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Letting Go and Making Sacrifices for My Health
Happy Friday! I wanted to share an article by one of our newest columnists, Kala Godin. In “Letting Go and Making Sacrifices for My Health,” Kala talks about giving up her newsletter so she can prioritize things like her book and her editing gig.
Because SMA causes fatigue, it’s important to acknowledge that you can’t do everything. This is something I’ve really struggled with over the past few years. I’m an overachiever, and I love the feeling of crossing things off my to-do list, so it’s hard for me to step back and shift things around to better align with my values. My headaches have really forced me to prioritize, though—if I overwork myself, I get slammed with pain. It’s my body’s way of telling me to cut it out!
Can you relate to Kala’s experiences? Have you ever had to give something up to protect your health?
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6 Replies
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It’s funny. It seems that most SMA folks tend to push themselves too hard. I have the opposite problem. I don’t think I push myself enough.
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It really depends for me! Sometimes I push myself and sometimes I’m lazy as all get out 😂
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I’ve always been the type to say yes even when I don’t want to do it. As I’ve gotten older though I’ve gotten a bit better about prioritizing. Still have trouble saying no, but at least I can usually work it into my own time frame. Sometimes I struggle with the fact it seems to take me 10 times longer to do things, so am I really that busy, or am I average busy just really slow?
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Ooh, that’s a great question! Some things take me longer, and some are easy peasy, but I definitely hear what you’re saying. Comparison is so dangerous because you’re really just not on fair terms at all.
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I think it’s really beneficial to listen to our bodies and know our limits (this goes for everyone, actually). But, especially with SMA and being mindful of our fatigue level. Over the years, I’ve learned really some tough lessons about this. There were times when I took on far too much (working long days with poor sleep quality at night) and my fatigue level skyrocketed, causing a surge in health issues. It’s taken some time, and I’ve had to put my pride aside on several occasions, but I’ve learned to be more tuned-in to my body, my stress level, and how I’m feeling. I find that meditation, modified chair yoga, and making time to engage in fulfilling activities is also really important to my overall well-being.
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Yes!! I love this. I’ve been getting into meditation lately and really enjoying it!
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