When you have Parkinson's disease, apathy can be a constant struggle. This seems to be due to the loss of dopamine, neurepinephrine and serotonin. The lack of these neurotransmitters is not only related to the development of Parkinson's but also to depression and anxiety. When we are depressed, we are apathetic about life. What is apathy? Simply put, you feel "meh" about life and you feel separated and unmotivated. This is probably the reason why apathy is one of the biggest complaints of people with Parkinson's. Trust me, I know because I have Parkinson's. I was diagnosed more than a year ago when I was 50 years old. I knew something was wrong for years, so this diagnosis was not a big surprise. In fact, it was almost a relief because it explained a lot, including the apathy of the albatross that surrounded my neck.
Unfortunately, with Parkinson's, motor symptoms are often the ones that are treated, but many doctors neglect the "milder" symptoms or the patient leaves the most uncomfortable. These symptoms include apathy, the lovely bed partner of depression, which most of us struggle on a daily basis. How else can we fight apathy? Your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, but some people cannot tolerate them. I am one of those people because I have dystonia (uncontrollable muscle contractions) and this type of medication can make my spasms worse. You can exercise, but you need common sense to do it, and apathy can really keep you chained to the couch or bed for days and days. You can make other dietary changes, such as not having gluten, this may help because some think that gluten is neurotoxic. I found this useful, but apathy was still present. So I decided to try mindfulness and use daily intentions as a way to prepare my day and give me small goals to achieve and raise my morale. The small tasks I created each morning made great changes in my day and reduced my feeling of overtime "meh".
What is an intention and why define one every day? Because this little reminder made at the first hour of the morning can set the course for your day. It's like setting a new course every morning. Intentions are determined and less intimidating than grand goals or resolutions. Intentions resonate in your consciousness and affect your entire day. When you define an intention, you open yourself up to limitless possibilities. The intention is not to get to the goal post; they talk about the incredible journey between the two and the change you can have in yourself and those around you.
What do i mean Let us examine the definition of a resolution or a broader objective compared to the definition of a daily intention. With a resolution or a goal, you install a static goal post like losing weight or becoming more able to fight Parkinson's. This may not help your daily life to fight apathy. This is because you write the goal down and often forget it like the nice journal in which you wrote it that collects dust on your bedside table. You can even discuss your goals in the following weeks. You can join a gym or start working out with a trainer, then your motivation may disappear as this static goal doesn't resonate with you every day. Before you know it, a year has passed and you are still not in good shape (or, as I like to say, you are in good shape) and you are still struggling with the daily battle against apathy . But with daily intentions, you invoke small positive changes every day. You write down how you will get better and you meditate on this intention throughout the day. You enter the process more consciously and are more attentive to the way you want to evolve. This little intention motivates you throughout your day on a subconscious level. Each decision you make is filtered by the intention you create in the morning.
Set yourself the intention to take care of yourself every day. Your intention could be: "Today, I will respect and nourish my body" or "I will honor my body today and sit less on the sofa". So even if you only eat one piece of organic fruit, use the stairs instead of the elevator or stood up just once to stretch when you would normally be seated, you've honored your intention! Each day begins with a small, meaningful intention that allows you to implement simple changes so that the day does not look like failure. Feelings of failure only fuel the vicious cycle of apathy. You are bypassing the guilt trap that apathy causes, because you can now see these little victories throughout your day, even if it is just a victory!
What if you want your intentions to be more global? Maybe you want to be a better person or have better relationships. Set small intentions that will enhance you as a person. For example, “Today I will be more kind to those around me” or “Today I intend to be more open to love and abundance.” These intentions will be in your subconscious and can prompt you during your interactions, making you more attentive and considerate. When we are better at ourselves and we love, we stop the self-loathing that apathy can create. In addition, the people around us can interact with us in a more positive and loving way. Most of us with Parkinson's are hard on ourselves because of our illness and the daily struggle. With intentions of self-esteem, we reframe these limitations into possibilities every day and we honor and appreciate as we are. When you add up all these daily intentions and these little wins, by the end of the year, if you stick with that, I guarantee you will see some nice and rewarding changes. These changes will promote mental, spiritual and physical healing and give you more energy and focus to pursue your dreams despite apathy and Parkinson's!