I go hard. I work a 40 hour a week job, am taking a class and writing a significantly intense final project for it, run a club, exercise 5+ days a week, am an active member of another club, and struggle to find time for doing laundry, hanging out with friends, and cooking. Last week in particular was very stressful, and I'm sure it's not going to get better until I finish this term. I have a race this coming weekend, and my family is moving 6 hours away. This is all manageable, but it really wears a person down after a while.
Shocker: I woke up sick yesterday.
My immediate reaction: It's going to really stink to run this afternoon, and I need to do laundry, and homework, and gee, what about dinner?
As the day went on, I realized none of that was going to happen. My body was clearly telling me what it needed was not another long day, but an easy break-night. So when I got home from work, no, I did not head straight to the gym, but rather, the shower. Cue pjs, a comfy sweatshirt, and hanging out on the couch with a box of tissues and my laptop (ok, so there was still a little homework). I made sure to go to bed early enough that I would get about 8 hours of sleep.
And you know what? Today I feel much better. Allowing myself a night off gave my body time to unwind and start recovering. A good night's sleep was even better. I know it'll be a few days until I'm back to normal, but that doesn't mean I should continue at the same, slightly frantic pace I've been going.
The takeaway is to know your limits. Be comfortable saying "no" when you have too much on your plate. Give yourself a break every now and then. Ask for help when you need it. It's ok to be human.
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