Trending Tuesday: Your Health Can’t Always Wait
This week’s Trending Tuesday is a little more personal than usual.
Over the past month, I’ve been working between 85 and 90 hours a week between my normal responsibilities and getting our new Aligned Life office ready.
At the same time, this past week brought the deaths of two people in my relatively close circle—my cousin and a friend from high school. Both were under 55.
Those experiences have left me thinking about something I talk about with patients all the time but don’t always practice myself:
We have to make our health a priority while we still have the opportunity to do so.
Lesson I’m Relearning: Stress-Induced Sickness
For the past month, getting our new office completed has consumed almost every available hour.
I’ve pulled up carpet.
Painted walls.
Laid flooring.
Installed baseboards.
Moved furniture.
Helped add leaded drywall for our X-ray room.
Managed contractors.
Solved one unexpected problem after another.
All while continuing to work, exercise, and be a husband and dad.
I knew going into the project that this was going to be a difficult season. I also knew there was a risk that eventually my body would push back.
Unfortunately, I was right.
After finally finishing my shift on Friday, I came home—and almost immediately got sick.
It’s a pattern I’ve seen many times over 18 years in practice. People push through an intense period at work, a family crisis, travel, caregiving, or another prolonged challenge. Then the moment the pressure finally lets up, they don’t feel relief.
They get sick.
Prolonged stress and insufficient recovery can affect sleep, immune function, nutrition, exercise, and many of the behaviors that normally help keep us healthy.
The humbling part for me is that I knew this going in.
Knowing better didn’t mean I did better.
And sometimes that’s life.
There are seasons when circumstances require more from us than we’d ideally like to give. Rather than beating ourselves up afterward, sometimes we need to recognize what happened, accept where we are, and give our bodies the recovery they’ve been asking for.
So this weekend, instead of immediately attacking the next project on my list, my job changed:
Rest. Recover. Get healthy.
The work will still be there.
Strategy I’m Relearning: Put Your Own Oxygen Mask on First
This lesson became considerably more meaningful this week.
Within a short period of time, I lost both a cousin and a friend from high school.
Both were under the age of 55.
Both were people who gave tremendously to their families and communities.
Their deaths have caused me to reflect on the familiar airplane instruction:
Put your own oxygen mask on before assisting others.
It can sound selfish.
I think it’s exactly the opposite.
We cannot know all the factors that determine how long any of us will live, and taking care of yourself certainly doesn’t guarantee a particular outcome.
But we can decide whether our own health consistently gets whatever time and energy happen to be left over—or whether it becomes one of our priorities.
Many of the people I admire most are givers.
They take care of their children.
Their spouses.
Their employees.
Their patients.
Their friends.
Their communities.
But giving everything to everyone else while continually putting yourself last isn’t necessarily sustainable.
Taking care of yourself allows you to continue showing up for the people you love.
Exercise isn’t selfish.
Sleeping isn’t lazy.
Taking time away isn’t irresponsible.
Going to the doctor isn’t weakness.
Eating well isn’t indulgent.
Setting boundaries doesn’t mean you care less about other people.
Sometimes putting your oxygen mask on first is precisely what allows you to keep helping everyone sitting beside you.
This week was a difficult reminder for me that our time together isn’t guaranteed.
I want to use mine well.
Quote I’m Repeating
“The average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short.”
— Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks
The title Four Thousand Weeks comes from a startling idea: an average human life is only about four thousand weeks.
We spend so much of our lives behaving as though we’ll eventually reach a point when everything is finished.
When work slows down.
When the kids need us less.
When the business is stable.
When the house is done.
When the calendar finally opens up.
Then we’ll prioritize our health.
Then we’ll take the trip.
Then we’ll call the friend.
Then we’ll slow down.
But there will always be another project.
There won’t always be another week.
The goal isn’t to become afraid of that reality.
For me, it’s to use it as a reminder to be more intentional about how I spend the time I’ve been given.
This Week’s Action Step
Ask yourself:
Where have I consistently been putting myself last?
Maybe it’s sleep.
Exercise.
Nutrition.
Stress management.
Relationships.
Medical care.
Time outdoors.
Or simply having a few hours when nobody needs anything from you.
Pick one thing and put it back on the calendar this week.
Not because everything else suddenly became less important.
Because you matter too.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Whether you’re looking to improve your posture, recover from an injury, move better, or simply feel healthier, we’d love to help.
If you or someone you know could benefit from our care, please reach out.
Call: (858) 521-8022
Email: alignedlifewell@gmail.com
We look forward to helping you build a healthier, more active life.
Have a healthy week everyone!
In Health,
Dr. Devin Shea, DC
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