It’s been an interesting, exhilarating and exhausting week after finally finishing my MBA at Leeds Business School.

 

I had the opportunity to head down to London straight after finishing and spend time building relationships and networks at the Speciality Fine Food Fair, staying with several friends who were very kind to put me up during my time there.

 

So I broke the strict gym routine for a week and the healthy eating regime (impossible not to sample some of the innovative sometimes naughty treats on offer at a food fair like this!) and spent my time packing the trip to the full….

 Taking its toll

Except I don’t think I realised how tired and emotionally drained from the week before I was and it hit me hard. When Tuesday arrived I was exhausted. Physically and mentally.Hours of walking round the stands in high heels (yes I am still refusing to succumb to flats for the time being!) and often with my bags took their toll on my feet, calves and back. And all those conversations with exhibitors, peers and in meetings although fantastic and the right thing to do also left my brain numb and devoid of it’s usual sharpness.

 

Whilst staying with one of my friends, only a few years older than me who runs an export department like I used to do in previous full-time employment she also told me about how she’d been travelled so much on business at the beginning of this year she’d collapsed at work and now was taking on-going medication due to her stress levels.

 

Now she absolutely loves travelling like I do. She loves and speaks several languages, just like me. And she loves work too, as do I. But hearing her story, knowing how similar we are and acknowledging that this week I’d pushed myself too hard made me remember yet again the importance of taking breaks and looking after yourself. That could have so easily been me or anyone else who fits a similar ‘go-getter’ profile.

 

Two years ago I also suffered a really bad injury in the gym and it put me out of action for six weeks. Looking back I do believe in part it happened because I was doing too much. Not being able to get to work as often due to my job when I did go I tried to squeeze in as much as I could and with fatigue I sustained an injury that was avoidable.

 

Thinking back about that episode coupled with this week has made me take yesterday OFF completely. The first full day off in a long long time without any MBA deadlines creeping into my head! And it has allowed me to rest properly over the past couple of days and today too, knowing I need to do so in order to be more motivated, more focused and importantly more fun to spend time with.

 Take a rest!

So the message is this: there’s always more we can do but actually sometimes the best thing for our body, mind and soul is to do nothing, at least for a little while.

 

So if you know you’ve been doing far too much of late and you can take some time out to rest today then do it! You won’t regret the way you feel after and it will help massively improve your overall wellbeing.

You’ll start the new week feeling refreshed and looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Don’t learn the hard way like so many of us do!

Happy Sunday everyone,

Victoria x