I had a dull ache in my back, right below my ribs and it wasn’t going away. I texted my husband and said, “You might have to take me to the hospital, this pain seems to be getting worse and it’s not responding to Tylenol.”
The next thing I knew, I was spending the evening in emergency at the Kentville hospital with my first ever kidney stone.
If you’ve never had a kidney stone, you have no idea how incredibly painful they can be. This 3.5mm stone was my first, and I hope it’s my last because the pain is one of the worst pains I’ve ever felt in my life. I’ve suffered two bowel obstructions so I know a thing or two about pain.
The timing of this incident was particularly interesting to me though because exactly three years earlier, after several weeks of travel, I found myself in the hospital with a bowel obstruction needing surgery.
Since mid-March this year, I’ve been in Florida, New York City, Halifax, Toronto, Boston, Asheville and home in Annapolis Royal in between.
It seems that my body needed some well-deserved rest, and was protesting all the travel I have been doing.
Which brings me to what I’d like to talk about today: self-care.
At the end of March, I turned another year older and I had an epiphany. I am the most important asset in my business and not taking care of myself not only puts ME at risk, it puts my business at risk.
That set me on a path of getting a long overdue physical and committing to a comprehensive exam every year, healthier food habits, and more movement.
Your business depends on you being healthy, as do your clients, your family, and your team. But your business can be demanding and unrelenting. Often, it’s your own self-care and well-being that gets put on the back burner.
I am what you call overly responsible. Which means, I show up for others and do what I say I will do for them regularly, and often at my own expense. While showing up for your clients and your team is important, doing it at the cost of your own health is a huge risk.
Too many entrepreneurs are overweight, not in great physical, mental, or emotional shape because they are at the very bottom of their own priority list.
#Entrepreneurs, stop putting your health on the back-burner! Click To TweetPlease don’t let that be you. You can make small choices every day to prioritize yourself more and take back control of your health and well being.
You may be afraid that you’ll lose clients if you take care of yourself. What I’ve found recently is that not only do my clients support my desire for self-care, they encourage it.
If you haven’t been taking care of yourself as well as you should be, don’t wait for a health crisis to make the change. You don’t need a kidney stone or a larger issue to serve as the reminder to take better care of yourself. You can choose to start right now.
As for me, I seem to be doing better. After a few days of taking it easy, combined with extra strength Advil and drinking lots of water, the pain seems to have subsided. I’m hoping that means I’ve passed the stone and I’m moving on to a healthier state.
And as for you, you’re THE most important asset you’ve got, as well. What will you do to take better care of yourself starting today?
4 thoughts on “A Royal Pain in the Back”
Glad to hear you’ll be taking some much deserved rest! I couldn’t agree more with the statement that “we are our most important assets” as entrepreneurs. Two habits I’ve implemented that have made a big difference in my life: I schedule my work outs like I would client appointments and I don’t change them for anyone (or very rarely). Physical activity is mandatory for my peak performance, period. Secondly, I walk up at 5:00 a.m. every day (sometimes earlier) and journal, plan my day and simply take the time to think. This is more a focus on my mental health and starting the day from a place of calm, gratitude and focus… before the 3 kids (under 9) wake up and demand all my energy. Great topic, great blog. Thanks, Isabelle
Thank you! I agree, scheduling in time for self-care and sticking to it like you would a client appointment is super important! I am also an early riser and like to start my day off with a routine that helps me perform my best. Thank you for sharing, Isabelle!
The most caring people do this. Worry about others and neglect themselves. I book “me time” like massages and spa days and keep up with my yearly checkups. Thanks for this article. I’ve also had kidney stones. Fevers, chills, vomiting, intense pain. You can get xrays and kidney ultrasounds to see if you have any more in there. Hope you are doing well. Lots of water!
Thank you, I am feeling MUCH better! “Me-time” is so important, happy to hear you make it a priority.