Kimberly Ihekwoaba

In case you need a reminder to take a break…
It’s ok not feeling ok. It’s ok to take time to heal. It’s ok to be still and do nothing.

I grew up building the work ethic of an athlete. It meant that discipline was second nature. You didn’t need to tell me twice about what I had to do. I was driven by my desire to perform, challenge myself and push my limits. I had the mindset of learning and adapting. However, discipline in one area doesn’t mean you have it in another area.

The downside of overachieving was I often didn’t give myself time to rest nor recover. And the worst part was having a subconscious belief that my worth was defined by how busy I was. So I got caught up proving that I wasn’t lazy. And overwhelming myself. It was a cycle of thinking of what I hadn’t done while taking a break and feeling stressed out while working. The icing on the cake with Capitalism was feeding lies that being busy was a badge of honour.

The funny part is that most busy people are broke. You are on this wheel of burning energy, but at the end of the year, it feels like you don’t accomplish much.

Now I know better. That I could do anything. But I don’t have to do everything.

I used to be a yes man. And this churned into a cycle of people-pleasing. The pandemic helped me to slow down. I started prioritizing my self-care. And permitted myself to do nothing. I permitted myself to lay in bed without guilt. To watch a show on TV without thinking that I wasted time.

The truth is that if you don’t rest, everything you do will be either half baked or chaotic. And when you are under stress, it is harder to make calculated decisions for yourself. So by default, other people are telling you what to do.

You end up frustrated by your life and the people around you. Because you are not living a life based on what you want. And you are blaming other people for making decisions for you when clearly you did nothing – which is also a choice.

Close that laptop. Ignore the phone calls. And prioritize you. Take care of YOU. Because when you are taken care of first, you can give freely and generously from an overflow. Your work is no longer coming from a place of pain and suffering and now joy and inspiration. You have clear intentions on how you want to contribute; making a positive impact in the lives of others.

You deserve to be pampered.
You deserve to be taken care of.
You deserve that break.

Hi, I’m Kimberly Ihekwoaba and I am a multimedia storyteller. I entertain, educate, and empower people around the world through the power of storytelling. Check out my blog for my latest posts.

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