For many of us on LinkedIn, we’re ambitious, we have growth goals. Nothing wrong with that. We are constantly pushing ourselves to that next level, networking and making new connections, trying to make a name and place for ourselves. The only challenge, eventually, that takes a toll on us. While on the outside it may seem that we are all great, sometimes we need to reflect internally to understand where we truly are in life. I’ll be the first to be honest and step up, I’m exhausted! It has been a constant go go go for 24 years. Yes, the company has been around 21 years but even before then, we were young kids trying to prove ourselves. I can’t remember the last time that I wasn’t working.
For some of us in the channel, that means we travel a lot. I know I do – my suitcase is always in my closet. There are times of the year where I’m out every week. And no matter what we say or do, if we force ourselves up that morning, it takes a toll on our bodies. What I don’t understand, is how often we actually don’t even listen to what our body is saying to us. It’s almost like we think of it like our mother and completely ignore her – LOL – just kidding Mom, I listen to everything that you say????.
They used to call me the Energizer Bunny, I was in constant go mode. I was working, raising my kids, dealing with social functions, managing extended family – I was everywhere. And I could do everything. I had this boundless amount of energy. Those were the days! Now I don’t know if it’s my age, or just the amount of work that is currently on my plate, but my body is now tired. The cortisol levels have been up too long, we have been in fight or flight mode for a quarter of a century, and your body finally gets to the point where it tells you – enough is enough. So, I started listening. What did I do:
- Sleep became very important to me, and while my usual bedtime is no later than 10 PM, my body was not rested with eight hours anymore. I needed to let my body tell me when to wake up. I moved my morning meetings down to begin later in the day. Now my first meeting is at 9:00 AM – what a luxury – but even if I missed that huddle, it’s OK. The rest of the calls don’t start till 10 AM. This gives my brain and body the ability to start my day in a relaxed state.
- At the Gym, gone are the days of kickboxing and heavy weights, welcome to pilates, yoga, and low-intensity cardio. Maybe a walk with the dogs outside, or a dance class with my friends. I’m no longer punishing my body to be a size that it will never be, but instead, am working towards my physical and mental health.
- Welcome to Free Fridays. I’ve removed all meetings from Fridays so that I can actually work. Now, this doesn’t mean that I get a day off every Friday, what it means is that I now have the ability to work on the projects that were open items, causing me stress and making me work late into the evenings or on the weekends. By protecting my Friday, I’m protecting the time I need to work on the work that matters to me.
- I learned to say No. I can’t be everything for everyone, and there are places I want to go and people I want to be with, so I will need to make choices. My body is telling me that I can’t continue to be everything to everyone. So, I learned to politely decline going to places, reduced the number of obligations that I had socially, and started to really prioritize the people that matter.
- What I eat matters and Vitamins are a really important part of that. I started to see a functional health practitioner because I was concerned about my energy level, and didn’t want it to be all about medications. It was about being able to understand what nutrients my body was missing, supplementing them with better foods, and vitamins to help. Now, my vitamins go with me wherever I go and yes, I began to watch what I eat (but that darn cookie is still the antagonist in my healthy eating journey). I also began to use Peptide patches from Lifewave, the x39 and x49 patches, to help my body build up natural peptides to boost my energy and heal.
I know, this is a lot of personal information that I’m sharing. I wanted to share it because I often hear the term you are “Superwoman,” or you manage everything so well. Yes, I do, BUT I had to make some conscious changes in my life to be able to keep up with myself. Many of us don’t listen to our bodies. We run ourselves ragged, and then we burn out. Our society is dealing with a mental health crisis and many people have reached the brink – I’m simply trying to share my story so that all of you can understand as well, that looks can be deceiving, and even the strongest of us take time to listen to our bodies. Take a break, sleep in, it’s OK if you go to the gym in the evening and not the morning, REST – your body and mind will thank you for it. And most importantly, know your limitations and prioritize yourself first. A healthy body is a happier you.
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