Good day Healthy Trekkers,
Yes, its me, and yes, I skipped the month of May in my correspondences for my “monthly blog.” I had an incident occur with a bacteria disturbance to my gut from an application of a dental procedure. It has been upsetting and required much of my energy and attention to be in a quiet space for recovery. I debated creating a blog in May, but I resolved to remain truthful to what is a part of everyone’s experience when they find themselves ill; sometimes you find yourself needing to limit what you commit to and need to take reserves. That was me.
So I quieted the space within myself first, then focused on the spaces around me to establish practices within the community: work, friends and practitioners.
Quieted Spaces Within
When we are ill we find that our whole body and spirit enters into a vortex, a cocoon like state of need for care. We gravitate towards less activities, rest, relaxation, quiet atmospheres away from people and the places that might normally enrich and en-living us are taken leave of for pause. It can sometimes feel like you are at a distance from the daily life going-on’s around you, the hustle and bustle of daily life feels out of sync with you. This is all perfectly normal. It is what is natural to our rhythmic alignment with nature to have us retreat and take space in calm and seek to create peace and tranquility for healing. We do ourselves good to give way to this process willingly. This requires truthfulness, listening to your body and spirit and honoring it completely. I find it takes time off of healing when I put this into place first then you can focus on your commitments and opening to receiving the help of others.
You can do so by starting to share with others around you the need you have to take care of yourself and what this looks like.
Work
Not all employers are open to the needs of their employees when health and wellness needs to take center place. If you have a chronic condition or one that needs addressing with fair regularity in your life, the capacities for which you can attend to your job need to be considered. Take responsibility to communicate what is feasible for you in this time period with the team of colleagues that can support your work. Share with your director privately to establish an on-going routine communication channel on health. It may be a new protocol to this working environment so give yourself and your colleagues time to adjust. Established commitments may require your attention to help follow through to completion with the team’s support. Be willing to give what you can to complete this reasonably within your abilities. The key is to keep communication clear and honest.
Friends
Practicing Swaps. Swapping out activities and commitments that stretch you beyond your abilities at the moment can be a great way to not lose touch with people while you are in your healing space. Ex. Lunch date you had on your calendar with your friend: You may not feel like being in crowds, perhaps sitting at a table is not comfortable or your eating is restricted. Share your need for a swap. A tea time on your porch or at a cafe can still offer time with a friend. If you need a rain check all together, let them know and let them know its temporary and you will see them soon. It is important to practice this to the ability you have and not to extend yourself beyond to others wishes for your time. This takes practice and may take a bit of some getting used to on both you and your friends as this is put into place. It may seem abrupt if your injury or health challenge came on suddenly so know this takes some adjustment for you both. If it is a chronic condition, you may already have friends who are aware, but may still need time for their own processing. Share what they can do to be supportive and if space to yourself means less rather than more communication at this time, be willing to be truthful about this. I find you receive the empathy and support is there.
Practitioners
The importance of a team approach to healing can not be underestimated. To be able to create a team that you can lean on and lean into for support includes the practitioners. Creating a list of practitioners that you trust and feel confidence within the budget, community resources, healthcare system, easy of access both physically and in communication is no easy task. Be honest about what you can afford to take into your practice. If it is within the budget, physically and mentally as well as financially I find it will be helpful. If it requires on-going and stretches you beyond these means to the extent that you are unable to meet this need, it can become burdensome and create further unintentional distance to your recovery time. Seek within your means first and follow with that which may go above and beyond second. Be considerate of the factors that need addressing immediately that can best support you beginning recovery and seek out practitioners that are willing to be available for you within the means you can afford. Lean in to those who offer support with that allow you to feel a sense of peaceful exchange in your receipt of their care.
May you all find yourself with a healthy trek to the road before you at whatever stage of healing you are in at this moment and bring restoration.
In health,
Safara
