Looking after yourself
I got up this morning at about 5am – no reason, I was just WIDE AWAKE. Despite being completely exhausted.
Have I told you before I’m not a morning person? Anyway, I’m not. And I never have been. Which means being up at 5am is really only a thing if I have to get a plane somewhere. And today I wasn’t. Bummer.
Getting up early meant I was starving by 6am, and ready for a nap at 7am. So I went back to bed for about an hour and a half. With absolutely no guilt.
I’ve not been this exhausted for a while. And I couldn’t work out why until I just sat down to do my invoicing for the last month and I realised it was my busiest month in terms of client work in ages. Plus I went to two conferences. Plus did a six week cooking course for six consecutive Monday nights.
No wonder I am feeling a bit shattered! Not to mention why blogging has fallen off the radar over the last couple of weeks!
But a massive client project was finished yesterday and today is a new – and thankfully quieter – day. And yes, I took a bit of time off to go to the movies this afternoon (to see Straight Outta Compton – it was excellent. Seriously excellent).
Why am I blathering on about this I hear you say. Well, the main reason is I want to remind you (and me) of the importance of taking care of yourself. I realised that I really can’t work the crazy hours of the last month in an ongoing way. And neither can you. Or anyone.
As I have gotten older I have realised how important it is to look after myself – physically and mentally. While I rarely get physically sick these days, I recognise how exhaustion and over-work plays out on my mental health. And it’s not pretty. I need to look after myself, and I do. Mostly.
This week (7-11 September) is Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week.
The campaign this year is No more elephants! It is time to get rid of the elephant in the room and get talking about women’s health. Women can be good talkers (I know I’m not just speaking for myself…), but when it comes to health, we often don’t take the time to ask questions, seek out credible information and work on a sound plan of action.
Talk to your GP or other health professional if you need to. Ask questions. Make a list of what you need to do in terms of prevention – when was your last blood pressure test? Your last cholesterol check? Your last mammogram or prostate check? Your last skin check? If you have a bad gut feeling about your health then get it checked out. It could save your life.
Please can I encourage you to take a look at your health – physical and mental – and make one little change to improve it.
I heard someone on the radio recently say that one of the best things to do for your mental health is to do something you love everyday. This is particularly important for those of you who really don’t love their jobs. Or those of you who are unhappy about some other aspect of your life.
So find your one thing and do it.
My one thing that I love and try to do every day is reading. I try and read in bed every night for at least 15 minutes before turning off the light. I particularly love reading murder thrillers – often not the best pre-bed reading matter, but it never gives me nightmares.
What’s your one thing you love to do? And when did you last do it?
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