chronic illness — MISFIT WELLNESS

WHY I'LL NEVER HAVE IT ALL (AND I'M LEARNING TO BE OK WITH THAT)

I’ve always found the concept of “having it all,” for women and men, to be terribly flawed. If you really break it down, it simply isn’t possible. There aren’t enough hours in the day to show up fully as our best selves in our careers, partnerships, families, friendships, communities, service efforts, spirituality practices AND still have time to proactively care for ourselves mentally and physically (which is what allows us to show up fully in the first place). Add in the basic human needs for joy, connection, fulfillment, adventure… How can we possibly expect to find time for all the aforementioned in the 24 short hours we have each day? I don’t believe we can, and I don’t believe we should have to.

WHY I (MOSTLY) BROKE UP WITH BOOZE

Food comas, books and escapism helped me avoid my feelings through the first decade+ of my life, but once adolescence and the associated hormonal hell came a-knocking, they weren’t enough. By junior year in high school, I discovered how blissfully detached alcohol could make me. For a naive teenager looking to avoid feelings of discomfort, fear, sadness and loneliness, alcohol seems like a good option. For a lost young woman struggling with depression, disordered eating, body image issues and a desperate need to escape all of the aforementioned, it seems like a great option.