The wake up call
Sometimes life brings us to a place where we can no longer keep pushing. For me, that place came after my diagnosis and burnout. I realised something had to change. I was mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically exhausted.
During one of my walks I came across a lifeless duck. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Looking back, it reminded me where I had arrived in my own life. I had kept pushing, ignored the warning signs and hadn’t taken enough care of myself.
I realised I had lost touch with myself, my needs, what I wanted and in many ways who I was. I didn’t recognise myself in the mirror anymore.
If my life was going to change, I first had to be willing and open to change.
Simplify
I began simplifying my life.
As Leo Babauta wisely said :
“Simplicity boils down to two steps: identify the essential and eliminate the rest.”
That became my focus.
It was time to take the pressure off myself, focus on the essentials and what really mattered and create the time and space I needed to heal. I cleared my diary of unnecessary commitments that left little room for me. I began cancelling anything that wasn’t essential and saying “no” more often. It felt uncomfortable at first and I worried about letting people down but I knew I needed to focus on myself. By stepping back, I reclaimed my time, protected my energy and let go of what no longer served me.
Rather than constantly adding more, healing became a process of subtraction.
Less rushing.
Less pressure.
Less obligation.
Less clutter.
Less noise.
Less distractions.
More peace.
More presence.
More breathing space.
More energy.
More Joy.
More time for me.
Slowing Down
Sitting quietly with ourselves can feel uncomfortable because we have become so used to being busy or distracted. Yet, in my experience, when we learn to enjoy our own company, we begin to fear stillness less and begin hearing our own voice.
Meditation and other mindful practices became part of my daily life. Each morning I would make a cup of tea and sit quietly on the bench outside. I watched the blue tits, blackbirds, robins, pigeons and magpies coming and going. Sometimes they flew so close they passed just above my head. At first I found it difficult to sit still. I set a timer to help with my restlessness. Gradually those few quiet minutes became my favourite part of the day. They helped me to slow down not only physically but mentally too and to just simply be.
For the first time in a long time, my mind became quiet enough to think more clearly and by doing less, slowing down and taking one gentle step at a time , I finally created the space I needed to rest and recover.
One of my favourite reminders became:
“Do less. Be more.”
In a world that constantly encourages us to do more, achieve and strive for more, sometimes the most healing thing we can do is simply slow down and just be.
Nature became my refuge.
Spending time outdoors walking in nature became an important part of my healing.
Nature reminded me that everything has its season. I slowly began to live more in tune with the seasons and natures cycles instead of the relentless fast pace of modern life. Nature taught me that healing cannot be rushed, just as the seasons cannot be hurried, recovery has its own timing too.
I realised healing couldn’t be forced. It reminded me of holding a butterfly. If we squeeze it too tightly, we damage something delicate, but if we hold it gently, it has the freedom to simply rest and be.
Even now, long after the worst of my burnout, I still choose a slower pace of life. Its now not just something I discovered whilst recovering , it is now a choice to live a slower paced existence. I now say it has become part of my lifestyle.
Returning to the basics
For me, the basics are the simple essentials to support my wellbeing and most of them are free.
My days became simpler. I gave myself permission to sleep and to rest. I spent time outside breathing in fresh air , walking in nature and feeling the warmth of the sunshine on my face . I drank more water, I ate small light nourishing meals and chose gentle movement instead of pushing my body. I sought silence and practiced deep breathing.
I learned to treat myself with the same care , kindness and gentleness as I would a newborn baby .
Gentle became my new way of living
I created a cocoon around myself a safe place where I could heal, love myself and rediscover who I was.
These things may seem simple , but I have discovered it is the simple things that make the biggest difference to my life and have the greatest impact on my wellbeing.
Yet when life become stressful, these are often the very first things we neglect.
I thought healing meant doing more, instead, healing began when I started doing less.
Finding myself again
As I slowed down and returned to nature and the basics my nervous system began to settle. I felt calmer, safer, then something quietly began to change.
As time passed I noticed little changes.
I smiled more,
I laughed more.
I became curious again and interested in life again. I found myself wanting to understand more deeply about the connection between the mind body spirit and emotions . personal growth and self development became a passion.
Looking back, I realise I wasn’t simply recovering I was laying the foundations for a completely different way of living. A life built on balance instead of burnout. A life built on being present over pressure.
A life where I no longer measure my worth by how much I could do, but by how peacefully I could live…
Rachael’s Final Reflections
My life began to change when I discovered the value of having “space” of my own. I learned to enjoy my own company. I learned to simply be.
I discovered the healing power of silence and gave myself permission to step away from the constant noise of life and spend time reflecting each day.
Healing didn’t begin when I found the perfect treatment or the perfect routine. It began when I slowed down, returned to nature, embraced the basics, and reconnected with myself.
Those simple decisions changed everything.
The basics taught me to slow down, to enjoy my own company, to be kinder to myself and to trust that less can sometimes be more.
Living well and peacefully isn’t about having more. Its about needing less and living in a way that feels true to yourself.
Life is not about fitting in its about being yourself.
Who says life has to be complicated?
Why cant it be simple?
Perhaps……
it already is.
Dear Wellness Warrior,
If life has pulled you away from yourself, I hope you gently find your way back, one small gentle step at a time.
May you find comfort in nature, the peace in slowing down. May you see you are enough without constantly doing more.
May you always make time for yourself
Be gentle with yourself.
With love,
WW Rachael xx
