Even though I’m much older, I completely agree with you on this. Maybe the planets were to blame ;o] because I woke up Saturday in the worst mood I’ve had in ages, with no interest in anything. I just lounged around and napped all day. I’m feeling better today, though still not quite where I’d like to be. I think your idea of downsizing your tasks is a great approach.
Hi. My relationship to creating vs. publishing is challenging. Pushing out premature ideas, thinking I owe readers a consistent flow when my own FLOW is dammed is unreasonable. As in LOCO, madness, a recipe for a fallen soufflé.
Maybe rest and recharge. 🤷♀️And enforce this permission to listen to your body and brain as a good model for us all! I’m older than you. I bet I have a longer list of maladies (dear Goddesses I hope so!!). And now I send you three wishes just for your own sweet self. And anyone else who read this far. 🧞♀️
Oh my. As always you have described me. I feel like I’m superwoman most of the time. I’m constantly trying to keep up with things and getting nothing completed. At times I just want to quit everything and do nothing but then if I stop doing something I feel as I’m “wasting time”. But then if I stop and “waste time” I feel like I’ve failed at accomplishing what I feel needs to be done. All in all I don’t think I get anything done! Geez! I’m in a loop I can’t get out of! I know it not only is physical tiredness, it’s mental overload.
I hear you! I feel like I should be doing something all day, every day, and when I stop moving I feel guilty. We really do need to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves. It’s a hard habit to break though.
I'm almost too exhausted to comment on your post, but I'm forcing my arthritic fingers to type. I have spent a lifetime tap dancing and spinning too many plates in the air. I chose to have a lot going on because life was like a huge buffet and I wanted to taste everything. But....as the fairy tale of The Red Shoes taught me, my simple little shoes made of bits of rags are enough. If I succumb to the allure of the shiny red shoes, they dance me until my feet are bloody and I want to cut off my legs just to be free. After 50 years of running, many of which were as an elite athlete, working full time, up at 4:30 because I had to get my core exercises in and an hour in the pool before work, I have washed up on the beach. I find that when I lie down, I just cry. Being still is terrifying because all that I have successfully shoved behind my ribcage is refusing to stay quiet. I have two prosthetic knees, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's disease, and osteoporosis, and I've lived with anorexia for 50 years. Anorexia loved to hide. It is a disease born of trauma and wanting to disappear because nothing is ever perfect enough. And I'm so very tired. I need rest. I don't know how to do that. But your article helped me connect with that part of myself. Thank you.
Your post and the ensuing comments are just what I needed today. I’m almost 75 and have been retired for eight years. As soon as I retired I began to fill my dance card with various volunteer activities—initially out of an interest in the organizations. However, it didn’t take long until someone figured out that I’m good at organizing AND that I have a lifelong need to earn gold stars for being a helper. Now I find myself with organizational responsibilities that I’ve started to resent. I’m going to work on reminding myself that when I say yes to more work and responsibility, I’m saying no to things that I actually enjoy but that don’t earn me praise for being a “good girl”. The gold stars need to come from me, not the outside world.
Thank you I appreciate that. No I won’t Stop writing. I’m glad to know you connect with my thoughts as presented in my articles. If you have a mind too there are 802 articles published over the last 19 months. The last two months are unlocked meaning you don’t have to be a paid subscriber to read anything in the last two months.
I am in a similar time line, both in age and learning the lesson you so carefully summed up. Thank you for putting into words what I have been processing.
My mind and body often were at war. It's only recently I have understood my body was simply asking for rest with time to process instead of denying me altogether. Wait, rest, proceed later.
My mind is finally listening to my body, which I may add was pushed to the point of quitting many years ago. It took my mind longer to realize it wasn't being told never again, it was my body simply asking, "Wait for me to catch my breath, please? I'm not 21 any more."
Thank you for putting words to what many of us are feeling but don't understand, yet.
I love your peace and I love everybody’s comments. I wish we could all sit around having coffee together and share. After 45 years of running a marathon every day, which included an enormous list of responsibilities, i cut my work back to about halftime or less. It wasn’t intentional it just organically evolved. I could know more go back to that life if my life depended on it. It’s taken me the last three years to make peace with it and give up that drive for productivity. Sometimes now I sit for an hour or two outside and stare at the trees and listen to the birds and I am perfectly content. I have a long list of things I’m interested in and I want to do and I’m realizing that some of those things will be on my list when I die. And I’m making my peace with that. The slowing down and the stillness has allowed me to see so much more about my life and the world than I ever saw before. I am very grateful for that.
Good for you! Listen to your body and take care of yourself. I know exactly what you are talking about. I,too, need to rest more frequently and perhaps intentionally and plan less for each day. Busy busy days exhaust me. Busy busy weeks where I see lots of people I barely know nearly do me in. I moved to this home a couple of years ago and call it our nest for a reason. I find I am happiest when I get enough sleep, enough quiet harmony, and enough play.
Last year I was on a hormone balancing weightloss journey for post-menopause symptoms, and one of the non-negotiable steps was listening to a daily 20 minute relaxation recording. I need to get back to that!
I don't think I have ever realized.... Social Interaction expends my energy, even when it's wonderful, even though it does not involve running a marathon or climbing a mountain, it does still require energy. That doesn't mean I'm lacking or weird... it's simply a fact of how I'm wired. Realize it. Accept it. Embrace it. Thank you for helping me see this.
I hear you, Monica. I don't sleep well in hot weather, even with AC. I've had to accept that my summers are now a slow game. Don't like it but working on having compassion for myself. Thanks for writing about the realities of aging, both positive and frustrating.
Even though I’m much older, I completely agree with you on this. Maybe the planets were to blame ;o] because I woke up Saturday in the worst mood I’ve had in ages, with no interest in anything. I just lounged around and napped all day. I’m feeling better today, though still not quite where I’d like to be. I think your idea of downsizing your tasks is a great approach.
Hi. My relationship to creating vs. publishing is challenging. Pushing out premature ideas, thinking I owe readers a consistent flow when my own FLOW is dammed is unreasonable. As in LOCO, madness, a recipe for a fallen soufflé.
Maybe rest and recharge. 🤷♀️And enforce this permission to listen to your body and brain as a good model for us all! I’m older than you. I bet I have a longer list of maladies (dear Goddesses I hope so!!). And now I send you three wishes just for your own sweet self. And anyone else who read this far. 🧞♀️
Oh my. As always you have described me. I feel like I’m superwoman most of the time. I’m constantly trying to keep up with things and getting nothing completed. At times I just want to quit everything and do nothing but then if I stop doing something I feel as I’m “wasting time”. But then if I stop and “waste time” I feel like I’ve failed at accomplishing what I feel needs to be done. All in all I don’t think I get anything done! Geez! I’m in a loop I can’t get out of! I know it not only is physical tiredness, it’s mental overload.
So ladies, how about replace the thought have to with the feeling and the thought of get to just try it see what happens for 24 hours!
I hear you! I feel like I should be doing something all day, every day, and when I stop moving I feel guilty. We really do need to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves. It’s a hard habit to break though.
Very hard habit! I agree. It’s not a “have to” it’s a habit
I'm almost too exhausted to comment on your post, but I'm forcing my arthritic fingers to type. I have spent a lifetime tap dancing and spinning too many plates in the air. I chose to have a lot going on because life was like a huge buffet and I wanted to taste everything. But....as the fairy tale of The Red Shoes taught me, my simple little shoes made of bits of rags are enough. If I succumb to the allure of the shiny red shoes, they dance me until my feet are bloody and I want to cut off my legs just to be free. After 50 years of running, many of which were as an elite athlete, working full time, up at 4:30 because I had to get my core exercises in and an hour in the pool before work, I have washed up on the beach. I find that when I lie down, I just cry. Being still is terrifying because all that I have successfully shoved behind my ribcage is refusing to stay quiet. I have two prosthetic knees, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's disease, and osteoporosis, and I've lived with anorexia for 50 years. Anorexia loved to hide. It is a disease born of trauma and wanting to disappear because nothing is ever perfect enough. And I'm so very tired. I need rest. I don't know how to do that. But your article helped me connect with that part of myself. Thank you.
Your post and the ensuing comments are just what I needed today. I’m almost 75 and have been retired for eight years. As soon as I retired I began to fill my dance card with various volunteer activities—initially out of an interest in the organizations. However, it didn’t take long until someone figured out that I’m good at organizing AND that I have a lifelong need to earn gold stars for being a helper. Now I find myself with organizational responsibilities that I’ve started to resent. I’m going to work on reminding myself that when I say yes to more work and responsibility, I’m saying no to things that I actually enjoy but that don’t earn me praise for being a “good girl”. The gold stars need to come from me, not the outside world.
I sure hope you don't stop writing. I just found you! I LOVE what you have to say and it makes me think! It makes me understand myself better, too!
Thank you I appreciate that. No I won’t Stop writing. I’m glad to know you connect with my thoughts as presented in my articles. If you have a mind too there are 802 articles published over the last 19 months. The last two months are unlocked meaning you don’t have to be a paid subscriber to read anything in the last two months.
I am in a similar time line, both in age and learning the lesson you so carefully summed up. Thank you for putting into words what I have been processing.
My mind and body often were at war. It's only recently I have understood my body was simply asking for rest with time to process instead of denying me altogether. Wait, rest, proceed later.
My mind is finally listening to my body, which I may add was pushed to the point of quitting many years ago. It took my mind longer to realize it wasn't being told never again, it was my body simply asking, "Wait for me to catch my breath, please? I'm not 21 any more."
Thank you for putting words to what many of us are feeling but don't understand, yet.
I love your peace and I love everybody’s comments. I wish we could all sit around having coffee together and share. After 45 years of running a marathon every day, which included an enormous list of responsibilities, i cut my work back to about halftime or less. It wasn’t intentional it just organically evolved. I could know more go back to that life if my life depended on it. It’s taken me the last three years to make peace with it and give up that drive for productivity. Sometimes now I sit for an hour or two outside and stare at the trees and listen to the birds and I am perfectly content. I have a long list of things I’m interested in and I want to do and I’m realizing that some of those things will be on my list when I die. And I’m making my peace with that. The slowing down and the stillness has allowed me to see so much more about my life and the world than I ever saw before. I am very grateful for that.
I thought I was the only one that was exhausted. Thank you for the post. Don't give up. We appreciate you.
This hits so perfectly today. Thank you.
Good for you! Listen to your body and take care of yourself. I know exactly what you are talking about. I,too, need to rest more frequently and perhaps intentionally and plan less for each day. Busy busy days exhaust me. Busy busy weeks where I see lots of people I barely know nearly do me in. I moved to this home a couple of years ago and call it our nest for a reason. I find I am happiest when I get enough sleep, enough quiet harmony, and enough play.
This essay is so clearly spot on and precisely what I needed just this day. Were you peeking into my life? Brava!!
This was important and helpful. Thank you.
Last year I was on a hormone balancing weightloss journey for post-menopause symptoms, and one of the non-negotiable steps was listening to a daily 20 minute relaxation recording. I need to get back to that!
I don't think I have ever realized.... Social Interaction expends my energy, even when it's wonderful, even though it does not involve running a marathon or climbing a mountain, it does still require energy. That doesn't mean I'm lacking or weird... it's simply a fact of how I'm wired. Realize it. Accept it. Embrace it. Thank you for helping me see this.
I will definitely be looking forward to MWFs.
💞
I hear you, Monica. I don't sleep well in hot weather, even with AC. I've had to accept that my summers are now a slow game. Don't like it but working on having compassion for myself. Thanks for writing about the realities of aging, both positive and frustrating.