I’m ordinarily mouthy in the wake of election results, but that hasn’t been the case this time.
Aaaaaand, at the same time, right after the elections, my body became absurdly chatty.
You know that I’ve been trying to sort out why I can’t get a decent night’s sleep around here. There are several reasons including:
- POST-menopause (yeah, ::checks notes:: FIVE YEARS);
- Possible strep in my gut . . . still working on that.
But the functional nutritionist I’ve been working with suggested a new routine that I had heard about before and . . . dismissed. Take a minimum 15 minute walk when the sun rises.
You know what that does? RESETS YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM.
I did it.
November 5, I got 6 hours of sleep for the first time in ONE MONTH. THIS is a victory. I’ve had about 5+ hours of sleep regularly since (much better than 2 – 4 hours) and I can tell progress has been made.
I’ve also seen a new acupuncturist and this has been an amazing support for this sleep noise.
And then my eyes went on the fritz (still are).
I have dry eye syndrome (see reference to aforementioned post-menopause . . . it’s a thing. 😣).
My eyes get really dry, and they HURT. I can barely tolerate the sun (next career, vampire), and the strain on my eyes has been intense.
Suffice it to say, it’s been hard to work.
I’ve been doing hot compresses twice per day (recommended by ophthalmologists), making sure I keep my eyelids clean (yes, this is a thing), and napping when it gets too difficult.
My acupuncturist is AMAZING (let me know if you would like a referral). She put those needles in and the pain stopped.
All of this to say that after the elections, I have been called to take exquisite care of myself. Not just the regular self-care things, but really step up my game.
Regardless of how you feel about the results, you will need to make sure you do the same. Take amazing care of yourself. Go above and beyond. You will need every last minute of sleep. You will need all the nutrients. You will need connection with your community and the people you love. You will need to dance, sing (yep, back at Carnegie Hall this year), and do all things.
So no, I haven’t ghosted you . . .
Take care of yourself. Exquisitely.
Blessings.
Michelle
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