The Journey Continues - Week 3
This post is the fourth in a series that chronicles my personal journey to better health. You can read the introductory post here.
So this week was a biggie, for lots of reasons.
It was my dance recital dress rehearsal. Time to see if I can actually throw myself into the air off of that box with a little less weight around my middle.
The day before the dress rehearsal, I started to feel a scratchy throat. Uh-oh. I don't have time to be sick. I'm moving this week!
I'm moving this week.
Well I'll give you the short version -- this week sucked.
Between being sick (I ended up losing my voice which is not the best situation for a health educator to be in, as it's a little difficult to teach classes without a way to speak), having a 2-hour dress rehearsal, and moving (one of the big stressors of life for anyone), I was a mess. Mid-week I finally had to admit defeat and start canceling things. Classes, meetings, conference calls, etc.
I also had to ask for help. Help packing, help getting our stuff to the storage building, and help with my daughter because I didn't have the energy to support her all day long without a voice.
I held pretty strong with the food thing. It helped that I don't like to eat when I'm sick. I had to take a break from my HiiT workouts though, on advice from my trainer. I was completely sedentary for several days, which I despise. But I knew I'd gotten to this place through my choices. Specifically, my refusal to get enough sleep because I was just sure I could power through my fatigue and keep packing boxes.
In addition, I was so stressed out about getting everything done and moving at the same time, that my poor body just had to wave the white flag.
My biggest take-away from this week? Listen to what you know to be true. I knew I was not getting enough sleep. I knew I was spending too much time worrying and not enough time relaxing or clearing space to do something fulfilling instead of working every moment I could find (the downsides of owning your own business, but that's another post for another day). Your body will make you listen one way or another.
And the number one way it makes you listen? Illness. Sometimes minor, sometimes major. Everything from colds to cancers. It's a shame we drive our bodies to that point -- when it has to get our attention and tell us to SLOW DOWN in some drastic ways.
I'm sure I'll forget this again at some point when life gets busy, but I will definitely try to keep it front of mind. If I take care of my body, it will take care of me. It's that simple.
See you next week.