Guess what I did in the month of July. I rested. For an entire month. I took time to heal wounds that had been hurting me for quite a long time. I was over working and under resting to numb the pain. It was working, until it wasn’t. So, I did the scary thing. I did the brave thing. I took an entire month off to heal. I am still healing, but I am much further than I was!
I am here to tell you to take the time. We are living in uncertain times and many things can be triggering right now. Put your phone down, turn off the television and focus on you. Focus on your healing journey. Maybe you don’t need an entire month like I did. Maybe you only need a few hours. What I am saying is listen to your body and do the right thing for you. Not what you think people need or what from you. Do what is right for you!
At the beginning of July I was suicidal again. I went back to the hospital because something wasn’t right, but I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. The fact of the matter is that I was killing myself with work. I was drowning out all my feelings by working 80 hour weeks and not focusing on myself at all. I lost all self care practices I had. I wasn’t journaling, my main tool in my healing journey. I wasn’t moving my body. I was doing all the things that I knew weren’t good for my soul and I crashed. I crashed hard. The only way to save me was to admit myself back to the hospital.
So I took the three days. The three days of rest turned into a week, then two, then three, then four. AND you know what I do not feel one bit guilty about it. I learned things about myself in that month that I had been hiding from for years. I found out a little more about who I am. I am still finding out, but the difference is I am actually taking the steps I need to do to be the best version of me. I am doing the work. I am putting myself first and taking time off when I need it!
I say all of this to tell you to take time for YOU! Do not be afraid of what others might think or the clients you may loose. You are your number one priority, because if you can’t care for yourself, you can’t care for anyone else. Do the scary things! Do the brave things! Be strong enough to admit when you need a break. Take the time now before it is too late.