Take Away and Follow Up: Making It Personal
You may want to ask yourself, “What dreams can be fulfilled?” Putting values into action allows for cutting out the things that are unimportant. Sometimes we treat all of our important responsibilities as urgent, forgetting that “important” is not always “urgent.” Discerning what to prioritize and what to let go of can be critical to a healthy quality of life. What are your feelings about change? Knowing can help determine ways to maximize healthy planning and abilities for coping well. Identifying a support system is important; create a team that can best support a healthy lifestyle.
Reflecting on the information presented in this booklet, are you on track to meet your goals for the future, both at work and personally? Reviewing the questions below could help identify some follow up to help make plans, keeping a proactive momentum toward the future. No need to be perfect! No need to have all the answers. This can be the beginning of an exciting journey to discover healthy new ways of functioning and increasing quality of life.
- What is flexible or inflexible about your work setting? Is this identifiable or do you need to make inquiries?
- Could small changes at work keep you employed and more satisfied or are you feeling the need for a larger change?
- Does your job satisfy needs beyond a paycheck?
- Have you noticed discomfort with your personal identity and/or roles?
- What are the symptoms that you feel are impinging on your work functions?
- Are these communicated to your neurologist?
- Do you need a referral to occupational therapy?
- Could some adjustments outside of work be helpful in improving your level of function?
- What personal assessment have you made or feedback have others provided to you about changes in your level of functioning, if at all?
- Are your financial needs met now? What are your financial concerns for the future and what actions are needed to make a plan?
- Depending on the climate and culture of your work setting, will you need additional resources to assist with requesting accommodations? (For example, discussion with neurologist, referrals to occupational therapist, or neurocognitive testing.)
- What is the status of your support system?
- Do you have mood symptoms that sometimes make you feel sad, or possibly even hopeless?*
* If feeling hopeless, please contact your health professional immediately; please also see this note in the previous section of this publication for additional information.
Perhaps you have some new ideas or plans in mind. List a few items to focus on immediately and a few that will take more investigation. This is a plan for the long haul, so pace yourself, be kind, and call in the support you need to keep you moving in the direction you determine is best for you.
- List three short-term goals.
- List three long-term goals.