It's okay to rest

Something I've always struggled with is taking an entire day off; like a whole 24 hour day. And don't even get me started on when I take vacations and say I'm going to stay off my phone. Just ask both of my previous bosses, Kathy and Becca (or Jann!).

Times have changed right before our eyes the last few weeks. Whether you like it or not, we've all had to adjust to a new way of life. For me, I quit my day job just before we went into lockdown (not knowing it was coming), so any hope of finding something new was crushed. Personally, I knew that I would be okay because of the supports I have in place due to my mental health. (I'll get into all of that with time.) With all of my newfound time, I finally started the blog I've always wanted to write, and wrapped my coffee gig into it as my own self-care shop. Well, all of this takes a ton of work! Not to mention, my coffee gig already had me working on the new online farmers market in Minneapolis, so I was already working on a shop.

Then I threw in a nagging shoulder injury, and as it progressed I was forced to come to an abrupt halt this week. Taking a day off, at home, in the middle of the work week was something I simply did not know how to do. How could I just turn off my brain when my desk and laptop are right there, and ideas, tasks, and more are whirling around in my head? Then the chiropractors order me to take another day? What!

But this crisis is teaching me that everything I used to know is out the window. There is no "normal schedule" anymore. We all just have to take it day by day. Everyone is working from home, unless they are frontline workers. Kids are home 24/7 with their parents (or in my case, caregivers). I help nanny my 2 nieces, and now that the older one is being homeschooled, my roommate and I are also teachers. Teaching is nothing new to me, as I got my undergraduate degree in education. Nonetheless, it's a new way of functioning. We have to adapt.

So, my laptop will still be on my desk at 9pm tonight, and on Saturday afternoon. My work is not going anywhere. I have no one depending on me to get my website fully launched, or my online farmers marketplace ready. Does it all need to get done? Yes. But does my body, screaming in pain, need a break? Absolutely! And if my body needs two days off in the middle of the week, things will survive. When my body is hurting, it's trying to tell me that something is wrong and I need to pay attention to it. I hear it loud and clear. I saw a doctor, who sent me to a chiropractor, who told me to take a nap and rest following treatment. And I need to be okay with it.

Today, I woke up lazily, made my first cappuccino, did my taxes, and then went back to bed for a bit. Later, I got back up, and soaked in a hot bath of epsom salt and pink Himalayan sea salts, got dressed, and went to work. The salts and hot water helped soothe my back, neck, and shoulder, while I inhaled the beautiful smell of the peppermint candle I lit. Taking care of my physical, mental, and emotional health needed to come first this week. And that is okay. Resting when your body tells you to is okay; it is not selfish. Repeat as needed.

Love,

Em