Does anyone else feel off? My body is sending me signals to take my own Mindful medicine. Do I practice Mindfulness every day? Yes, and it looks different every day depending on what’s on the to do list that day.

Body signs and signals can alert us to an underlying stress. Even if it is not in the forefront of our awareness, our bodies are trying to get us to pay attention and ask questions.

How well are you sleeping? What are you consuming? Are you ill? Have you been exercising regularly? I like to start with these foundation needs. Answering these questions honestly is like looking in the mirror in the morning. Yikes!

If you need to make changes or update your physical needs, do it! Putting it off can be dangerous to your health especially if you are experiencing stress or anxiety at work or home, or dealing with our new stress, the Corona Virus.

We get so good at “not noticing”; until we crack or pass out in my case. I had become so use to my migraine routine of exercise, neck/back pain, stretch, ice/heat, and prescription emergency migraine meds that I didn’t see the signs. Teachers are really good at plugging ahead no matter what. Not unlike the pioneers when they headed out West. Unloading necessities just to keep going up the tougher terrain. And we all know how that ended. I would prefer better than 50/50 odds.

Well, teachers rarely off-load anything. We just keep piling it on. To go along with the pioneer metaphor, we are stacking wood. Whether we are the ones layering on extra duties or school does it, the pile grows taller until…something falls off.

In this case it was me. I fell off my wood pile right to the floor. Apparently, I scared the daylights out of my husband because as I was losing consciousness, I appeared to have a seizure of some kind. Jay tried to open my jaw but it was clenched too tightly and I made horrible sounds like I couldn’t breath. This scary description has stayed with me as a reminder that stress is not worth the physical toll.

I came to seeing a big black boot in my face. It was the fireman asking me, “How did you get down there?” No one likes riding in an ambulance, being checked out at the hospital, and leaving only to wonder if this incident is going to happen again.

At first I wore a heart monitor, then had my brain imaged, but there was nothing wrong in those areas, thank goodness.

It turned out that chronic pain, medications, workload, and every day superwoman tendencies pushed me over the edge.

I can’t do anything permanent for my chronic neck issues and for the time being I will remain teaching high school with its ever growing demands of energy and time.

So, what can I do? Meditate. Meditate with the intention of discovering stress in my life. That wake up call put me back in the driver’s seat of my life. I started saying,, “No” more to requests. I purposefully moved slower.

I reminded myself that I come first, in a loving caring way for myself and others. I am not my best on the hamster wheel. When I am more present with myself I can be present for others and that’s the best gift of all for everyone.

Now more than ever, when all our lives have been unexpectedly changed, it is not an option to put yourself last and hide from the signs of stress. Listen to your body! If you don’t pay attention it will GET your attention. Slow down, breathe, do something healthy and relaxing or even fun each day. Your life could depend on it.