Sometimes my blog pretty much writes itself and sometimes I’m scratching my head thinking ‘what do I want to say this week?’ This week I very much fall into the latter category. If you’ve been reading my musings for a while, thank you, and you know I like to plan and I like to be organised. I don’t always get it right, but I feel more in control when I know what I’m doing and when I know what’s coming up. That’s partly because running a business, having a full-time job, creating my home and taking care of myself, there’s a lot there, there are a lot of plates that need spinning, and I probably put a bit too much pressure on myself.
When Life Adds More Plates to Spin
Recently I’ve felt that there have been a few more plates added and when that happens, it’s a reminder to prioritise and put a few plates down. I said last week that I’d up the self-care this week and bring the slow cooker out and I’ve done that. (Incidentally, as I write this, there’s a chilli in my slow cooker right now and I’m counting down the hours until dinner time!)
Why Self-Care Isn’t Optional
It’s really hard to press pause though. I need to be healthy and look after myself as I can’t do anything if I’m not. I was in a car crash in December 2014 and I’m still seeing a physio nearly 9 years later. We’ve been able to drop it down to going about once every 2 months, and in all likelihood, this is something I’ll need to keep doing for the rest of my life. The thought of getting to a place where I never have to see him again is wonderful (sorry Guy!) but it feels like a pipe dream.
Listening to Your Body’s Signals
Right now, my shoulders aren’t very happy with me. I’ve done some reading in the past about back pain (I was living with chronic pain for years, so it’s something I’ve looked into) and I know that a lot of the time, for me, if I’m going through a tough time, I feel it in my body. It feels a bit like I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, hence my pain. As much as it might be good to go back to my physio, unless I deal with the cause, I’ll just be treating the symptoms.
Deciding What to Keep and What to Pause
So how do I decide which plates to put down and which ones I need to keep spinning? Well, my job pays my salary, so I can’t let that one go! If anything, I need to upscale the self-care (so the slow cooker stays out this week and takes pressure off my meals). I haven’t moved enough in the last week, so this week, ‘move more’ is going to be my mantra and then really, just take each day as it comes. Do I feel like doing something around my house, yes, crack on. Do I just want to have an early night, or find a way to defrag, then that’s what I do.
Sometimes you have to push through and sometimes you just have to press pause and it’s important to know when it’s time for each approach. If your well is feeling low, as mine definitely is right now, continuing to try and drink from it isn’t sensible. So even if I’m not refilling it, I don’t want to deplete it further.
How I’m Reframing This Week
So if I’m taking each day as it comes, how do I plan for that? Have an idea what I’d like to do in the week. Make sure sleep, exercise and staying hydrated are at the top of my list. Talk to people I trust as I’m not on my own and accept that if my goals have to have timeframes adjusted, that’s OK because life happens.
A Reminder to Be Kind to Yourself
I hope this is helpful for you. Keep going with the things you need to do, press pause on some of the things that don’t and be kind to yourself. And if you need help working out what to focus on and what to let go of, get in touch, I’d love to help.