Let’s give ourselves a break!
We very rarely take the time to think about the challenges we have overcome. To acknowledge the strength and resilience that we have shown. But if you actually take a moment to let it all sink in, you realise that it’s about time you gave yourself a break.
I’ve often tried to put the past behind me but my experiences have made me who I am today and let’s be honest, there’s no escaping it. Being diagnosed with a pituitary tumour and chronic illness is not something you can just brush under the carpet. It’s life changing.
The tough part has always been accepting it, realising that it will have an impact on my everyday life and finding a way to live with ‘The Mass’ without killing each other.
Having a pituitary condition means that things are forever changing and you can develop a real love/hate relationship with yourself. One day you might have the energy to Marie Kondo the crap out of your home and the next day you’re bound to the sofa working from your laptop. The quick switch from ‘on’ to ‘off’ can trigger a lot of negative self-talk which takes a real toll on your mental health.
I’ll say to myself “I don’t understand, I felt like superwomen yesterday. What is going on?!” Then my following thought is usually “I’m so frustrated I haven’t achieved what I wanted to today.” As usual I’ll beat myself up until my inner child is crying out for help.
The above has been my thought process for years and there’s no denying that it’s left me a little battered and bruised. However, I feel that I’ve recently turned a corner after having a number of realisations which I’d like to share with you.
The first being that I have had my world interrupted by a life changing diagnosis where I’ve undergone two surgeries, radiotherapy and will be on lifelong medication.
The second being I’m only 28 and I’ve already experienced a lot of pain and trauma that is bound to have an effect on my mental health.
The third being that despite everything I’ve been and am going through, I have achieved a hell of a lot in both my personal and professional life.
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK!
The last point makes me cringe a little when I read it back because it comes as no surprise that we very rarely acknowledge the positives or give ourselves any praise for the things we have done well. But I’m calling BS because we more than deserve to make a big deal out of all the things we’ve achieved no matter how big or small. Why? Because we’ve done it with the odds against us, we’ve powered through and guess what? We are still here to tell the story!
And if you ever have any doubt in your capabilities, I invite you to repeat after me:
I AM STRONG
I AM RESILIENT
I AM HUMAN (sorry but there’s no such things as super)
🧠