Sometimes we are so busy taking care of business… and everybody else… that we completely forget to take care of ourselves. You know what I mean! It happens to all of us, most more than just once, even to those in the physical caretaking business like multi-tasking woman Sonia Hazard who’s a Licensed Massage Therapist.  Listen in as Sonia shares her experience … we can all learn from it.

KyleSignature

 

 

SoniaHazard“Have you been so busy working on your ‘To Do’ List that you’ve forgotten when you last ate? Or the last time you went to the bathroom? Can you even remember when you did something that YOU wanted to do…just for yourself?

Stella Grizont, event planner and owner of WOOPAAH and President of Ladies Who Launch NY/NJ says: “Short bouts of stress help you grow; small challenges strengthen you to be able to take on larger challenges later.” But running on a constant string of stress, lists, deadlines, and expectations without some sort of break will leave you tired, run down, and short tempered, with your hormones out of whack.  And NO! I’m not talking your run-of-the-mill PMS.

I started my massage business a year and a half ago, doing my absolute best to make a go of it.  I went to every meeting I could attend, making appointments, going to conferences, and networking all over town. I started to notice that I’d have shortness of breath walking short distances, breaking out into a sweat, so I’d head toward the bathroom as soon as I’d arrive. I didn’t want to look crazy when I talked to everyone once I got there! I tended to pass that off as just ‘getting older’, and told myself I’d be OK in a few minutes.

As the months progressed, I was missing hours of sleep, not getting enough exercise in, eating healthy (when I could), but getting easily irritated and taking less time for ME. I had replaced ME time with participating in activities that I still liked to do, but were still work nonetheless. I would still show up to events, smiling, and looking as if everything was OK, but worried that at some point, I would faint and my secret would be out.

I started to research my symptoms, got tested, and found out that my adrenal glands were underactive due to stress. They had been taxed to fatigue, but not exhausted completely. (These glands are responsible for your reaction to different kinds of stress.)This means that I have really had to put the brakes on, and take more time for myself.

So what, exactly, does that mean? I will take more time – not less – to sleep, and eat foods rich in magnesium, B-12, iron & Omega-3’s to support and strengthen my adrenal glands as well as my immune system. Meditation and yoga are going back on my ‘play’ list. I will actually take time for myself, to help me get back to better health.

Just as I tell my clients, I have to put myself back on my own priority list. Because you can’t spare a few minutes every day to take care of yourself, how can you expect to take care of anyone else?”

Wow! Thanks, Sonia. What a great reminder to check in with our bodies on a regular basis. Now where’s my calendar? It’s time I did something good for ME!

Sonia Hazard, LMT, NCMT is a Positive Attitude Adjuster, otherwise known as a Licensed Massage Therapist. Working in several settings for the past 10 years helped her hone and create her company NiaMassage, LLC. ‘Nia’ is Swahili for ‘Purpose’, one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.