Wow! It has been a very long time since I last posted anything! This is the first time in quite a while that I have felt inspired to write anything. This past year has been very busy not only with family, moving house and work but also dealing with a lot of my “stuff”. This past spring, I experienced what I refer to as “burn out”. I felt exhausted, overwhelmed, uninspired, apathetic and anxious when I didn’t have any reason to be. It took me quite some time to accept the reality of where I was at, probably because I held the belief that I should know better.
I finally gave myself permission to take a step back, look at what was working and what was not working and decide what changes I wanted to make. I gave myself the summer off taking only 2 coaching clients at a time. That was a big step for me because I had to get to a place where I felt it was OK to do that and that the number of clients I had was not a reflection of my ability as a coach or a reflection of who I am. When I finally made that decision, 2 new clients appeared out of the blue. I knew it was the right decision because of how I felt (relaxed and at peace) and because of the ease of it all. I spent the summer having fun with my family, taking time for myself and finally looking into why I was feeling so depleted.
It wasn’t just being up in the night with kids having dreams. Turns out my hormones were not at an optimal level. Guess they were burned out too! I suspected they may be out of whack having had 5 pregnancies in the span of 3.5 yrs but didn’t realize the extent of it. I have also resumed treatment for some neck and back pain that were occurring more often. I stopped cycling for a bit which was very sad for me but I knew it was aggravating my neck and shoulders and required me taking a break. I finally saw a naturopath to get some answers about why I bloat so much almost every time I eat. I also got back to meditating and connecting with my higher self and intuition more regularly. It helps give me clarity about what is most important in the moment and helps me be more at ease. I had allowed this practice to be put on the back burner. It’s crazy really because the times I need it the most are the times when I let it slide. Oh well! Lesson learned yet again.
It has taken quite some time to feel back to “normal” and I still feel like there is a little ways to go. Hopefully what I have learned from this experience will help me be more aware when I start doing too much again so that I don’t have to go all the way to “burn out” before doing something about it. I let my ego get in the way which delayed me making changes for the better. Bottom line – looking after myself well is essential, not just an option. I am sure that I will be presented with situations in the future where I am reminded to take better care of myself until I really, really get it!