-
Game Day: How Do You Prepare For Big Events?
I like to think that preparing for surgery is a lot like preparing to go on stage: We all need our “game face”.
I love the process of applying stage makeup in a dressing room beforehand. There is an entire ritual to it (similar to any athlete who needs to focus in and block out the world). I warm up in a certain way. I “listen” to certain playlists with my friends. I lay on the marley in the dark with the cold crisp air of the theater- before the curtain closes and the house fills- and gather my thoughts and feelings. I have always been this way, and (on the other side of this pandemic), can’t wait to dos again.
But there is a lot of ritual to surgery too, in my opinion. Not just for the surgeon but for the routine patient. I always put my hair in braids so my curls get last matted as the days go on. I prefer to change out of my hospital gown as soon as possible and into a giant T-shirt and shorts (preferably with the neck cut out for easy port access). And I tend to take a “good luck” photo with my husband (if he’s there, which he wasn’t for this most recent pre-op).
So it made me wonder…
If you have a big event coming up (whether CF clinic and you want good PFTs… or a presentation at work…. or surgery from the past), what gets YOU mentally ready?
Do you have any small traditions you habituate for a calming effect? Do you meditate before something or read a certain passage? I’d love to know your Game Day routines!
-
2 Replies
-
Music and driving. Always.
In a recent discussion I mentioned that driving with the windows rolled down and music cranked up is one of my favorite feelings in the world, but it’s more than just enjoyable to me. It’s incredibly cathartic. This ritual helps me calm nerves, quell my anger or anxiety, process sadness, increase my happiness… everything, really. I believe there is a song for every emotion, even those we can’t quite identify or describe. Car rides to clinic are filled with loud music (and, unfortunately, my singing). Before a procedure, I’ll pop in some earbuds and listen to a quick pump-me-up song. In life, whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, I like to hop in my car and go for a drive on the country roads near my home. It is one of my all time favorite rituals.
-
Best preparation for every moment is to empty the mind and be fully present with what already is. Be the space for that and all will be fine.
Log in to reply.