feel

I’m writing this post at 37 weeks pregnant. It’s not essential for you to know that or be able to relate either but you may further along. See the last few days I’ve had to pull out all the inner resources I can to function in a way that makes sense, or in a way I can get any productivity done.

You may/may not be pregnant however you understand what it feels like to hit a wall and have to lay down and sleep immediately. Or to get up at 3.45am to pee and it disturbs your sleep. Or your feet feel on fire so you move around, put on spray, cream and nothing works till you sleep in the coldest part of the house.

Acid reflux, light sensitivity, low concentration I could go on.

You may experience these if you have chronic fatigue, are elderly, you have bad circulation or have ongoing sadness or depression.

At times, I can’t piece together what to do next. It’s important to feel, not to shut out everything and be kind to yourself. I remind myself of these often and they have become my top five go-to resources:

All great things require time, I have pinned up on my board. It applies to projects and also life matters as that little extra time you give yourself can make all the difference. Breathe and do one thing at a time – do it 10 seconds at a time if it’s too much for you.

Getting good sleep is obvious advice, if only it was that easy – I didn’t ask to wake up and pee at 3.45am then have nightmares till 6 am! Rest often is better advice. It may be in 3 minutes of resting deep breaths in and out in between activities or a 15-minute nap. It could be investing in lavender oil to sprinkle on your pillow, getting a healing eye mask and having warm milk or a spoon of honey before resting. All those work for me most of the time. As well as relaxing music, piano at the moment.

I will declare something ‘I can do in peace’, a phrase taken from author Martha Beck. If I’m overwhelmed and fatigued I won’t find it easy to make decisions however with those words, I can find something to do. It could be collage, listening to music or folding laundry. Whatever it is, it’s something, and I believe something can spur on something else and a chain of movement happens.

I feel like I’ve said this before but I love the energy and confidence that gets put out there with these words from author Wayne Dyer – All is well and I am perfect health. It worked for him through Leukaemia, he lived happily and longer than everyone expected. It can work for me for something much smaller.

To just do one thing and adapt to going slow, instead of feeling like I need to do everything and rushing takes practice but it’s worth it.

What are your go-to resources when feeling stuck, tired or down?