First, let me start off by saying, I love my job. I just have these times of the year where I get worn down and if I get sick, it can make for a rough time. Period. In news, we have what are called sweeps months. Those months (November, February, May, & July) help our sales team determine revenue. They are when you probably notice new episodes of your favorite tv shows. They are also months where on air-talent typically (unless July thank goodness) CANNOT miss work. This year I have been struggling with the crud since October. I am coughing so hard at night I sometimes… Ughh. It’s not like a cough I can control meaning, I can’t just do a quiet little cough and move on. My ribs ache from coughing. I’m awake every couple of hours trying to not wake my family and taking any medicine I may need. I’m sleeping propped up and yadda, yadda. I have a fever off and on and I sneeze and struggle to breathe. I got it in October. I try not to show it at the office but I’m sick. There it is. I’m sick and you can’t necessarily see how sick I am when you are around me… So, I work nights right? But not a lot of people do. So those lunch meetings for me are really my work day starting a couple hours early. Those weekend kid events that I love …more time I miss sleep. Stress takes it’s toll too.

Sleep is so valuable when you are healthy and when you are trying to get well.  I just decided in October I’m going to let my body rest when it needs to so I can get better. If I miss something, I miss it. I can’t beat myself up.  I just have to take care of myself and that’s okay, right? I mean I don’ t want another trip to Urgent Care. I want to get well… so yeah that was my October. lol. I know I’m not the only one who struggles to be healthy while keeping up with everything. I mean, everyone does. I just get so frustrated when rest is the answer and I don’ t have time to rest. But, I did rest. And it worked.  I have some things I fight and needing sleep is one of those things. I am no doctor but I’ve just decided different body types need different amounts of rest at different times. And I’ve decided not be so mad at myself when the answer is really to stay inside and sit on the couch and veg out. I don’t like it but I need to do it sometimes.

Now we are in November and it’s almost gone, but still around if that makes sense at all. So, I watched my sons last flag-football games from the car, trying to stay out of the wind, doubled up on vitamins and I’ve been resting more than I like, but finally this week I felt better. I’m so thankful for a husband who will look at me and say, ‘Neil rest.’  I did what I needed to do. I still got my work done but I worked ahead of November. I still volunteered but I made myself sleep in some weekdays after a busy weekend to compensate or help my body. I worked out but not like normal … not anywhere close. And, ya know what? I think it paid off!

Finally today I got to push a little in the gym. I didn’t get a fever afterward. I didn’t cough through the whole thing. I felt STRONG again. I share all this because consistency is a big struggle in physical fitness. I know that and I battle it just like everyone else. I guess what I maybe learned is rest when you need to and forget the other crap. Be true to you and work with your doctor and if you have a trainer, explain what’s going on … and don’ t be so dang hard on yourself.  UGGGG God and family know what’s up and you (me) just have to do your best to pray and listen.   It felt so good today. I am so thankful every time I get to test myself on my terms lol… but sometimes life throws me a test I don’t like but I push through. The work continues and so does the journey. I guess I’ve just learned that sleep is part of being healthy.