Wading Through the Options

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Last Updated on June 14, 2015 by melissanreynolds

Everyday we are faced with multiple choices. For people with limited energy (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and other fatigue inducing illnesses), these can take their toll.

I am faced with the best choice for work going forward. Balancing many factors, with my baby and my wellness being top, isn’t easy.

I live my life doing innumerable cost to benefit calculations. Is my energy worth that outcome? Sometimes it’s pure forecast, can I cope with that based on what I know?

They don’t need to be complex. Just a simple check in with yourself.

Do I think this is worth my energy? Is it making me feel well or less well?

Work has taken on a new definition since I went back as a mama. It’s the place I go when I’m not sick and I’ve juggled my baby’s sick care arrangements.

In two and a half months we have both had a bad cold, he’s had a gastro bug and we’ve both been hit badly by a major virus. I’ve had three days off work, my husband’s had the same and my mother and father in law have done a day each.

After much deliberation, I’ve decided to pursue some further study (by correspondence) and try contracting again. This way I have complete flexibility over my working hours while my little guy is young and I keep gently building my career.

There’s many other times when a check in or cost/benefit analysis can be beneficial.

For socialising it can be helpful to factor in social benefits (distraction and connection) to yourself, benefits to your partner (they get to have some fun) and your energy needs. Perhaps there could be a compromise.

It can be hard to ensure you weigh the options properly (scared of pain, seeing past the exhaustion, negative emotions). This will require some soul searching and some experimenting. But this approach can be a part of your patchwork quilt to living well.

I want to be wise in my choices (so as not to cause extra pain and fatigue) but I don’t want to miss out on life. Particularly when it comes to my son. So my weighting is usually bias in his direction, but that’s my conscious choice.

Work will always come second to him. And both will always be factored in my cost/benefit analysis.

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