Prescription for a Life Threatening Epidemic by Betsy Ringer: Transition Physician

I used to have two speeds: fast forward and stop. My energy level and ability to get an extraordinary amount of work done was just short of phenomenal. When my feet hit the floor in the morning I went nonstop, full speed ahead until I hit the bed at night. Yet no matter how fast I worked, there was always more to do. I seemed to work harder, faster, more furiously at my job and all evening at home. I was bright-spirited and loved working hard so I didn’t think too much about it. Then my body totally stopped. Shut down. Refused to function. I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning and when I finally forced myself, it was all I could do to drag to the shower and get dressed. I lasted about two hours, then my brain could no longer think or make a decision. Being around people proved to be stimulus overload for me and my body, mind and spirit shut off like a computer denied of power.

I discovered I had Adrenal Fatigue; a condition that results when the amount of strain placed on your body, mind and spirit overextends the capacity of your built in mechanism to compensate and recover from the stress. I had chosen to live an overextended lifestyle and my body revolted.

The short version is that it took a year and a half to get my body back on track. The pituitary, hypothalamus and endocrine system had to recalibrate during an extremely tedious process. I had to overhaul how I lived my life.

Years before this health episode, I had created a Life Guide Statement which identified the important and valuable components of my life that brought vitality and spanned age, stage, and career choices. My Life Guide Statement was designed to refresh my soul and help me make wise lifestyle choices. The problem was, I had ignored it, fooled myself into thinking I would pay attention to it “next month,” and given in to societal demands. Had I been true to my Life Guide Statement and made choices that would allow me to live life the way I KNEW I needed to, I would have bypassed this devastating blow to my body, mind and spirit.

My Life Guide Statement is “Exalt and encounter God, take a risk, savor the moments and live intentionally.” These components bridge my family, satisfying work, bold fun, and meaningful relationships.

Overwhelm, exhaustion, fatigue, unwise lifestyle choices, and giving in to societal expectations are an epidemic among women. My prescription is to create your own Life Guide Statement to live by. CLICK HERE to order a workbook that will help you design your own. I will be happy to review it and give you feedback. My desire is for women to make healthy choices to live the vital life they were designed to live. Begin your freedom from overwhelm today!

Are you overwhelmed, exhausted, fatigued? Share your story.

Betsy Ringer is an Associate with iBloom. Learn more about her and invite her to speak to your group.