Switching off

Sometimes you need to switch off completely.

Rob and I were lucky enough to have five days at the beach last week without the kids. Sure they’re both adults and they were at home tending the garden and spoiling the pets but it was weird to go away without them for that long.

It meant that we only had the two of us to consider. Meals were easy, any mess was created by us alone and quickly tidied away. There were no external pressures to consider and even better Rob had no phone or data signal at the house so he was completely cut off from his workplace.

Life slowed down, we took time to walk slowly and admire the view, we savoured our food and drinks, we read books for hours. We paddled in the waves and scrunched our toes in the sand. We had real and sustained conversations. We took drives along the coast and into the hinterland and paused again to admire the view. We enjoyed long afternoon siestas.

Reflections of sun,sand and sea

I felt calmer than I had for a long time. The run up to Christmas had been a busy one with lots of clients wanting sessions to help them prepare for the festive season. And then I got a cold. I was shocked. I hadn’t had one in three years and had forgotten just how lousy it can make you feel. And then it lingered on and on for over two weeks. It hung around for all of Christmas and with 10 people in the house it was not an ideal time to be sick. In fact, it made me very cross!

I rolled straight back into the new year with a week of bookings, which was great, my clients are always good fun but I was tired. My knee and its associated medications mean that I just don’t function at the level I did in the past. I tire easily and become very vague. Usually I perk up again after a nap or a good night’s sleep but according to Rob it was like living with a person in the early stages of Dementia. In short, I was at the point where if I didn’t stop and acknowledge my physical health, my mental wellbeing would suffer too.

I came home rested and recharged. I’m keen to get out and work with my clients but I’m also really excited about plans to build my business. It’s amazing what a little bit of self-care can do!