How to Create an Efficient ALS Mindset

ALS and efficient are two words not often used in the same sentence. But to me, they are a perfect pairing. Mention “ALS” and it’s easy to think slow, clumsy, and low energy, while “efficient” can describe quick, streamlined, and well-organized. I’ve combined the two into what I call having an efficient ALS mindset.

Although my life was always filled with priorities, I now recognize that they were muddled with things I thought I should be doing but only led to overcommitment and increased struggle in life. That mindset was manageable for many years, but not once I was diagnosed with ALS.

Suddenly, I had too much to do and too little time. My energy didn’t match what I thought had to be done, and I’d find myself wondering, why am I doing this anyway?

I had to prune my old priorities and revamp my mindset. Here’s how I did it:

My self-worth is not defined by my health

Health and fitness maintenance was always a high priority for me, but after my diagnosis, I fell into thinking I’d failed at it. Only after researching ALS and learning that even the medical experts haven’t yet found a cause was I finally able to let myself off the hook.

No matter what my health is, I know I can still have a purpose. I can make a difference and live a happy, fulfilled life.

Accept my new normal

Instead of fighting the reality that I had ALS, I decided to give in and accept it. To just be. To go with the flow.

With this new attitude, many of the things I used to do simply didn’t make sense anymore. I let go of self-imposed rules, expectations, and needs, and the world didn’t come to an end! In fact, I felt relief.

Mental and physical health maintenance remains at the top of my priorities list. My new goal is to be a healthy ALS patient.

Research points to the many ways that having a sense of purpose can benefit physical health. I used to teach fitness classes and lecture on wellness. My new purpose is to share my knowledge and skills through writing.

A few simple rules

I’ve set these rules for myself:

• Follow a set routine of daily habits that accommodate my body’s ebb and flow of energy.
• Say “no” more often and without feeling guilty.
• Build joy into each day.

Having an ALS efficient mindset is one more way we can learn to live well while living with ALS.

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