Another fall season has come and gone (not really) and my schedule is packed with things I have to do whether I want to or not. Fall is my favorite season for all the wrong reasons; it's chilly, the day is shorter, and my schedule is busier. It's sweater weather-although I own no sweaters-veggie soups are back on the weekly menu, and warm drinks are heaven in a mug. It's the time to cozy up with a book, some low lighting, scented candles and lo-fi music for ambience.
Fall is also back-to-school season since universities in Greece start classes in the middle of October. Having been in uni for the better part of the last decade (as an undergrad and a grad student), this is the time I get a little too motivated to study more, do more, work harder. But coming out of the pandemic, burn out, and the long journey of learning to love myself, this Fall I decided to focus on me before I focus on my work.
In spite of all the pressure to be the best at what I do, be the first to publish something, be the youngest to ever get a PhD in Geology... in spite of everything, I formed my work schedule to fit my health, instead of the other way around. For instance, last week I had a terrible migraine attack after months. In case you're not familiar, migraine attacks are debilitating most of the time. I don't get them often, but when I do I have to remain in a dark room for hours, doing nothing but listen to my throbbing head. The weakest of light could be blinding, and the touch of my clothes could feel like knives against my skin. There's literally nothing I could do until it goes away on its own. So what I did last week was absolutely nothing until it was over (that lasted for about one and a half day).
I gave my body the time it needed to heal, and when I felt better, I went back to work. This sounds like the obvious and sane thing to do, though many of us dismiss our health for the sake of a deadline.
Sitting back and letting things happen (even the unwanted things) instead of fighting against them has been so important when it comes to taking care of myself. And to be totally honest with you, the fact that I spend that time away from my desk had no detrimental effects on my work whatsoever. The work that needed to be done that week got done. The only difference is that they were done more efficiently when I listened to my body, rather than listening to social norms about mandatory acceptable working hours between 9 and 5. And I got better faster than I would have if I had sat in front of a screen with photophobia.
I understand how privileged I am right now to be able to stay in bed for a whole day. I don't have a boss over my head, nor I have children or other people dependent on me. But I also understand how important it is to listen to my body, and I can't believe it has taken me so long to accept that it's okay to walk away from work when I'm having a migraine, without having to explain to anyone that it's not just a headache.
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