I’ve been overwhelmed this past week. I am my elderly father’s sole caregiver and he broke his ribs last Friday. I haven’t been getting enough sleep which, in turn, is causing me to sleep in and hit snooze on my alarms. I have a routine and waking up late has caused me to get thrown off my routine more days than not since my father’s accident. I do NOT do well off my routine. I become irritable, impatient, and moody. I don’t treat people with the same kindness I do on a regular basis. That hurts my heart when I act out of character. My heart’s been hurting. My routine is wakeup, make my bed, brush my teeth, coffee, pray, smudge, journal, meditate, then workout. I feel GREAT when I’m able to accomplish it all. But with the heightened level of care my dad requires right now, I simply cannot do it all AND sleep. So, after yet another day of being irritable and after I came home from picking up my father’s elder meal the tribe makes each weekday, I came home and wrote in my journal for like 30 min, I kid you not. But, in taking this time for myself, in giving myself the space and time to process everything, I not only came up with the world’s simplest yet BRILLIANT plan that I otherwise would not have come up with had I not taken this time to journal: I can go to bed earlier. My mind has been so discombobulated with everything and clouded from the stress, this simple idea would have stayed hidden in the fog forever if I hadn’t honored myself with self-care just now. I don’t know what self-care looks like for you, but I’m going to paint my nails as soon as I hit submit on this post and yes, I’m going to go to bed early tonight. Re-runs of the Office will be there tomorrow and the next and I’ll be happier having the time to do my routine in the morning and have day free from irritability. So, love on yourself, do something nice for YOU because you absolutely deserve it.
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Glad you made the time for yourself. It’s like the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
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Sorry to hear about your dad’s condition. I do so admire you for being there for him. Yes you must do something for you. Maybe can find some thing that is rejuvenating for you both until you can be alone and do just you. I am praying you find comfort!
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