100 Things I Can Do Today To Help My Parkinson’s

Having Parkinson’s disease (PD) can feel like you are riding in the back seat of a car with a crazy drunk driver.   You have lost control of your life and PD has taken the wheel.  You can’t rely on your body to move the way it used to.  Everyday tasks that used to come with ease, now require focus and concentration.  Emotions that you have never experienced come flooding into your head and it can become challenging to not feel overwhelmed.  In that moment, you can feel helpless. So let me put this question out into the universe, what can you do today to help improve your Parkinson’s?  Can you think of anything?

I will give you a tip….. Remember that Parkinson’s disease isn’t just a movement disorder and that doing activities that improve your mental state can also improve your physical body.  Would getting a massage be relaxing and help improve your symptoms? Or what about laying on a warm sunny beach, (of course with the appropriate amount of sunblock) while the ocean air blows through your hair, as you listen to the sound of the waves rolling in?  Or my personal favorite, laying in the middle of a puppy cuddle puddle… nothing compares to puppy kisses… I would like to get a candle made that smells like puppy breath, so I can fill my whole apartment with the fragrance of happiness.  So have you come up with a few ideas?  What if I told you that I came up with 100 things that you could do today to help you Parkinson’s?  Don’t believe me?  Time to blow your mind…

1.  Go see a movie with my best friend and eat obscene amounts of candy
2. Write a blog post that makes people feel happy and inspired
3. Eat frozen yogurt…super yummy!
4. Go to the gym and laugh at all the women wearing makeup and styled hair
5. Snuggle with my dog Crash
6. Take a nap when everyone else is working
7. Watch my favorite television show on Sunday, without showering all-day
8. Take a Yoga class that challenges me
9. Kiss and hug my dog
10. Take my medications, like a good girl
11. Eat a healthy meal, which I cooked… who am I kidding… a meal which I bought
12. Video chat my Mom and Dad
13. Meet a new Parkie
14. Learn something new about Parkinson’s disease
15. Sing in the shower really loud
16. Dance in my living room, when no one is watching
17. Call a friend and talk about nothing related to Parkinson’s
18. Write in my journal
19. Walk my dog to the park
20. Watch the ocean waves from the beach
21. Go grocery shopping while practicing balancing exercises with my cart
22. Make plans to cross something off my bucket list
23. Add a member to my “PD wolfpack”
24. Go the pet stores and look at the animals, but not bring one home
25. Look at pictures of my friends and family
26. Read a good book
27. Wear a new dress
28. Deep Condition my hair…. which every girl should at least once a week
29. Watch a sunset
30. Text message my Dad to see how his day is going
31. Plan a vacation
32. Attempt stretching exercises on the floor as my dog jumps on me
33. Practice deep breathing and muscle relaxation
34. Bake cookies, who am I kidding? Buy cookies!
35. Play a hidden object video game
36. Laugh until I pee my pants
37. Educate someone about Parkinson’s.
38. Get a manicure and pedicure and wear a bright color of polish
39. Shop for a new pair of shoes that make me feel beautiful
40. Read my favorite gossip magazine, celebrities getting arrested always improves my mood
41. Plant flowers, and remember to water them
42. Chat with my friends on Facebook
43. Play the guitar, poorly….but I am learning
44. Go to a support group, even if it’s just to bring a smiling face to the group
45. Walk Crash to the lake by my apartment
46. Go to Disneyland (it is the happiest place on earth) and eat a Churro
47. Have a slumber party with my niece in her princess castle
48. Sleep with my dog, although he steals the sheets
49. Make someone laugh with a corny joke
50. Be vulnerable
51. Color a picture in my coloring book
52. Cry… you always feel better after a good crying session
53. Play a prank on someone
54. Lie on the grass and watch the clouds pass by
55. Journal my thoughts about puppies and rainbows
56. Window-shop with a friend at the outdoor mall
57. Call a relative and ask them to share a story about my family that I didn’t know
58. Give myself permission not to be perfect
59. Smell my baby blanket, don’t judge me
60. Hug my teddy bear
61. Smile at a stranger, but not in a creepy manner
62. Ask someone how their day is going and then pause to listen
63. Perform a random act of kindness
64. Get a massage without feeling guilty for spending money on myself
65. Eat a donut
66. Eat a salad
67. Get involved in a PD study, give back to the cause
68. Call a friend in need
69. Hand write a card, then mail it….. no, email doesn’t count
70. Think about my favorite holiday memory
71. Write a letter to my PD, tell her to stop being a damn Diva
72. Punch a pillow
73. Slow down and be in the moment
74. Do abdominal and back exercises…  I still feel guilty for eating the donut
75. Write down 10 things I am grateful for
76. Apologize to someone, and mean it
77. Organize my desk
78. Create a medical journal, to keep track of my illness
79. Brush and floss my teeth
80. Tell a white lie… come on, everyone is doing it
81. Be completely honest with someone, even if it’s myself
82. Play on a swing set at a park
83. Get a list of the movies playing, close your eyes and point, now go see that film…  break out of the mundane
84. Take selfies with my camera, making goofy faces
85. Tell someone you love them
86. Tell someone that you are disappointed in them
87. Give my dog a bath
88. Meditate, even if it is only for 10 minutes
89. Put on makeup and wear sassy red lipstick….grrrrr
90. Hold myself accountable
91. Ask a friend what I can do to make their day better
92. Cook dinner for fun, not because you need to
93. Paint a picture to give as a gift
94. Laugh till I pee my pants, again
95. Eat dessert first
96. Go for a bike ride and try not to crash
97. Take a bubble bath
98. Listen to the Beatles
99. Accept that I am addicted to fro yo
100. Get a box of chocolates and take a bite out of each one

See how easy it is to come up with things you can do today?  What things can you come up with?  Grab that wheel and take control!