It’s Not Just Physical Health

It’s mental, emotional, spiritual health.

It’s social, occupational, and environmental health.

There’s a whole gamut of areas of health that are important for me to pay attention to.

When I’m not emotionally or mentally healthy, I don’t have the energy to be physically healthy.  The weight of the emotional or mental pain I’m in physically drags me down.  I can barely think. I can’t get off the couch.  Running seems to be an insurmountable task.

It’s not just about getting off the couch to do it.  I can run a freaking marathon.  But I can’t get moving.

So I have to address all those facets of my life as I walk this different path and make changes in my life.

I need to address my spiritual health.  I haven’t been meditating like I used to.  I haven’t been practicing my craft.  I haven’t been spending time in nature.

I need to address my mental health.  I need time and space to cry, to laugh, to empathise with others.

I need to address my emotional health.  I need to be willing to RECOGNIZE those feelings and allow them to come out in a way that’s healthy.  That’s productive.  That will allow me to move through those feelings instead of getting stuck.

When I’ve done those things, even if it takes away from the workout I need, I feel better.  I feel healthier.

One of my major sources of stress in the past month has been related to occupational health.  I loved my summer job.  I really loved it.  I was really good at it.  And I’ve chosen a change of career.  The change of career will allow me to work closer to home, will allow me to have more time with my kids and grandkids during the summer and will allow me to have a flexible schedule that I can work around my life.

But ho-lee-effers is the summer job fun.  And did I mention I’m good at it? And my boss loves me?  And will miss me? And that’s the FIRST FREAKING TIME that a boss has loved me and will miss me?

And yet, I will (I’m 99% sure) turn it down.  Tomorrow is recall day.  And I will turn it down.  Even though I’m good at it.  And my boss loves me.  And I loved it.

Why you ask?  Because it won’t be good for my emotional or mental health.  I will be away from my family, away from my home, away from my LIFE for the majority of the summer.  I will not see my kids or grandkids.  I WILL come out of it with a shit ton of money.. but I will have lost another summer.  And I’m not a winter girl. I’m a summer baby.  Give me sun.  And tents.  And lakes.  And fishing.  And swimming.  And I’m happy girl.

So it’s not just about how healthy it is for me occupationally.  It’s also about how healthy it is for me emotionally and mentally and spiritually and… well… its gotta be said… physically.  Because getting deployed… as lucrative as it is… is hard on my hips.   They feed you VERY well when you’re deployed. VERY well indeed.

So for this year, I’m passing on the Wildfire…. I’m almost 100% certain.  Because it’s the right thing to do overall.  I don’t know if being a nurse is the right thing for me… but I do know that I will regret it if I don’t give it an honest try.

Because, yanno… my family is worth it.   And so am I.