Re-booting

Re-booting yourself is essential in today's fast paced and overly hectic lifestyle. After working a 70 + hour last week, my body and mind rebelled. It inisted on some down time and a system restore and re-bbot. It gave me a migraine. Today I am still going through the pain cycle, and expect it to last well in to tomorrow. But that is my fault.

So what does this tell me - I need to ensure I don't work another 70+ hour week - yes that goes without saying. But it also highlights to me the need to find balance. I decided to work rather than exercise - bad idea. So exercise is well and truly back on the agenda. And I need to find time to meditate rather than stare at a computer screen.

We all have habits. Some of them good and some of them bad ones to have. One of my bad habits is thinking I can carry on when in truth I shouldn't. What does your body do to you to remind you that you are well and truly overdoing it?

As always - something to think about.

Elle

Comments

[Nick]

Hi I am a British Junior doctor, I enjoy your emails - thank you - they do help... but I reg work 70+ hrs a week so spare time for excercise etc... not really an option... any tips for people like me?

[N.H.]

I am a critical care nurse and I already have 12 hr shifts and on top of that I often work overtime because the unit is short staffed. My body absolutely reminds me that I've overdone it because it is exhausted after working long hours. Not to mention it is often my excuse the following day for not exercising - so it's a double whammy!

[Rhia]

I always know I'm overdoing it because my body craves junk food when I am taking on too much! I usually eat relatively healthily but when I'm putting my body through more than it can take it shuts down and refuses until its full of junk which ineviatbly leads to the start of a cycle of decline which needs determination to get back out of!

[Elle]

Thank you for the comments....boy did that one open a debate...thank you so much for taking the time - when you don't have a lot to spare.

Nick, N.H and Rhia - I empathise I do. Mine is / was self inflicted, so have no real excuse. Saying that, you'd think I'd learn from my mistakes, but it's now 15 hrs since starting my day and today's edition is just going out. As to how to handle your individual circumstances - oh boy is that a hard one. But one thing that may help is to get incidental exercise in...stomp up and down the stairs rather than take the lifts. On your breaks, take a walk through the grounds. It doesn't have to take a lot to re-boot yourself, just enough to shift the brain into other modes.

Good luck
Elle