Time to relax and take leave from parenting…
As mothers we are skilled at many productive things, but we are especially skilled at putting ourselves last. We prioritise our kids’ needs ahead of our own, and we constantly look out for others, neglecting to replenish ourselves. We too often forget to fit our own oxygen masks.
It’s no secret last year was a rough one for me. I seemed to jump from one disaster or disappointment to another. I don’t want to bang on about it, as I don’t think it’s helpful to dwell on the negative, but I do think it’s important to listen to your body, and your heart, and recognise when you need a break.
Towards the end of the year I felt like I was going to combust. I felt drained; emotionally, physically and mentally. I went to my GP and asked for blood tests to try and uncover a medical reason for my unrelenting fatigue. The blood tests came back normal. I was disappointed. I wanted a medical explanation for it, like low iron. I’m a vegetarian after all so that would have made sense. But my lovely GP assured me that there was indeed a medical explanation for it. Exhaustion. Burnout. She suggested a strange concept called “rest.”…