, while at the same time grieving what you’ve both lost already and what you could very well lose still. It’s OK to be frustrated, to go outside for a reprieve and scream. It’s OK to let the tears flow. Just remember: The one you love is in this fight with you, not against you. They just aren’t able to fight as they once did. Try to remember them as they were 10, 15, or 20 years ago when you laughed together and lived life together.
Also try to remember that if your husband could get out and mow the lawn again, he’d do it in a heartbeat. If the wife you care for could brush her own teeth and tie her own shoes, you’d both be ecstatic. Whatever you’re losing, they are losing as well. They’ve been dreading the days to come with a vengeance.
If they could, the one you are caring for would take this bitter cup from you. However, that cup may one day soon be empty, so enjoy it now while there is still some liquid left, even if sour at times.
Free and inexpensive resources to help on your Parkinson’s journey
We asked, and you answered! Here are a few of your favorite FREE or INEXPENSIVE resources and tips that you have found helpful in dealing with your Parkinson’s.
Barb in Davenport: I use the CALM app on my phone. It’s not free but it is so worth it. Check it out for high quality meditations, sleep stories, daily inspiration, etc.
Nancy in Mount Pleasant: Subscribe to “Brain & Life” magazine. It’s helpful and free!
Bruce in Kaukana: I have Parkinson’s and we use a free app called Life360. It allows you to add family members and you can see/follow them as they are driving or riding in a vehicle. It gives some piece of mind knowing you can see where a person is while driving. You can add your aging parents, young drivers, drivers with or without a disability.
Anna in Milwaukee: The “Every Victory Counts” manual from Davis Phinney Foundation. The digital version is free, or the print version is $5.50. The Parkinson’s Foundation offers their free Aware in Care kit as well.
Joel in Fond du Lac: The Parkinson’s Playbook by Robert W. Smith. It’s available on Amazon for $14 and includes some tips on lifestyle improvements and healing techniques.
Jason in Whitewater: WPA’s program last week in Janesville was great, and connected me to a local gym.
Susan in South Beloit: I used a music stand to put my heavier books on when I’m reading. Also, I go to the YMCA several times a week to take water exercise class. It’s refreshing, easy on my joints and a great way to make new friends.
Have more ideas to share? Email [email protected] and watch for a future article!
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