12 - When Things Hit The Fan, Don’t Suffer Twice

When I was going through the shit in my life, I didn’t mind myself, and that meant I suffered twice. I suffered from the external issues that needed to be dealt with, and then I suffered because I neglected my own needs. Which meant I’d less resources to deal with any problems because I was running fumes. It’s very common I see and hear when people are under pressure and in a stressful situation the first thing they ignore is themselves. We sleep a little less, we start to eat worse, and stretch ourselves too thin to ensure things don’t fall apart. It’s admirable and it’s coming from a good place. I mean it can feel really selfish and self indulgent to want some time for yourself while there’s fires to be put out. Fire chiefs know, however, that a fatigued fire fighter will make worse decisions than a well rested one. In times of stress is even more important to make sure your own needs are met so you can be at your best for others. It doesn’t take much time to ask yourself what do you need. This is why I’m such a big fan of the sixty second break. It super quick BUT can give you enough breathing room to save hours of wasted time from a harried decision.