Self-Care - It's Time
I write about self-care lots and lots. Mainly this is because I struggle with self-care and self-awareness and find that writing about it helps me identify what and when I need to engage. This is one of those days.
I always get sick during the fall months. I spend some time sniffling, with sinus headaches, sneezing, and wheezing. This is usually due to the corn harvest. It kicks up lots of dust, and I stop breathing well. Over the years, I've learned that taking a day off when I am starting the process is beneficial to my health in the longer term. Today is that day.
I woke up this morning with a sinus headache and wheezing. My daily medications and my inhaler didn't help, so it is time to start the heavy-duty stuff. My heavy-duty medications knock me out for the first 24 hours of taking them, so today is a day off from work. I can't drive on the first day due to dizziness and drowsiness (I've learned that lesson!), so I am home as I get used to the medication in my system again.
Cue the guilt.
"Can I really afford to take a day off from work?" Can I really afford to get more sick later this week? If I don't, I will probably be more sick later on, and when I get to that point, I am usually off for several days when I get more sick. If I stop it now, I should be able to save those days later on...
"Will my clients be okay without me?" Of course they will. In fact, several of them will be very happy that I'm gone because that means that they get to use the karaoke machine. Most of my clients and fellow staff members won't even notice that I am gone today.
"Is this an indication of something else going on? Am I REALLY sick?" I can tell you that I am not feeling well, but it's not really bad yet. I'm relying a bit on my history of severe breathing emergencies and pneumonia at this time of the year, but I do know that I'm not as sick as I have been in the past before I've taken a day off. So, the answer to this question is "Who knows?" This leads me into many more self-reflective questions about my job, my situation in life, and my current state of health. My brain then starts going around and around.
So, the medication part is finished. I have called in to work and told them that I will be back tomorrow (after the side effects are finished). I will spend some time sleeping, some time doing some light housework, and time trying to get back to better.
Tomorrow, I'll go back to work a bit more healthy and a bit more medicated. Self-care now to avoid illness later. Besides, I really can't sing much right now - it sets off my coughing which increases the wheezing which leads to more coughing and more wheezing.
Self-care now!
Time to get going on the chores before the medications knock me out.
I always get sick during the fall months. I spend some time sniffling, with sinus headaches, sneezing, and wheezing. This is usually due to the corn harvest. It kicks up lots of dust, and I stop breathing well. Over the years, I've learned that taking a day off when I am starting the process is beneficial to my health in the longer term. Today is that day.
I woke up this morning with a sinus headache and wheezing. My daily medications and my inhaler didn't help, so it is time to start the heavy-duty stuff. My heavy-duty medications knock me out for the first 24 hours of taking them, so today is a day off from work. I can't drive on the first day due to dizziness and drowsiness (I've learned that lesson!), so I am home as I get used to the medication in my system again.
Cue the guilt.
"Can I really afford to take a day off from work?" Can I really afford to get more sick later this week? If I don't, I will probably be more sick later on, and when I get to that point, I am usually off for several days when I get more sick. If I stop it now, I should be able to save those days later on...
"Will my clients be okay without me?" Of course they will. In fact, several of them will be very happy that I'm gone because that means that they get to use the karaoke machine. Most of my clients and fellow staff members won't even notice that I am gone today.
"Is this an indication of something else going on? Am I REALLY sick?" I can tell you that I am not feeling well, but it's not really bad yet. I'm relying a bit on my history of severe breathing emergencies and pneumonia at this time of the year, but I do know that I'm not as sick as I have been in the past before I've taken a day off. So, the answer to this question is "Who knows?" This leads me into many more self-reflective questions about my job, my situation in life, and my current state of health. My brain then starts going around and around.
So, the medication part is finished. I have called in to work and told them that I will be back tomorrow (after the side effects are finished). I will spend some time sleeping, some time doing some light housework, and time trying to get back to better.
Tomorrow, I'll go back to work a bit more healthy and a bit more medicated. Self-care now to avoid illness later. Besides, I really can't sing much right now - it sets off my coughing which increases the wheezing which leads to more coughing and more wheezing.
Self-care now!
Time to get going on the chores before the medications knock me out.
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