The alarm goes off, and you think for a split second, “I can’t get up! Can I afford to hit snooze? Will it throw my whole day off?” Did you ever think that 9 minutes had so much power?
During the day, you are functioning like a zombie. Inside, something is telling you, “Just take a break!” But you ignore it because there are things to do and people to take care of.
You feel at any minute you can break down and just fall asleep, cry, or collapse. Then that cursed internal debate starts on whether you can afford to give in to the sleeping, crying, or collapsing.
How does it feel to tell your body it’s not allowed to restore itself because there are too many other things that are far more important than your wellbeing?
What does your body, your mind, your soul have to do to convince you to take a break?
If this is you, you are likely experiencing exhaustion, also known as fatigue or burnout. Yet, since you have not been properly diagnosed; and you can still carry on; you will keep pushing through. You are not alone. Most likely there are plenty women and men around you who are mixing the destructive combination of overwork and lack of sleep. Therefore, you don’t think your condition needs to be attended to.
Because everyone around you is in the same boat, you don’t think your experience is so bad. You continually ignore your body’s whispers:
- Headaches, stomach aches, or sore muscles
- Lethargy
- Prone to illness (regular colds and flus)
- Low mood
- Loss of focus
- Irritability
How long can you afford to ignore those whispers until they get louder? How long can you afford to push them aside until you crash?
If you keep on ignoring these whispers, your body will start yelling at you. You won’t have the option of pushing aside the internal debate, your body will just say “ENOUGH!!” Illnesses such as heart attacks, diabetes, strokes, depression, anxiety will be around the corner. Your exhaustion will become irreversible, even fatal!
So, I ask you, is it better to wait to take a break when you have broken down and have absolutely nothing left to give? Is it better to wait until you have no choice but to stop, because you are sick and your body doesn’t have the capacity to go on anymore?
Or is it better to take breaks when you are feeling ok, even though you might not feel like you actually need it? Should taking a break at this time be laced with the feeling of “guilty pleasure,” or should it be a basic and a vital part of your health management?
When you give yourself permission to STOP, nourish and refresh, this is what you can expect:
- Vitality and energy
- Warmth, compassion and the ability to really listen to your family, friends and children
- More productivity and focus
- A sense of gratitude for everything you already have in your life
If you start replenishing yourself regularly, then you will have taken the power away from those 9 minutes in the morning. No longer will you be prisoner to the snooze button! And, if you occasionally hit the snooze button, the day won’t be so bad for you either, as those extra 9 minutes of sleep will likely do you more good than harm.
