Realistic New Year's Resolutions: Resiliency

This is the time of year that many people begin discussing their "New Year's Resolutions." You may have heard of people setting goals for running a marathon, extreme weight loss, an overhauled wellness journey, etc. However, for people with epilepsy many of these types of goals may seem risky due to the nature of their condition.

We're here to remind you that not all resolutions have to cause stress or feel unrealistic. A New Year's resolution can be centered around resiliency - doing better for yourself, not more. You should never feel you NEED to have a new goal for the upcoming year. However, if you feel inclined to come up with a goal, check out these suggestions, and see if any are right for you. Modify what you need to in order to fit the needs and best practices for your personal epilepsy journey.

Mastering the basics

Medications

Do you currently have a consistent routine for taking your medications? Whether this means investing in a pill organizer, or a new placement of your medications so you remember to take them at the appropriate times each day, maybe this is your goal for the new year!

Some people have suggested:

• setting a reminder on their phones
• keeping medications next to their sink for before or after brushing their teeth
• having a sticky note on the refrigerator or next to your bed

All of these are examples of a simple, yet effective, way to remember to take your medications as needed.

Tracking

Do you track your seizure triggers, medications, or sleep habits regularly or only sometimes? Perhaps in the upcoming year your goal is to track one or all of these things each day for a month, 6 months, or the year.

You can set up a journal, a note in an app, or using a tracking device to help you achieve this and then set aside time to look at the data you collected - alone or with your doctor.

Identifying patterns

If you set a tracking goal for January, perhaps you use the data you collected to identify patterns within your condition and everyday life. This data can be shared with your medical team and/or friends and family to help you set small yet attainable goals for the following month.

For example, if you notice that the nights you sleep less than 8 hours in January seemed to correlate with a seizure in the following days, maybe your goal for February is to go to bed earlier and get 8 full hours of sleep each night.

Setting small goals that match up with some of your identified triggers may be helpful in creating healthy habits and lifestyle changes that benefit your health in the long run.

Remember to include your doctor in conversations about any major lifestyle changes (especially ones that include medication or exercise) so they can help advise you on what is best for your personal health.

Mental health

Epilepsy, like many other conditions, can be greatly affected by stress. Managing your stress and anxieties can help you to manage your physical health.

• Do you feel like you say "yes" to too many activities that cause you fatigue? Maybe your goal can be to say "no" more often.
• Do you often get overwhelmed at work, or at home mid-day? Can you find time to take five minutes to meditate or close your eyes to rest?
• Do you feel like you need more support from friends or family? Can you set a goal to share an action plan with a family member, or to have a phone call with a friend once a week?

Success is different for everyone

Success is not the same for every person. You define success based on your personal progress alone, not against anyone else's. Set your own goals, adjust as you need to, and remember it's okay if a goal isn't working for you- shift your mindset and try something new! Everyday that you manage your condition in a way that is most healthy for you is a win.

Realistic resolutions for people with epilepsy

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