So, dear Moodscoper, this week was one of those weeks which didn't go to plan. Life had caught up with me and I went to work on Monday exhausted. By 11am I was on the phone to my boss in tears.

I am lucky, very lucky. My boss, a former psychiatric nurse, is compassionate and supportive. He encouraged me to decide whether I needed time off. My GP also understood that I needed a break. The fact of the matter was work was all consuming, so was child rearing, so was keeping an eye on my widowed Mum. In addition physical health problems facing a woman of a certain age were rearing their ugly head. So I stopped.

It was hard. I was so hard wired to rush round like a multi-tasking superwoman it hasn't been that easy to just flop. So I have used that nervous energy to good effect. A birthday tea with friends, gardening, dog walking, lunch out and seeing friends. All self indulgent but really required.

Has it worked? I am still a bit manic but think this is at a manageable level. I will need to gear up for next week but will survive. Life is frenetic, demanding and multi-faceted. We are often expected to be all things to so many people.

So what are the traffic lights on the road telling you? Is it green for GO, amber for hold on and wait a bit or red for STOP?

BrumMum

A Moodscope member

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