Stop if it hurts

While I have been getting in shape for my pilgrimage across Spain, I have been trying to walk about 10-20km a day. Some days I just hurt! From the tip of my head to the nails of my toes, everything just seems to hurt. But for some reason I don't seem to stop - the little voice in my head says "just keep going, ignore the pain, don't be lazy, if you stop you will never get up again!" So I suffered on until one day I decided that I should just take a short break, stretch my feet and observe what's right in front of me. It was great! Just a little break to take the load off and I felt I was in a new body ready to tackle some more kilometers. So my new mantra is "Stop if it hurts!"

Now this is not a meant to be a metaphor for life, instead it's just a reminder to stop when things hurt (or seem a little bad), take a little time and be kind to yourself. How often do we continue to do things when in pain? We don't stop because we tell ourselves all these stories when in fact there is nothing wrong with stopping, taking a pause and then carrying on.

So next time you are hurting, physically, mentally or emotionally, take a break and be kind to yourself. If that doesn't help call a friend or reach out for support.

R U OK?