Taking the time for yourself is so important yet it's probably the last thing on the priority list for most people...until it's gone, and I'm no exception to this.
One thing I've rarely talked about is I have ovarian tumor, something that made living life not easy for the past 5-6 years. I did many tests, doctors could not explain why. I have a pretty high pain tolerance but chronic pain, even if it's mild it makes you go crazy and it makes you weak mentally, because it's constantly there to remind you of its presence. In my case, the pain level varied. On days it really hurts, I can't stand straight or walk, I don't eat, I just stay in bed.
Other times, when the pain is mild, I try to stay strong and not let it affect my life, I'd go hiking to get my mind to focus on something else, but that only made it worst the next day. I remember how helpless and depressed I felt for years. I wondered, why me? Why am I wasting my days away in bed? There is nothing I could do. You can only go as far as your body carries you, and I could not control it.
I'm better now and I haven't experienced pain in the past year, and coincidentally, not since Dyno was born. Which is why I need to be more careful now; I avoid processed foods, medications, and unnatural products. I think we all know but don't care, but something as innocent as a tampon can cause you to loose a leg or die. The risks are low, but it could happen to anybody. Even if the side effects of medications and such are minor, you might just be the unlucky one.
Little things such as taking the time to deep stretch, meditate and work out really helped me a lot. Having a dog is beneficial to mental health as well. I also moved to a place with bright natural light all day long and I live with over 50 of my plant children that supply me with clean fresh air. I never realized how much it changed my mood in general until now. I also try not to read e-mails past office hours anymore. Clients might have urgent issues to deal with, but too much is urgent nowadays and urgent is not actually that urgent. Nothing is more urgent than your mental health, and that perspective really reduced my stress level.
When you're mentally well, your body follows, your blood pressure decrease, you can mitigate chronic pain, sleep better, fight addictions. Meditation is still too high level for me, but I've been doing a little bit of it here and there, and even a little bit gives me so much clarity. I want to make it a point to keep on doing it.
I'm able to do all the activities that I love such as rock climbing, yoga and hiking because I have a healthy body and I can't be thankful enough.