It was an accident at first, but then it was intentional. I started by taking off the first few days, then the entire week, and eventually the next.

You’ve probably heard about the health flare-up I experienced earlier this month that really put me out.

By week two, I asked myself;

Should I be getting back to work by now?

With a follow-up question;

Is it worth it for me to get back at it the minute I start to feel a little better?

And to be honest, the answer was “No.”

It wasn’t. It was more important to heal physically and make the space necessary to be re-inspired and refreshed mentally before getting back at it, and I’ll explain why.

First, the length of time I need to be wary of bouts of pain during an active flare-up can be up to 3 months.  I know; just hearing that from my doctor gave me anxiety.

Second, it was worth it for me to take time to rest and find a new rhythm for how I may need to pivot and restructure my days moving forward.

So instead of hitting the ground running as soon as I got the pain managed short-term, I took time to fill up my bucket to make sure I was ready to return to work.

Week one was all meds and lots of napping. It was also an excellent time for my body to recover from those 30+ unmedicated hours. Taking this time gave my body a chance to release all the tension that was helping me hold it together while I was writhing in pain waiting in the ER.

Week two was about filling up on all the good things that recharge and steady my mind. I went home, like Home home, to my parent’s place. My parents live out in the country, and something about that space facilitates such deep rest for me. I took naps on the patio, at the beach, in a comfortable bed, on a couch, everywhere I could possibly lie down. I capped it off the last few days by spending time visiting with some friends, catching up with my guy Zak, and taking off for a few more visits to the beach to REALLY soak in the sunshine and dig into my reading list.

I also returned to another kind of home, to the reason why I work the way that I do. Taking those weeks off could have felt discouraging (stressful even) but the way that I have unconventionally set up my business – it’s for times just like this.

I’m happy to report that after taking that time, I feel *astronomically* better.
The pain managed, body and mind rested and fully rejuvenated.

It’s never easy to get back into a work routine after a long break, but looking ahead to the weeks to come, I’m feeling refreshed and more prepared to ease my way back in.

Thank you for all the kind messages and gestures; I felt genuinely cared for over the last few weeks!