Nothing prepared me for the physical, emotional and spiritual fatigue, and the ongoing insomnia I would experience when I became chronically ill. It goes well beyond the occasional night or two of no sleep. It’s so much more than being “tired.” It’s exhaustion at the cellular level.
Like many women, I thought of self-care as selfish or indulgent, served up with an undercurrent of guilt. It seemed extravagant – like a weekend at a spa, rather than emotional first aid of the highest order. Like the classic example flight attendants give about putting on your oxygen mask first before helping others, it’s important to tend to yourself first.
Do you treat yourself as your own best friend - with compassion and caring - or do you fill your day with negative self-talk and self-critical messages? Are you more in touch with the things you feel are weaknesses about yourself than you are what makes you unique and special?
In order to write this article I've spent a great deal of time thinking about and researching work+life fit, and looking for examples of severe work+life dysfunction among business women with family obligations who feel like they're barely treading water.
In early 2011 I spent three months offline and out of my office recovering from extensive surgery. Truth be told, it was life-saving, life-changing surgery. And that made it non-negotiable. For women like me, non-negotiable is often the only way self-care gets done.
Professional Coaching for the Midlife Woman 