Think Before Acting

While out for a walk, this week, I discovered my 90+ neighbor on her roof trying to remove snow. It seemed like everyday I was getting a reminder of the importance of thinking before acting-the woman with a history of strokes and heart attacks walking up steep steps several times a day even though it caused her heart to feel like it was “bursting out of my chest;” the snowboarder who didn’t bother to check out a feature and wondered why he ended up with a fractured leg; the person with diabetes who drank a bottle of red wine for dinner and was puzzled by their high sugar levels. The list goes on.

There are numerous times that we have a choice in how we act or respond to a situation. Particularly when it’s an emotional response, or something that requires immediate attention, STOP is a good reminder-Stop, Take a Breathe, Observe and Proceed.

As abilities change due to health issues, it’s important to make choices that will not jeopardize well-being-not only yours but also the people you love and come in contact with. My elderly neighbor, who thinks she’s being self sufficient by cleaning her own roof, is setting herself up for the real possibility of a fall that could kill her outright or result in spending the rest of her life in a nursing home. Her belief in self-reliance could jeopardize what she most values, independence. There is also the person who would find her on the ground. It could be several days and it could also be one of the neighborhood kids. The impact could be life altering.

The spouse of the woman who continues to walk up stairs, in spite of being told not to do it by her doctor, has a number of health issues as well. He follows behind her, “in case she should fall.” However, he doesn’t have the strength to catch her and the odds are that if she started to fall, they’d both end up at the bottom of the stairs. Given that neither of them wears an alert device, they could remain like that for some time. Initially, the spouse was saying, “I’m willing to take the risk.” However, as we discussed various possible scenarios, he began to realize that maybe they needed to rethink their current living situation.

Some questions to ask yourself before you act include:
• Is this something my medical provider told me not to do?
• Have my friends/family warned me about doing this?
• Could I get hurt?
• Could I potentially hurt someone else?
• Is there another option I can consider?

Then there are the “three T’s.”

Talk to someone to help get a clearer picture. As it turns out, we were able to figure out at least a temporary solution for the hear t patient and the stairs. By resting for a count of 15 after each step, she can climb all 19 without becoming breathless.

Time is on your side-even if it’s just a matter of a few sections. The more you become aware that that there is time before a decision has to be made, the more likely you will be to take advantage of it.

Take stock of the decision you have made. When you realize something isn’t working, course correct.

Ultimately, the more mindful we live, the fewer jams we get ourselves into.