While I'm not very active on social media in general, I've been extra quiet the last few weeks, and I'd like to share a little bit about what I've been up to.
On October 13th I celebrated my 39th birthday, and I took some extra care that week to enjoy the beautiful fall leaves and treat myself to some quality time. Obviously autumn is the best season, and I consider myself so fortunate to have my birthday during this time of year.
The week after that, my daughter was home for her Fall Break, so I took some extra days off that week to rest at home and be with her. We took lots of walks, played in the leaves, and made some delicious homemade soups and snacks <3
The weekend after that, I was scheduled to take a new course to expand my clinical knowledge and manual skills, so I took some extra time for myself during the week to complete the prep work and be able to focus well on the material presented during the course time (I love continuing education and learning new things!)
The week after that, a relative of mine was admitted to the hospital with severe symptoms, and I was so happy I had time to visit him a couple times and be available to help my family.
Last night he passed away. While I feel the weight of that loss, I take a lot of comfort in the fact that his suffering was brief and that I was able to see, touch, and speak with him so recently.
We live in interesting times. Technology allows us to be more "connected" than ever, but many of us actually still feel isolated. We have been taught from an early age that our society expects performance, productivity, profit, and whatever sacrifices are necessary to get there.
"Hustle!"
"Win!"
"Rest when you're dead!"
Nevermind how tired you are. Nevermind the toll on your body, on your mental health. Nevermind your personal relationships, goals, or needs.
This lifestyle approach has landed us in a reality where 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with some form of mental illness during their lifetime, over 20% of Americans are living with daily chronic pain, and over 60% of deaths are directly related to chronic lifestyle illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes. "Self-care" has been reduced to a trendy buzzword associated with cappuccinos, pedicures, and impulsive spending. Too many people are literally just surviving until they can sneak away for their next vacation, and it's literally making us sick.
I opened Brightside Integrative Physical Therapy so that I could "be the change" I wanted to see in healthcare, and I am engineering my lifestyle to allow me to easily prioritize my own physical and mental health: to find healthy balance between work, play, and rest.
And you can, too.
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