Summer Classes in Pausing, Pacing & Patience

So, the sun starts shining, the days get warmer and from nowhere comes the sneezing and then a tickly cough … and I’m knocked out for a week…

It’s incredibly unusual for me to have any more than a day or two with a runny nose throughout the year so I have little practice at being poorly and I don’t make a very good patient. Patience is what I needed this week

I felt annoyed, irritated and vulnerable as my cold got in the way of me getting on and doing the things I’d planned. Eventually, when I had little option I listened to my body and started to rest up, to sleep as much as I could and allow my body to do what it needed to do to return to good health.

So I slowed down … stopped fighting it …and accepted that I was not well … then I started to notice the incremental improvements.

As I feel stronger now I wonder what I could have done to have avoided getting ill?   And my conclusion … slow down… pause … be more mindful . . . notice and act on early signs of my body being out of balance …in this instance, sneezing and occasional coughs.

Even earlier, I could have been more aware that my schedule and commitments were stretching my emotional and physical resources as I enjoyed a fabulous full on year. Interestingly it was the people closest to me who were able to remind me just how busy I have been …I was running at quite a pace.

So perhaps I should build in some controls so I don’t let my excitement regarding new adventures and challenges result in me choosing to take on too much.

So my wisdom as I rebuild my resilience is to re-establish some healthy habits to check my wellbeing and restore a useful balance of resilience and resourceful so I can enjoy the summer to the full:

• Pause each day – stop and notice what’s going on… inside and outside my body. Ask those around me to act barometers … Am I doing too much? Am I getting techy? Working long hours? Forgetting to stop …
• Pace myself – Make time to chill out with friends and family. Build regular exercise into the daily routine (daily walks, weekly yoga etc). Get enough sleep …
• Be Patient with life and if I notice I’m poorly, accept it … Pause , Pace myself and let my body heal. 

Good advice to myself for a healthier mind body and spirit for all seasons.