Sometimes Distracting Yourself Is a Form of Self-care

Over this past holiday, my wonderful parents got me the Nintendo Switch and the new Pokemon game (specifically Shield, because it had cooler Pokemon). Yes, I am aware this makes me geeky, but the game is amazing. As soon as I started playing, I couldn’t put it down.

Let me back up a little. Over the holiday, I was horribly anxious. It was that kind of anxiety that feels like your heart will fly away if you let it. The stress had to do with life things that I could do nothing about at the time, but regardless, I couldn’t let go of what was bothering me. I did try, as I wanted to enjoy relaxing with my parents and the dog. But I couldn’t.

I tried catching up on sleep and simply tossed and turned for hours. I tried turning off my brain by watching the wonderfully trashy “Love Island,” but I continually zoned out, thinking about what was bothering me. Talking it out with my parents just made it worse, because I knew what I needed to do later, but there was nothing I could do at that moment.

That is where the wonderful, amazing, addictive Pokemon game came in. As soon as I started playing it, all of my anxieties were forgotten. Who has time to worry when you’re trying to figure out where to find a Water Stone to evolve a Vaporeon?

Sometimes a distraction is the best thing when you’re anxious, sad, or angry and can’t do anything to stop the feelings. It is especially true with Huntington’s. While sometimes it can feel like loved ones’ times are so short, it is a long time to be constantly stressed or worried. It’s not only miserable, but it’s also bad for you.

At least for me, being constantly anxious and stressed makes it harder to be there for those I care about. It’s hard to listen and be in the moment when all you can think about is the future or the past.

Distractions, however, can make me feel guilty sometimes because I’m avoiding something I have to do or deal with. That is when I remind myself that distracting myself and playing just a bit more of the Pokemon game is an important part of my self-care. How can I work on being there for others if I don’t take care of myself as well?

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