overdoing

Hi friends!

so one of the stereotypes that was shared with me was laziness. I think that sometime those of us with chronic pain can use our pain to excuse being just plain lazy .. but there is the flip side that we can also try so hard to prove that we are NOT lazy that we can tend to overdo it. I seem to often fall into this catergory. Today my husband was home from work and so we decided that we should tackle some landscaping that we need to get done in the yard. He worked hard at digging out invasive bamboo while I did transplanting and weeding and fertilizing. It was hot and sunny and by the time we stopped I was feeling pretty weak .. but we had more to do - little odds and ends with the kitchen remodel, and then some organizing of our back patio ... and ooh there are some more weeds to pull, harvest some greens ... and then out of the blue our bathroom ceiling began to rain .. and down the hall. A leak discovered in the upstairs bathroom, setting up fans and mopping up puddles. Oh and then I promised to make dinner for some friends ... Finally now it is 10:50 pm and I am finally sitting here tired from head to toe. Maybe too tired to sleep. At one point during the day I walked into the bedroom and looked longingly at the cozy bed ... "I really should take a nap" - but that thought was rushed away by all the demands of the day.

I think for those who don't have chronic pain it may sometimes look like our coping with pain (by taking naps etc) is laziness ... but there is a distinction between being lazy and being responsible with the body that you have been given. I still haven't learned the balance but am trying. Today I failed in pain managment and in overdoing to combat laziness. Maybe tomorrow I will do better!