Comfort Zone Challenges

We all have our own comfort zones, which vary throughout our lives, and even by how we are feeling on a particular day. I know that my comfort zone is much smaller when I don't feel well. It is enough challenge to just get myself through the day when I am hurting bad,or very fatiguey, without challenging myself in other ways. Lately, I have been doing relatively well, and have finally gotten a long-awaited reprieve from work. (I work PRN, which means as needed as an Occupational Therapist in the psych units at a hospital- for almost two years they have been understaffed most of the time. I have been working three days a week for what seems like forever.)
I am ready for a new challenge, so I have recently gotten involved in our temple, in an area new to me, and I am loving it.. I have written here before about how music and singing helps me feel better. I sing for myself, I don't have a great singing voice. Our temple is doing a 'Gospel Shabbat' (Sabbath) service, with the choirs from another Jewish congregation, and from one of the churches, known for its choir. They were looking for more people, and I signed on. The rehearsals are alot of fun, and I am not the only one with no choir experience. I have not been in a performing singing group since elementary school (does that even count?) I am enjoying it so much, I am considering joining the regular temple choir, which performs once a month.
Sometimes going outside of your comfort zone can be scary and uncomfortable. Some people need to do it slowly, like getting your feet wet, then wading in up to your knees, and little by little getting deeper, always able to back out if need be. Others prefer to jump in all at once, then see if they sink or swim. I prefer the little by little method generally. I already know many of the others in the choir, I already sing regularly as part of the congregation at the temple, and I am not the only newbie there, so I don't feel too far away from my comfort zone.
Stepping out of your comfort zone has many health benefits. Recent research has shown that exercising your brain can help to protect it from dementia. One of the suggestions for exercising your brain is to learn and to try new things. Trying new things can add spice to your life, and cure boredom. It expands your horizons, provides you with new opportunities. Many activities involve other people, so it is a good way to meet new people and maybe make some new friends.
The options are endless, limited only by your imagination (and perhaps your energy level). Like to sing? Join a choir. Like to read? Read to others at a school or nursing home. Like to see plays? Volunteer to usher at a theater. Keep your eyes and ears open, and when something catches your interest, go for it. You (probably) won't regret it, and if you do, you still learned something, right?      

Sing to the Heart

Yesterday was a rough day for me. Work was a bear (too much work, not enough staff, same old story...). My plantar fasciitis continues to bother me, despite 2 injections into my heel on Monday. My knee and hip, apparently jealous of my foot, continue to clamor for attention. For about a month now, until around 10:30 am every morning, my skin has sort of an irritable hypersensitive feeling, like a fresh scrape: a gift of my Fibromyalgia, I believe. On top of that, my stomach was in turmoil from a Cipro I was given to ward off infection after some medical testing. (Thank you for allowing me to complain. I'm done now.) I have been easily discouraged lately, with all this going on at once. Last night, I was given a gift that lifted my spirits, and sang directly to my heart. I am involved with a Jewish women's group that meets each month to celebrate Rosh Hodesh, the beginning of the Hebrew month. Last night was our final session of the year. As a special treat, we had a Jewish women's a cappella group from Pittsburgh, PA, Kol Shira. When I am down, one thing I know I can count on to bring me up is music, especially music I can sing along with, my first choice being Jewish music. This group was perfect, with both English and Hebrew, and the majority of songs familiar to me, along with some new ones to delight me. I sat on the floor, at times singing along, other times, I closed my eyes and allowed the music to wash over me, to flow around me and through me. One of the singers told us that she is a music therapist. I was in need of healing, and this music was my healer, my therapy.  I bought their CD, Speak to the Heart, because their music spoke to mine. Two songs they sang last night especially spoke to me, and both are on their CD. (Note: the links are for other groups singing these songs.) The first is called Hine Ba Hashalom, which means Here Comes the Peace. It was a popular Israeli pop song a few years back, is upbeat, with catchy lyrics and is fun to sing. The other song that hooked me was a song called Dig Down Deep. Here are part of the lyrics: 'I'm digging way down down to the bottom of my soul; I'm digging way down way down deep. I'm digging way down down to the bottom of my soul; There's clear water running through me....' My Sjogren's Syndrome body forgot about that water running through me. It sure was refreshing to find it again. Every time I have an experience like tonight, it hits me again just how powerful music can be. Music has been used for millennia for worship, communication and healing. Whether it is fast or slow, loud or soft, smooth or choppy, reverent or irreverent, vocal, instrumental, all or none of the above, there are few people who have never been touched by music. People with chronic pain and illness know all too well what discourages us. What re-courages you? What gets to the bottom of your soul and brings you peace? 

SING AND GIVE (YOUR PAIN) AWAY

I hurt.  I think most people with Sjogren's Syndrome, all people with Fibromyalgia, and many people with and without chronic illness could relate to that.  I have one of those bodies that if you touch me anywhere, I hurt.  I get tendonitis very easily, then it takes months to go away.  I have often said that I would like to go to a body shop and get a new body.  My husband said he would like to come with me to help pick it out.

Currently, I have Plantar Fasciitis in my left foot, which I have had for about 10 months now.  I have tendonitis in my right elbow, which started 6 months ago, when we started pack and lugging boxes for our move, which was in January.  I have had pain in my right knee off and on for a month, which for the past 2 days has hurt whenever I move it or put weight on it.  Last night at Temple I started feeling sorry for myself.  I had a dilemma:  During the service, there are several times when we have to stand up or sit down.  I thought of using my hands to ease myself up or down to help my knee, but that would hurt my arm.  I finally figured out a way to use my left hand, and put most of my weight on my left foot.  Awkward, but doable.

The Social Action Committee of our temple talked about some of the projects they are involved in.  It got me thinking:   I may have pain, fatigue and other symptoms, but I also have a safe and comfortable home, enough food and other necessities, a job, and a family that loves me and helps me.  I went to a workshop on stress a few years ago, and the main thing I remember from it was the instructor telling us to say to our selves, "At least I'm not..." and find 3 things with which to fill in the blank. That really helps to put things in perspective. 

Helping other people helps you as well as them.  Donating money or other goods helps, but actually doing something helps more.  It doesn't have to be anything big. I like doing Random Acts of Kindness, such as complement a stranger on something they are wearing, or pull out a shopping cart and give it to the person who came into the store behind me.

I went to a new PCP (primary care physician) on Thursday.  He told me to always wear an insert in my shoe to support my foot, and to wear braces on my elbow and knee.  (My elbow and knee should have really nice smiles after this.) I already had these things from previous attempts to heal body parts. I pulled them out and put them on this morning.   They are blatant reminders that I have several body parts that are out of whack.  So once again, I was feeling sorry for myself.

We like to go to our Temple's Saturday morning Torah study class.  Before the class is a short service, which is always mostly singing.  I love to sing.  I don't have the best voice, but it isn't the worst voice either.  I don't care.  I sing because it feels good.  I have often heard people say, "You don't want me to sing, everyone would run out of here screaming",  (or variations on that theme).  Nonsense.  Unless you are in a performing choir, singing isn't about how it sounds It is about how it feels.  As my husband said, "When you get a room full of people singing off key, it sounds pretty good."  Children often sing, and no matter how it sounds, it makes us smile.  Worship in most religions throughout history has included singing.  I heard somewhere (though I can't remember where) that singing releases endorphins, the same 'feel good' chemical that our bodies release with exercise. When I am down, I like to put on a cd that is so familiar that I can sing every line.  It always turns me around.  This service did, too. 

The message of this post is to go out and sing while you commit Random Acts of Kindness.  Or you can do them separately, and spread out your 'feel good' activities.