I recently learned a lesson the hard way and maybe you can relate.
Over Christmas, I was working on a project with a specific deadline. I underestimated the amount of time I needed to complete it and so I was behind right off the bat.
No worries I said to myself, you can pull all-nighters and get it done. So, I went to work and fully immersed myself in my tasks. I became tunnel-visioned and could think of nothing else but my project.
I am no wimp when it comes to digging in and getting something done. That’s a lesson I learned from growing up on the farm. At harvest time, there was nothing that was more important than getting the crops off and filling the daily orders (we sold sweet corn to supermarkets).
You’re sick, you work. You’re tired, you work. Your fingers are cut up and bloody - so what - you work! You want to play with your friends - too bad - you work!!! The sun is scorching and you don’t want to hoe this entire field - no one cares - go to work!
Work trumps all when it came to the farm and nobody could get our work done but us. So as the saying goes “Suck it up Buttercup”.
My parents sound like brutes and if you had of asked me as a kid if they were, I probably would have said yes - haha! But, it taught me a great work ethic and how to work together as a team.
Back to my project…I went to work, fully accepting of the late nights and little sleep. What I didn’t expect was what happened to me AFTER my project was complete and I finally had a moment to relax.
I got sick. Not death-bed sick but slammed with sickness in a way that is so not typical for me. Iwas sick for almost 4 weeks. It started with a terrible sore throat for about a week. That morphed into the flu for 6 days (and my kids also got the flu at the same time - thank goodness for my husband!). During the flu, I got a sinus infection which lasted for almost 2 weeks. The sinus infection was the worst. I wanted to take a pair of pliers and pull out all my teeth - my face ached like I have never experienced before.
I thought about why this was happening and I realized I had done it to myself. Yes, I often think that I am superwoman (like many of us women do) and that I can do EVERYTHING! The problem wasn’t that I pushed myself to do too much. The problem was that I ignored myself in the process.
The lesson I learned is this - PUSH yourself if you must (because honestly, there is no other way that some things will ever get done if you don’t) but don’t IGNORE yourself.
These are the 6 things I will do differently next time around:
Support my body with extra vitamins (I wasn’t taking ANY vitamins - I completely forgot about it!)
Take 5-10 minutes to rest during the day (I refused to stop at all and that wasn’t smart)
Allow myself the luxury of enjoying a simple pleasure for a few minutes each day to feel rejuvenated and refreshed. I made the mistake of not allowing myself even 5 minutes to enjoy a simple pleasure. There can be great benefits to flipping through a magazine, going for a walk, having a cup of tea, listening to music, focusing on deep breathing etc. It will actually allow your mind to be more productive and improves your focus.
Avoid sugar. When I’m stressed, I eat and sometimes it’s not the best choice. Sugar gives an immediate rush and makes us feel good in that instant but it actually decreases our immunity and makes us more susceptible to sickness (my stress level was already compromising my immunity - double whammy!)
Ask for help! I am a control-freak. I will deny being as sick as I am and that isn’t always helpful. I am usually determined to do things myself - my way! Next time, if someone offers to help me, I am taking it!!
Get outside! I locked myself in my house and became a hermit immersed in my work. Enjoying nature and fresh air actually lowers your stress hormones and improves your mood and immunity!
Have you had a similar experience? Hopefully, we can learn from each other. When things get stressful in your life, do you take a few minutes for self-care or do you ignore your needs like I did? I would love to hear from you!