#Spine surgery, #fibromyalgia, #grieving parents’ loss, #depression, #mental health, #manage change, #burnout
I’ve been thru all this during my last 5 years and I can only say I’m still in the healing progress. I’ve learned to live again, to forgive, to let love come to me in its different shapes. I’ve been living in 4 different countries, as many different cultures, working for 3 different employers, running between adapting to new cultures, escalating on a fast track on the organizational ladder and being a present mother, a good wife and a reliant shoulder for many dear ones. I’ve been trying to be all for others and forgot to be someone important to myself. It’s been a long journey from accepting to taking action to fight that burnout (that sometimes seemed to be almost a lethal collapse) and resetting my presence, to eventually starting seeing the results and becoming a better me. Below is a summary to myself. These points may be exactly what you’re looking for if you are in a less productive time of your life.
Stop – whatever you’re doing (work, appointments, everything…) and take time for yourself! Stopping will enable you to understand what’s happening to you, accepting the situation and see how you can get help (from yourself and others).
Sleep – 8-9 hours/ night (get some help if you can not). Needless to reinforce the importance of sleep when so much has been written and said by specialists, so read something about it, talk to a doctor or a therapist.
Read – about how your body works anatomically, refresh your mind by consulting quality studies; read biographies – you get inspiration and courage from others (written biographies are usually about people that went over their limits and/or very tough times). Select carefully your readings.
Listen – birds, trees, people, relaxing music, your child’s voice, kids music (it’s happy, sensitive and about simple things – both generate a good mood).
Eat – food that makes you feel good taste in your mouth and for which you have to use your jaws (scientifically proven, that sends signals to brain telling the body works it in its full entirety, hence improve the one body, mind, soul flow as one); avoid junk food and bad fats! Eat white meat, fish, nuts, greeneries.
Move – walk, run, do pilates, swim – something that puts all your body’s joints in motion – whatever is not putting too much pressure on your body, even if it’s not too much (you’re not trying to become a K1 fighter!… at least not yet). Find a physio therapist/ kineto/ personal trainer with whom you have a good chemistry.
Talk – to yourself (!!! Very important, listen to your thoughts and voice, admit their existence), to a friend or to a therapist (you might try a few before tapping into the one discussion with the right chemistry; change if you didn’t feel good at your first chat); talk to a paper/ computer – transform talking into writing.
Check up – have a routine medical blood test/ overall check up with your doctor; he will guide you to the right medical specialist if a specific area must be investigated in details.
Go home – the real place you feel the real home is; breath that air, talk to people living there even if their life is totally different and you might not find things interesting, listen, it will take you back to simplicity (to the roots).
Say thank you – family, friends, people that ever mattered in your life – turn the gratitude into a routine.
Be a child – meaning you do things you enjoyed as a child (cherry picking, acacia flowers eating, preparing jam) or simply let yourself play a kid’s game every day.
Write your ideas about the present – what you feel it’s going on, good and bad; make a to do list for every day or for next month (for as long as you have that much perspective).
Do all this then repeat! You’ll know when you are ready for the next phase. Before planting a seed, dig the land.