Learn what you can do about it.
I was wondering if you answer yes to any of these questions …
- Do you often feel like you are rushing to do it all?
- Do you often feel like you are wound up like a spring?
- Do you often feel like you are in a daily battle to try and keep up?
Is it possible that YES has been your answer to all of these?!
You know, as I restart my life over in my 40’s, rebuilding and maintaining my health is in the top three on my list of priorities. Limited time and a limited budget as a single parenting mama, means my natural health focus has not and is not always easy despite my intention, but I know in my heart that I don’t want to answer yes to these questions. I don’t want to feel the feelings associated with them in a daily battle!
It does happen though. Sometimes. Doesn’t it?
Well I know that for me it does, and even though I have a constant daily intention about it, the battle can feel real, despite my awareness. Know what I mean? I think you do.
“There has never been a time before now, when there are so many females in such an intense rush to do everything, and be all things to all people. This relentless urgency, this perception that there is not enough time combined with a never ending to-do list, is having significant health consequences for many women. The perceived need to rush, is changning women’s health in a detrimental way.
Sex hormone-based health issues, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, infertility and debilitating menopause symptoms, not to mention exhaustion, have never been greater. While the role of stress is undeniable.
Imbalanced hormones, depleted adrenal glands from long term overproduction of stress hormones, sluggish thyroid glands and the impact of all of this on our health, as well as the people around us, is a huge concern.
Why do we think and behave in ways that are leading to this significant, downward spiral in our health?
The answer lies in our biochemistry AND our belief systems.
Once you understand what is really going on, you will see that the swing between rushing and not rushing is driven by our beliefs, and our behaviour is the expression of those beliefs. Unless we question the beliefs upon which our actions are based, the actions will likely continue.
Regardless of the circumstances, when you feel or perceive that your life is challenging, no matter how big or how small those challenges, they have an impact. What you perceive is then hormonally generated by your biochemistry.
For many, the body cannot keep up with the rate of change the world now asks of it and so it is imperative that we take steps to create periods of downtime, when we can truly rest. Our challenge is that our surroundings are changing at a rate never before witnessed.
The past three decades have seen a faster, more dramatic change than ever before. We’ve welcomed the Internet into our lives in an increasingly big way and seen the invention of cell phones. Prior to this advance in technology nobody could reach us as we drove to and from work or when we were taking the kids to school or doing the grocery shopping. Today our cell phones ring, ping and vibrate incessantly to inform us of the arrival of emails, calls and social media notifications – at all times of the day and night.
Unless we choose to have boundaries around when we are contactable, we are essentially on call 24/7.
It wasn’t long ago that there was naturally, without effort, more soul food and downtime in our lives and less temptation to fill every spare moment with something “productive”. For many, if food isn’t convenient it is simply not on the menu. You don’t need me to tell you that this kind of eating comes at a cost. You would have had to have had your head buried in the sand not to know we need to be eating a diet of mostly fresh food and that most of us need to be eat way more vegetables than we currently do.
But, more often than not it is our beliefs, rather than lack of education, that drives us to make poor food choices. While in some cases, further education about food and nutrition can be immensely beneficial, inspiration and unraveling your beliefs about your wellbeing is just as important. That uplifting feeling of wanting to take good care of yourself and believing that you are worth it!”
Do I have your attention? Could this sound like you? Do you believe you are worth it?
I honestly think, that if for starters you are here reading and seeing yourself in this story, there is a very strong chance that “uplifting feeling of wanting to take good care of yourself and believing that you are worth it” is sometimes, if not always squashed by your heartbreak and/or your own self doubt. Yes, I have your attention. Yes, this does sound like you. Nope, I don’t feel like I am worth it at the moment. I know. I understand. I get it. I have been there too.
In no particular order of priority because , I believe that these 3 things are all absolutes …
- Having the right support people around you and with you, each and every step, is imperative in getting through any of our challenges in life I think. Ensuring you have personal and professional support in your corner is so important to tackling the things life throws at us.
- You need to dig into your faith, do the work and actually take the steps through yourself. Only you and I can do that. But most certainly your beliefs and your faiths will guide you strongly along, especially on the grimmest of days.
- Taking care of your health is vital, because it is not indestructible! And we are not getting any younger. Our families need us. Our kiddies need us. We need us!
Dr Libby Weaver is an Internationally Acclaimed Nutritional Biochemist, Author & Speaker. The words in this blog are an extract from her recent book called Rushing Woman’s Syndrome, which I suggest as a read for you. Dr Libby is an incredible and possible support person for you, if not one on one, then hopefully through the pages of her incredible work. Dr Libby holds a Bachelor of Health Science majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics, and a PhD in Biochemistry and she has two decades of clinical practice. I am sure she will awaken in you some thoughts and actions involving your ragged rushing around and what you can do about it!
We are all about simple and intentional here at Hiddy and Co, so can you have a think back to that very first email you received from me? Those things again – Sleep. – You time – Giving thanks. At the very least my darling, these are a great place for you to simply start because they work for me and I recon they will for you too. If you do them. Intentionally. And when you have your head around those and where you are at, you can take it a step further when your ready. There is no rush.
What have you learned about your rushing and your health from reading this article?
Once you’ve had a chance to read, we’d love to hear from you so please leave a comment below and let us know. Your sharing might help someone else to move forward. Thank you so much for being here and for adding your perspective. Please share this post with someone you love, because it might help them to slow up into a gentle consistent jog rather than a mad constant rush … Hxx
Photo by Jenn Evelyn-Ann on Unsplash
