I’ve been in a sort of hibernation this week… Recovering from being sick. This weekend has had me in bed by 8:30-9:00 every evening so far. I suppose I’ve needed the rest. It’s good, because I’m feeling better, and my skin is looking more clear. Yay for that. Sometimes I forget to get enough sleep… but it’s one of those important things that I need in order to function at my best. I get caught up in being so busy that I’m at a constant “Full Speed Ahead” gear… and I forget that I need to take care of my body… I need to get enough water, enough of the right foods (and limit the wrong foods); I need to limit my toxins and take my vitamins… I need to sleep enough in order to accomplish what I want without being sleepy and so that I can think clearly. It’s all a balance– between five thousand different aspects of health.
It’s not only physical– though your physical wellness is a huge part of health. It’s also about expressing and experiencing emotions in a healthy way… getting enough social time, enough alone time, and making time for the things that are important to me. It’s about being kind to myself and eliminating the negative self talk that I hear playing in my mind from time to time. It’s about having enough faith in myself to know that I can and will accomplish anything I set out to do. If that means working full time in a job that requires my full attention, my time management, giving emotional validation to parents who are going through the experience of having a sick child who needs a brain surgeon… then riding the bus on Colfax with a number of… crazy people…. arriving at school and taking challenging Chemistry courses, coming home to a family of two kids and two dogs and a wonderful man– and then taking on the role of Parent until bed time… well, that’s exactly what I am going to do. I do it all, and I do it well. But I can’t accomplish this without taking care of myself.
I think that many of us who have the Overachiever Syndrome tend to forget that one very important part of our responsibility. We think we can accomplish it all and then sleep when we’re dead. I appreciate the sentiment, but really, we can’t consistently behave like Super (wo)man without taking our health seriously. Otherwise, it’s just spurts of superhuman performance in between being sick physically, emotionally, or mentally. Exhaustion isn’t very enticing.
Anyway, this is just as much for myself as it is for you. I forget these things sometimes. It’s always nice to have a little reminder. Love yourself in body, mind and spirit. Self love is imperative when you’re trying to be a rock star.
2 Responses to “Overachiever Syndrome”
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:x 
:cry: 
8-) 
:wink:
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:00 am
I found your site on google blog search and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. Just added your RSS feed to my feed reader. Look forward to reading more from you.
- Sue.
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:11 am
Thanks for checking me out!!! Have a magnificent!