How I’ve dealt with this season of health challenges and career decisions.

How I’ve dealt with this season of health challenges and career decisions.

Chronic illness is a long, slow, emotional road. But I’m ready to talk about it here.

My immune system tanked this year and I’ve been chronically ill since the summer. With chronic fatigue and brain fog, I’ve had to slow wayyy down, say no to a lot of things, and get by doing the absolute bare minimum in my business: coaching my clients and taking calls with prospective clients. When you’re in serious energy conservation mode to survive, you truly learn what bare minimum means.

I’m happy to have a business that, even in halting my marketing and events, I still get prospective and new clients from referrals. What this means to me is all the years of building my community, who understand how transformative my coaching services are for people, is paying off.

And as I just announced on my LI yesterday, I’ve started a new part time job. I was afraid how my body was going to react with the changes but it turns out that I have what I need: work that energizes me more than it drains me, the stability of a pay check, the part time remote flexibility to step away and focus on my health when I need to, and TBH the welcome distraction from feeling unwell and the dopamine hit of completing tasks when I need it. And I’ve discovered a lot of technology tools over the years that makes project management multiple times easier compared to 5 years ago the last time I was employed as a project manager.

As Jennifer Alumbaugh, MSc introduced to me, it’s not about time management, it’s about capacity management.

I’m also surrounded by community who have driven me to doctors appointments, sent me funny social media posts, filled my fridge with food when I didn’t have the energy to cook for myself, and researched options for food delivery services for when my energy nose-dives again. I’m convinced that is what’s healing me - the reduced anxiety of wondering how I’m going to take care of myself and knowing I have community cheering me on.

This is a photo of me at the doctors with my partner. One thing to note about me is my appearance is often a reflection of how I’m feeling. I went weeks wearing soft, black clothes, few accessories - not the loud colors and patterns, funky glasses and earrings that people are used to seeing me in on social media. Despite feeling awful, I’m smiling out of habit when taking a photograph. I wanted to remember the moment for when I was feeling better and could reflect back on it.

If you are in a similar boat with chronic ailments, you are not alone. I’d love to connect and cheer each other on 💖