The Moral of the Story Is...

Today, I would like to share with you a recent (even still current) experience.

We are all active, going 200 miles per hour and not stopping much or even slowing down in this day and age.
I am totally guilty of that. Being a full-time working single mum, needless to say that my time - with my health and my loved ones - is one of my most precious and valuable assets. Wasting time is definitely at the top of my Pet Hate list.

Recently, I got ill - nothing life-threatening, thankfully - full up with a massive head cold, suffering with permanent brain-breeze syndrome. I have been working so hard on improving my health that, as I was watching people around me fall like flies with the seasonal germs, I was convinced that my optimum diet had strengthened my immune system so well that I'd go through the net. And I did, for a while. Until Thursday 07/11.

Sore throat started in the evening and ended up with a congested head by the weekend. I spent most of that first weekend in bed, feeling really unwell, like my head was full of lead and I could barely open my eyes, no energy.
Then came Monday with our Area Manager's visit at work over 2 days, and a meeting I was chairing on the Tuesday to prepare for. No choice - I had to go to work and stop feeling sorry for myself. Put your big girl's pants on and get on with it, Christelle!! I work in a very busy office so we never stop there; there is always something to do or sort out. Like a good little trooper, I pushed myself every single minute of the day. Back home at 6:30 pm with dinner to prepare, cats to feed, dishes to do... Bedtime at 9:30 pm, completely drained and crashing into sleep within minutes, only to wake up at 3 am the next morning with totally blocked sinuses and brain ready to explode, unable to breathe comfortably. Back to work the next day at 9 am, with, beforehand, people coughing all over me on the bus for a good half hour, and repeating the same process as the day before.

I pride myself on taking good care of my health, listening to my body and limiting toxicity as much as possible, establishing a balance in my life that will help me maximise my health, contribution to others and happiness.
Here, however, on this occasion, I completely and utterly failed. I failed to recognise when to preserve my health and strength, to stop, slow down and take care of myself to recover.
The result - I was bedridden for 2 days, unable to do anything, let alone going to work, sleeping 90% of the time and unable to eat on the first day. From a simple cold, it blew out of proportion to having temperature on those 2 days, feeling light-headed and strength-depleted the next day. It is only now (Sunday afternoon) that I am starting to emerge and be active again - moderately, though, no rushing around.

I know that my story is nothing special, that I've done this in the past numerous times and that so have millions of people like you and me on this earth. But, to me, that is what makes it worse. We are so used to neglecting, abusing our body, ignoring its signals and cries for help, that we go on auto-pilot and end up crashing down with multiple system malfunctions. This has become our normality and I find it very sad that this is the world we now live in.
External responsibilities outweigh by far our own responsibility to ourselves, it is the shocking truth; but how can you function in the outside world and help others if you are unfit, unwell or, in a way, malfunctioning? When your strength is depleted, how can you fight some more? If you do, it should be for your recovery.

And the moral of the story is - listen to your body, it is NOT a weakness. What it is telling you is for the benefit of your health and well-being.
You have a responsibility towards yourself first and foremost. It is all linked to self-care and self-love, out of respect for yourself and your amazing body. Only then can you be of true service and support to others, leading the way and making this planet a much better place to live in.