The Heat, My Head, The Usual

My self-prescribed physical therapy has been so difficult to keep up this summer.

It's too hot and too bright to go outside whenever I please, and when I try, I don't usually last long. I start feeling mentally removed and physically smothered. I can't think, I'm irritable, my skin itches, my clothes are weighted and suffocating, and I start feeling heavier, almost flu-like. I can extend my stamina somewhat by being prepared like I'm going on safari, but all that gathering and carrying is a whole other ball of triggers that I have to do my best to take in stride.

When it's hot, I have to carry water, then maybe extra water, an umbrella, and an extra, wider-brimmed but ugly hat, in addition to my normal bag of migraine supplies. I have to wear stinky sunscreen and even maybe shave my legs. (Maybe. I'm caring less and less about this lately.) I'm working on building up my wardrobe with clothes that are breathable, light, and non-constricting, but it's slow-going when I have effectively no budget for it. (Though, I have successfully made and altered some of my own clothes to suit my needs. I am so happy to have learned this skill, as clumsy as I still am.)

So, exercise is a serious challenge. I walk the dog in the mornings and evenings, when I can, but that's about all I can do when the temps climb higher than 80. Though, I am super lucky to have friends and family who have volunteered their air conditioning to me on the hottest of the hot days, which is a blessing and a half, let me tell you. Even being still in my sweltering little house can knock me down for days, so the cool reprieves are really saving me right now.

What I am managing to keep up is yoga. Not vigorously, and not more than a cumulative hour a day, but it's something to keep my muscles from totally withering. I can only do a few poses lately, and nothing inverted or too reliant on balance, but it keeps me feeling active, even when it's really hot and I'm really not.

I am so ready for fall.