Stop Ignoring the Symptoms



This was written last week Tuesday...things have only gotten a little more crazy since then, I'll post this now though and follow on soon with how things have progressed since then.

Today has been quite 'a day'. Days like this one I always refer to as such, where you feel like you've done everything and nothing. Where your body is absolutely exhausted and you actually have to just stop fighting it and listen, stop what you're doing, put away the work, leave the dishes, and just stop for a moment, or twenty. I often forget that my body needs more rest than a typical healthy persons, I forget that I need to listen to it, to read the sign and then come up with a treatment solution.

Treating a flu makes sense, when the doctor writes a prescription for an antibiotic, we wouldn't usually ignore that, but we can forget to listen to what our bodies are begging us for. These last few weeks mine has been begging for rest, for some nutrition, for less stress and for attention. I have been ignoring it, as I often tend to do. Ignoring the symptoms does not make them go away though, they may die down briefly after one decent night of sleep, but believe me, they'll be back with a vengeance, and won't sit unnoticed. This last week has been my body telling me if I don't change something it's going to call it quits, and it's time to listen. This though, is easier said than done, caring for  body with chronic illness can be a tricky business. It requires constantly changing your expectation, adjusting what you hope to achieve in a day, rearranging your schedule, and not being able to just ignore your body and carry on with your daily life.

It's taken way too long (*uhem* seven years...) but I've finally realised that for me and my body to be friends and get along together, we need to communicate better. Yes, I now sound crazy...point taken. Truthfully though, I have realised change is needed, but change doesn't have to be a bad thing, change can be beautiful and rewarding.

My first step when faced with a dilemma is to research the heck out of it, and that is what I have been doing over this weekend. Honestly, I have researched this topic for years, but never been willing to actually take the plunge, accept the situation and tackle it head on. Second part (and this is my favourite) is to make lists, lists and more lists. They can be categorised, decorated and colour coded, and it makes my creative heart so happy! In doing all this research and list making, a process I am still very much in currently, I have learnt a few key points to changing my lifestyle to allow for my body's limitations.

The main thing though has got to be BALANCE, None of us can do it all - but a lot of the time society makes us feel as if we are supposed to be able to. Feeling like you are the one in charge, that you get to take control of deciding weather you're going to carry on in a life style that is entirely draining, and really just doesn't work for you, thats the decision we get to make. It's always easier said than done, and that's the place I am currently in, the place of realising big changes need to be made, but not really knowing if I am brave enough to make them, but friends, here's some news for you - no one else is going to. Thono one but me can make this decision, no one but me can make the changes happen, so it's time to pull myself up, use all the bravery I have in store and plunge into it head first.
se words are the ones in my head constantly at the moment,

So here is where I have to not see this as a punishment but rather a decision, and to start listening to my body and seeing what it needs. Rather than seeing what those around me do, or looking at what works for another individual, we need to look at our own bodies and see what they need from us. No two of us are the same, so stop ignoring the symptoms, address them and see what you can change to make your days more manageable and enjoyable!

xoxo

Megan

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