This is so freaking hard Allison and it’s happening more and more as I age 😳 As much as I try to change course in these slower times, I find I’m only successful temporarily. There comes a time when I just want ‘to do’ something!! Why don’t many of us consider slowing down doing something??
Oh I so get this, Jane! God forbid I take an hour or two to defrag my brain and not do anything “useful”. I tell my kids all the time that’s it’s important to be bored sometimes. And yet they constantly see me puttering around the house, doing one thing after another. {*sigh*}
I bet yoga with Adriene has some helpful gentle mat based practices you could try? I love this snail story and how they’re little reminders to take your time and slow down. I’m needing this reminder too. Thanks for sharing this…maybe the universe is trying to get my attention with all these “slow down” posts! 🩷
Oh man! I really hope you heal quickly. I’m currently reading a great book about slowing down. Once I quickly finish it, I’m sure I’ll be ready to do it 🤣.
I am so sorry you are suffering, Allison-both from shingles and from your brain that does not know how to be quiet or slow. Both are painful ~ in different ways.
Your situation reminds me of 2 summers ago-2022. I was at work. I went to brush my teeth and while looking in the mirror, thought, "Does my face look weird?" As the day wore on, each time I brushed my teeth (I might me a tad OCD with my tooth brushing :D), I also could not seem to spit right. I WebMD'd the shit out of my symptoms, as you so poetically put it, lol , and determined I was *probably* not having a stroke and finished my shift at 7PM. Drove a half hour to my local urgent care, where, despite a supposed 2 hour wait, they took me right back and the doc promptly sent me to the ER across the street. Within minutes, I had 7 medical professionals speed firing questions at me at once. Before I could text anyone for emotional support, I was whisked off for a CT scan with contrast. Sure enough, I was not having a stroke, but I was sure having my first-and I pray my only-episode of Bell's Palsy.
The experience was a rude and sudden SLOW THE EFF DOWN, Rosemary message from The Universe. I did not like it. I had to ask people for, um, help. And, worst of all, not go to work. I could not speak well or drink or eat like a normal person for weeks.
But....and....I had REALLY needed to slow the eff down. And as I recall Oprah sharing at some point in the 90s, God/The Universe sends us little pebbles at first. If we don't pay attention to those, he/she/they send us rocks. If we ignore the rocks, they send us a GIANT bolder.
Welp, my Bells Palsy was the bolder that made me stop in my tracks. Cuz I sure ignored the heck out of the pebbles and rocks. Sigh.
Sending you speedy healing and slow recovering, friend. Adding you to my prayers if that is OK.
Oh Rosemary - thanks for this. Bells Palsy is some scary shit. I’m grateful it wasn’t anything more serious. 🙏🏼 I’ll never turn down a prayer from friends. Thanks for being such a cheerleader in my life.
I am leaning into the timing of all of this and am committed to having a sloooooow summer.
Hey - I just woke up from a nap! Instead of urgently packing for a vacation that my family leaves on tomorrow, I let myself lay down for an hour. Glorious process right there!
You are not alone Allison! I’m not sure how this happened to me again lol but the calendar is entirely too full and it is a making all of my own. I tried to squeeze in a Memorial Day trip up north and my kids- 12 and 8- were like no mom it’s too much! 🥴. Sobriety has given me this amazing huge life and I think sometimes I just don’t want to waste anymore time and it makes me want to do all the things. BUT doing all the things all the time is one of the reasons I drank all the time. Woke up at 5:00am Saturday morning after getting home at 11:00 Friday night from a volleyball tournament with what felt exactly like the worst hanxiety. That was a huge wake up call for me. Sending some peace and strength to you Allison. I feel you sister.
Oh it helps me knowing you know exactly what I mean/feel. I am just wired to want to do all the things and then I get mad at my body/mind when doing all the things pushes me into a gear I can’t handle. Downshifting is hard for me yet I know I need it.
I love how you acknowledge the big shiny happy sober living and how that motivates you to be there for all of it. It’s a good way to be, Amy! We just have to remember to take a day off from time to time - to recalibrate.
Allison, those snails have a message for me, too, but with less urgency now than I would have needed in my 40s or 50s. Now in my early 60s I am slowing my roll as a matter of instinct. If I look back at all my previous doing and striving I feel compassion for that woman, and wish she knew what I knew now. Which is: if I take a moment to go deep inside and listen to myself, my wisest self, i will end up doing the things that really matter. And that’s what it’s like for me now. The things and people who really matter are what guides my days. And I think you are way ahead of me, decades ahead, in recognizing that. Feel better soon! Try doing lots of twists from a seated position. Or maybe chair yoga, focusing on upper body. And treat yourself to yoga nidra!
Ohhhh. Chair yoga is a good idea. And I don’t think I utilize yoga nidra often enough. Good suggestions, thank you!
Thanks for your supportive words, Amy. What’s hilarious (and I know you will get it) is that I found a small magnet that belongs to my daughter - which fell right out of her school backpack yesterday. It was laying right in the center of the floor by itself. A magnet snail.
AND then, a few hours later, my daughter & her friend were playing with clay and Caroline said, here mom- look what I made you. A snail. And she has zero knowledge of the essay I wrote this week.
Allison, Bless you!!!! While I am the polar opposite to all of you impressive achievers, I also see the need to stop and listen to the still small voice (Holy Spirit), as He has information for you. The West is especially in pursuit of GO GO GO. I never could collide with this demand. I just cannot move that fast, even though I always walked fast in my younger days ( I am 71). Pacing ones-self is hard...but it does pay dividends. LOVE the snails, they DO have their side of wisdom, do they not? PLEASE take care, shingles is rough. I have a dear friend who had it, he did not know what the heck it was and he had to seek treatment. Not fun. Live on, Allison! You are needed here. WEW
Oh Wendy, truly I thank you for your message. There is certainly a part of me that has a louder voice than that still girl inside of me. The big voice can drown her out most days. But right now, I think she has my attention.
Thanks for sharing your experience here with us. I envy folks who naturally respect and live by a slower rhythm.
Allison, bless you! I am not asking you to stop being who you are! Some of us are naturally achievers and hard-driving people and I respect that. I am not, at least not yet! I guess just listen to your body when it tells you "stop" for awhile, even a day or two. The dividends will show. That is the great thing about Substack Notes, in that we can all converse back and forth and offer support and honorable feedback. I need some of YOUR energy and I hope that for the remaining years God will grant me, to take on some of the list God has given me! Step by step for us all. Hugs out to you, Wendy
I used to break out in cold sores regularly when I was run down or doing too much! Not had one for years now… as I’m self-employed and since the lockdowns I haven’t been working the crazy hours that I used to 😵💫
Yeah, I definitely have a tendency to overwork. I am also self employed but the boss of me is my loud brain who can be a real asshole sometimes- scolding me about all the things that need to be completed. 🫡
This is so freaking hard Allison and it’s happening more and more as I age 😳 As much as I try to change course in these slower times, I find I’m only successful temporarily. There comes a time when I just want ‘to do’ something!! Why don’t many of us consider slowing down doing something??
💜💜💜
Oh I so get this, Jane! God forbid I take an hour or two to defrag my brain and not do anything “useful”. I tell my kids all the time that’s it’s important to be bored sometimes. And yet they constantly see me puttering around the house, doing one thing after another. {*sigh*}
I bet yoga with Adriene has some helpful gentle mat based practices you could try? I love this snail story and how they’re little reminders to take your time and slow down. I’m needing this reminder too. Thanks for sharing this…maybe the universe is trying to get my attention with all these “slow down” posts! 🩷
I loooooove yoga with Adriene!
Me too! And Benji! 🐾🐾🐾❤️
Benji is what got me sticking with that one and not others❤️❤️
Thanks Lindsey. Adriene does offer a great variety. That’s a great spot to look.
Here’s to a sloooooow summer ☀️
Oh man! I really hope you heal quickly. I’m currently reading a great book about slowing down. Once I quickly finish it, I’m sure I’ll be ready to do it 🤣.
Hahahaha. This comment made me belly laugh. Thanks, Samantha!
I am so sorry you are suffering, Allison-both from shingles and from your brain that does not know how to be quiet or slow. Both are painful ~ in different ways.
Your situation reminds me of 2 summers ago-2022. I was at work. I went to brush my teeth and while looking in the mirror, thought, "Does my face look weird?" As the day wore on, each time I brushed my teeth (I might me a tad OCD with my tooth brushing :D), I also could not seem to spit right. I WebMD'd the shit out of my symptoms, as you so poetically put it, lol , and determined I was *probably* not having a stroke and finished my shift at 7PM. Drove a half hour to my local urgent care, where, despite a supposed 2 hour wait, they took me right back and the doc promptly sent me to the ER across the street. Within minutes, I had 7 medical professionals speed firing questions at me at once. Before I could text anyone for emotional support, I was whisked off for a CT scan with contrast. Sure enough, I was not having a stroke, but I was sure having my first-and I pray my only-episode of Bell's Palsy.
The experience was a rude and sudden SLOW THE EFF DOWN, Rosemary message from The Universe. I did not like it. I had to ask people for, um, help. And, worst of all, not go to work. I could not speak well or drink or eat like a normal person for weeks.
But....and....I had REALLY needed to slow the eff down. And as I recall Oprah sharing at some point in the 90s, God/The Universe sends us little pebbles at first. If we don't pay attention to those, he/she/they send us rocks. If we ignore the rocks, they send us a GIANT bolder.
Welp, my Bells Palsy was the bolder that made me stop in my tracks. Cuz I sure ignored the heck out of the pebbles and rocks. Sigh.
Sending you speedy healing and slow recovering, friend. Adding you to my prayers if that is OK.
Oh Rosemary - thanks for this. Bells Palsy is some scary shit. I’m grateful it wasn’t anything more serious. 🙏🏼 I’ll never turn down a prayer from friends. Thanks for being such a cheerleader in my life.
I am leaning into the timing of all of this and am committed to having a sloooooow summer.
Hey - I just woke up from a nap! Instead of urgently packing for a vacation that my family leaves on tomorrow, I let myself lay down for an hour. Glorious process right there!
Xoxoxo
Naps are sober power moves 💪🏻
You are not alone Allison! I’m not sure how this happened to me again lol but the calendar is entirely too full and it is a making all of my own. I tried to squeeze in a Memorial Day trip up north and my kids- 12 and 8- were like no mom it’s too much! 🥴. Sobriety has given me this amazing huge life and I think sometimes I just don’t want to waste anymore time and it makes me want to do all the things. BUT doing all the things all the time is one of the reasons I drank all the time. Woke up at 5:00am Saturday morning after getting home at 11:00 Friday night from a volleyball tournament with what felt exactly like the worst hanxiety. That was a huge wake up call for me. Sending some peace and strength to you Allison. I feel you sister.
Oh it helps me knowing you know exactly what I mean/feel. I am just wired to want to do all the things and then I get mad at my body/mind when doing all the things pushes me into a gear I can’t handle. Downshifting is hard for me yet I know I need it.
I love how you acknowledge the big shiny happy sober living and how that motivates you to be there for all of it. It’s a good way to be, Amy! We just have to remember to take a day off from time to time - to recalibrate.
Thanks for sharing here 🫶
Allison, those snails have a message for me, too, but with less urgency now than I would have needed in my 40s or 50s. Now in my early 60s I am slowing my roll as a matter of instinct. If I look back at all my previous doing and striving I feel compassion for that woman, and wish she knew what I knew now. Which is: if I take a moment to go deep inside and listen to myself, my wisest self, i will end up doing the things that really matter. And that’s what it’s like for me now. The things and people who really matter are what guides my days. And I think you are way ahead of me, decades ahead, in recognizing that. Feel better soon! Try doing lots of twists from a seated position. Or maybe chair yoga, focusing on upper body. And treat yourself to yoga nidra!
Ohhhh. Chair yoga is a good idea. And I don’t think I utilize yoga nidra often enough. Good suggestions, thank you!
Thanks for your supportive words, Amy. What’s hilarious (and I know you will get it) is that I found a small magnet that belongs to my daughter - which fell right out of her school backpack yesterday. It was laying right in the center of the floor by itself. A magnet snail.
AND then, a few hours later, my daughter & her friend were playing with clay and Caroline said, here mom- look what I made you. A snail. And she has zero knowledge of the essay I wrote this week.
😳😳😳
I will always marvel at life’s synchronicities.
Allison, Bless you!!!! While I am the polar opposite to all of you impressive achievers, I also see the need to stop and listen to the still small voice (Holy Spirit), as He has information for you. The West is especially in pursuit of GO GO GO. I never could collide with this demand. I just cannot move that fast, even though I always walked fast in my younger days ( I am 71). Pacing ones-self is hard...but it does pay dividends. LOVE the snails, they DO have their side of wisdom, do they not? PLEASE take care, shingles is rough. I have a dear friend who had it, he did not know what the heck it was and he had to seek treatment. Not fun. Live on, Allison! You are needed here. WEW
Oh Wendy, truly I thank you for your message. There is certainly a part of me that has a louder voice than that still girl inside of me. The big voice can drown her out most days. But right now, I think she has my attention.
Thanks for sharing your experience here with us. I envy folks who naturally respect and live by a slower rhythm.
🫶
Allison, bless you! I am not asking you to stop being who you are! Some of us are naturally achievers and hard-driving people and I respect that. I am not, at least not yet! I guess just listen to your body when it tells you "stop" for awhile, even a day or two. The dividends will show. That is the great thing about Substack Notes, in that we can all converse back and forth and offer support and honorable feedback. I need some of YOUR energy and I hope that for the remaining years God will grant me, to take on some of the list God has given me! Step by step for us all. Hugs out to you, Wendy
Oh I didn’t think you were suggesting I change my ways or myself. 😊 no worries.
I do love how Notes can bring people together like this. Thanks for engaging here, Wendy!
Ugh…Shingles. Take care of yourself Allison. Good message today—easy does it. 🙏
Thanks Dee 🙏🏼
Sending care your way, Allison! And thank you for this - I need all the slow-down messages right now. ❤️
Thanks so much, Dana. 🫶🫶
I used to break out in cold sores regularly when I was run down or doing too much! Not had one for years now… as I’m self-employed and since the lockdowns I haven’t been working the crazy hours that I used to 😵💫
Yeah, I definitely have a tendency to overwork. I am also self employed but the boss of me is my loud brain who can be a real asshole sometimes- scolding me about all the things that need to be completed. 🫡