Cruel to be kind

Society6
I'm not one to coddle others and much less myself.  Last week, I threw myself through the whirlwind across pond jump, drastic 30 degree change in weather, self-inflicted sleep deprivation and then weekend of extreme heat exposure.  I drank plenty of water, maybe a little too much champagne and ate more red meat in three days than I have since I moved to Dallas.  I thought things would return back to normal when I returned home and my body would adjust, to the time difference, temperature and diet, accordingly.  However when a Mount Vesuvius of a cold sore popped up on my lower lip on Sunday morning, I was shocked.  I hadn't had a cold sore in years and what could have caused it.  When my friend pointed out the obvious stressors on my body and the numerous reasons why my immune system could be down, I dismissed it for a good five minutes until I slowed down just enough to realize that Gosh Darn It, she was right.

Some of us are lucky enough to push our bodies - to make them do what we ask them to.  And fewer of us keep our bodies in tip top condition, ready to respond to our outrageous demands.  But sometimes, our bodies push back.  And mine has chosen this week to remind me that I'm not superhuman and that it's okay to be kind to yourself.  So as you rush around this summer, attending weddings, going on vacation and trying to squeeze the juice out of those long hot days, don't forget to give yourself a break and be kind to yourself.


Comments

  1. Yikes..hope that cold sore goes away soon. :-(

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  2. Girl, take care of yourself! Get some rest and let your body revive itself. You deserve it. :)

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  3. Very wise, my friend. You're pretty close to superhuman, but we all need a break at times. Get some rest!

    I think I've read that peroxide is good for cold sores--but I might be imagining that, I think it's good for everything. :)

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  4. I love this post. :) I hope that cold sore goes away soon and that you get some much needed rest.

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  5. Sigh....totally agree. It's easy to forget sometimes that we can't do all the things we wanna do in such a short time.
    Hope that sore goes away soon, and get some rest (in my mommy voice)! :P

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  6. Gracious! Take care of yourself, sweetie. You do always seem on the go to me (and blogging!), so take your own advice and chill with all this business a little! ;)

    Lauren @ still + life

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  7. Gah! I hate cold sores! So yes . . . do take care of yourself.

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  8. Our bodies are magnificent machines aren't they? They are programmed to shut down after too much, and more power to them. Hopefully you'll take a nice deep breath and slow down (not that I'm not jealous of your pond-hopping ability!) xo

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  9. oh :( i suffer the same affliction and every few years i look in the mirror and know i am obviously stressed out inside. it's such a cruel fate. (well if you want to know the name of a medication let me know - it works!)

    take care of yourself! watch some tv and veg out : )

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  10. Take care of yourself now! :-)

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  11. It's so hard to face the reality of getting "old".... or at least older! I'm definitely not my young, 21-year-old self these days either! Sounds like you've been keeping busy though!

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  12. Sufferin'!
    Water and sleep are two things I try to make a priority. It's amazing how elusive they can be! I hope your cold sore hides as quickly as it revealed itself. Those are no bueno!

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  13. that's the on;y time when i really feel my age... when i can't do the partying i did back in my 20's... ha!

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  14. I hope you feel better! You did push yourself a ton, you really need a bit of a rest. Perhaps you can sit by a pool this upcoming weekend? Try Blistex - the liquid kind - for the cold sore. For some reason I feel like it will help. And it can't hurt.

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  15. Hope you get to sit back, relax and take care of yourself! Oh, I hate cold sores, get them too when I am stressed out. A while back I got a humungous one and my upper lip looked like an exploded sausage. Not a pretty sight. I swear on campho phenique to make it heal faster. Feel better!

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  16. Totally know what you mean. I was living in Taiwan, flew back to the States for a week on business (visiting 2 cities, visiting my family for 2 days), and when I returned to Taiwan, I ended up with a UTI. Great. Just like you said, immune system was certainly compromised. Good reminder to everyone to take care of themselves in the midst of busy busy. I guess I should go to sleep now then huh? (as I type this at midnight)

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  17. I can definitely relate to this. Life is moving at break-neck speed for me at the moment and to compensate, I have been overindulging in plenty of alcohol and bad foods with little exercise. I’m now paying for it with break-outs, frizzy and dull hair, broken nails and an impressive little tyre formation around my middle. I think a weekend spent relaxing outside with smoothies, magazines and other healthy lifestyle habits is definitely in order! Hope you feel better soon! x

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  18. This is so true. I get sick when I stress myself too much. Also, when I don't work around much, I still get sick and feel sleepy all the time. So just work in moderation. Balance everything out and keep your body lively. Don't put too much pressure on your self.

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