Crazy is as crazy does

You may be thinking,

So, her world has been crazy, chaotic, and demanding, hmm? Full of extra labor, less sleep, more obligations, and new worries?! Ha! MY life is at LEAST that nuts!

And you're probably right. We each have our limits, our coping mechanisms, and our recovery needs. My story isn't told in order to make you feel sorry for me- indeed, I hesitate to write often to avoid such a trap. Rather, I just want to document what's helped me and what hasn't, to offer you hope and inspiration in your times of chaos.

Some days I need nourishment, some days I need pep, and some days I need help just finding the front door. I will detail the choices I made to get through, including supplements (herbal and elemental), food and hydration, and self care.

The first thing I want to mention, the most important thing you might say, is this:

Rest and Forgiveness are Essential

Allowing yourself time to rest seems to take away time you should be spending doing the work that's looming over you, right?

Two things about that statement are wrong wrong wrong.

One, Spoon Theory. When you're chronically overloaded for months or years, you're just not operating with as many spoons as you used to, nor as many as others expect you to have. And you can't just borrow against tomorrow's, that quickly ends in disaster. Massive ongoing stress can act like a chronic disease, so we need to allow for, and provide for, healing.

Second is that dirty word, "should". WHO SAYS what you should be doing? TV, magazines, bossy coworkers, nosy "friends", demanding family? Of course not. Who could know what you need better than you? There's lots of noise in the world telling you to feel badly about yourself, and learning to tune it out can be a real challenge.

But forgiving yourself, ridding yourself of guilt and shame, allowing yourself to be who and what you are right now today is so important. Believe me, saying a genuine "No, thanks" to someone else's criticism, no matter how kindly meant, (and it usually IS kindly meant, that's the worst part) is liberating!

I am working on practicing self forgiveness when I do my morning meditations. Resting- well, I've got that down! But I know some people who have such a personal taboo against something as restorative as an afternoon nap. It gets me through the rest of my day and evening, so if it's going to help you too, go for it!

R&R by the Chesapeake