Lived experience: at a clinic

I know these things to be true:

• I don’t need to do work to be worthy.
• I don’t need a job to be worthy.
• I don’t need a career to feel worthy.
• I don’t need children to feel worthy.
• I don’t need a husband to feel worthy.
• I don’t need to help humankind to feel worthy.
• I don’t need to exercise to feel worthy.
• I don’t need to do community work to feel worthy.

Yet at the moment I feel the opposite of all of the above is true! And it's bothering me. 

For as long as I can remember my sights have been set fairly high, I'm often hard on myself and feel as though I rarely 'make the mark'.

I've been academic since being very young and I was a very studious child, teenager and adult. When I'm doing work then somehow I feel like I’m making good use of time. If I’m not I’m then I feel as though I am somehow wasting time.

Just chilling and doing ‘nothing’ is not something that I do easily, yet the more I learn and teach about self-care I understand that we all need to strive for a balance and to take time out from doing to “just be”.

Today, as a part of my search for balance and well-being, I'm trialling a treatment called TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation). It’s meant to stimulate the part of the brain where the mood is enhanced and has had positive research findings.  I’ve had multiple treatments and I am not yet certain of its benefits, but as someone who studies health, I am keen to continue. I will update you all on the experience in a future post.

Next week I’m looking forward to going to India with my husband, a place that always inspires and helps me to see things a little differently. 

What things do you like to do for your wellbeing?