Life lesson: Develop healthy routines.
I am sitting alone at the table. Another issue for me re-entering life has been mealtime. My loved one who was my main focus at mealtime, is gone. Mealtimes in my home were focused to meet my loved ones dietary restrictions. Now my focus is that I find myself sitting alone at the table.
Now that I am by myself, what am I going to eat? I am no longer guided by thoughts of another’s needs, for which I may have cooked 2-3 times daily. Now, I have no appetite, much less a desire to prepare, cook and clean up three meals daily for a single person. Eating a simple snack leaves me feeling full, rather than nourished. Proper nutrition is now more important than ever. Re-entering life requires sustenance for energy and a healthy mind and body. I have to eat. I have to make myself eat.
While I, and others like me, have seemed to subconsciously avoid sitting by ourselves at the table, I don’t feel this a good habit for a healthy future. That said, sometimes it could help to use what may be referred to as unconventional means in order to get by for a while. Following are a few ideas to get us through a tough patch.
Sit a favorite pet at the table.
Sit in your loved one’s place to avoid looking at their empty chair.
Don’t sit at the table at all. Stand at a counter or eat in another room.
Invite a friend to sit at the table with you and share a meal.
A few ideas regarding how to cook for a single person may be helpful also.
Cook regular portions, but freeze the extra meal.
Buy ready-to-eat meals.
Cook a week’s supply of an entree. I have a meatloaf pan that makes eight individual loaves. I freeze seven and eat one.
Adjust your ingredients to retain freshness for a longer period. For example, prepare salad using cabbage, which has a longer shelf-life than lettuce.
Buy vegetables when they are on sale. Eat some and freeze the leftovers for later use.
Choose a favorite restaurant and order a meal to-go or simply dine in.
Although some of my friends visit restaurants alone, I find it depressing. We have different personalities. I’m not the type of person who can go out and find all kinds of people with whom to have conversation. Those who find it easy to interact with strangers are able to solve two problems, socialization, as well as a nourishing meal.
Managing mealtimes is often among the hardest tasks during times of grief. Those who figure this stage out quickly can use this skill to help set the stage for how to go about re-entering life.
I strongly believe it is important to face issues, develop some kind of plan and try my best to follow it.
Utilizing unhealthy behavior patterns from the beginning can become habit-forming, which can lead to destructive behavior. Please do not choose that path. Work alongside me and we can help each other choose the healthier alternative.
Keep in touch with me. Let me know how you’re doing. I care.
Sincerely,
Lynn Brooke
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Photo credit: © 2023 Rachel Gareau
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