image from Pinterest
Today marks the end of my first week off work. Chronic illness caught up with me, and the stress of a huge workload wore me down until my body was like "nope". I've had time off school and university sick before, but somehow this is different, there is a nagging guilt both about leaving colleagues behind and not contributing much to the household. Also, days off aren't as fun as they used to be. I have no choice but to get rest this time, I am no longer a teenager and staying up past 11pm watching Bob's Burgers on Netflix is not an option if I want to feel semi-human the next day.
Anyway, despite nausea and low-level guilt, my week has gone pretty well and I'm feeling rested and quite chirpy. I like to think it's due in part to the following things:
Having a good sleeping routine - being in bed by 11 every night and up before 9 every morning means you have plenty of daylight hours to do everything you want to get done and having plenty of rest means you're more likely to have the energy to plough through the day. It also makes it easier to get into other routines.
Getting out the house - so I know this is easier said than done, but going for a walk in the park or popping down the shops can make you feel like you have accomplished something and sunshine can be magic. It's not like a wee walk can instantly cure any ills but it can make you feel a little bit better after a day inside.
Treating yourself - repeat after me: "this illness is not my fault and I deserve nice things." It's so easy to get down on yourself when you're alone for most of the day and not being uber-productive, but you're worth more than the work that you do and treating yourself to a bath, a new eyeshadow palette or pink-iced doughnut with sprinkles can reinforce this. I ordered myself the Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette yesterday and my excitement levels are through the roof.
Keeping clean - if your joints are playing up or you're really exhausted, it's not always possible to shower every day, but cleansing, moisturising and brushing your teeth can make you feel like a new person. You can tick it off your to-do list and make it part of a routine. Seriously, if you haven't brushed your teeth yet today, go and do it now!
Finding distractions - listening to podcasts, writing blogs and messing around with make up have kept me perky and stopped me over thinking things in my time alone this week. So helpful if you're on the verge of feeling sad about everything.
Having company - whether it's over the internet or IRL, having friends around during shit times is super essential. I've been tweeting avidly, calling family and for the last 2 days of the week my boyfriend has been off work keeping me company. It makes such a difference and friends can motivate you to go out, or even just eat a proper meal.
Lots of love to everyone else in this situation, we're going to get through this!
No comments:
Post a Comment