Jenny Powell has revealed that she's enjoying 'slow living' as she heals from her robotic hysterectomy operation - and says that every woman should be doing the same.
Slowing down isn't always easy or possible when you're juggling so many different things in your life; work, family, hobbies, friends. Often without you even realising, things can all get a bit too hectic and you find your schedule full and your brain exhausted.
It's something that Jenny Powell knows. But she also knows how important it is to slow down and rest. And so, following her robotic hysterectomy operation that's changed her view of 'busyness', she is now encouraging every woman to try and slow down to improve their health and wellbeing - especially if they're recovering from illness.
"I'm a product of my own busyness. I was shattered yesterday," she said while speaking with Dr Amiry, a women's health specialist. "So I say to women, enjoy the healing process because it is actually that one time when you can slow down and truly nurture yourself, nourish yourself.
"We're fast living and this is your opportunity to do some slow living," she added.
Resting after illness is incredibly important. For the same reasons you shouldn't exercise if you feel run down, you shouldn't try to go back to work, or do household chores, or force yourself to get to that birthday lunch if what you really need is rest and recuperation. When you're tired, you have to listen to your body and give it what it needs. And, if you ignore it, you're likely to just feel worse for even longer.
But that's easier said than done when we live in a world that demands so much of us, especially as women. But realising that rest is important, Jenny says, has been life-changing for her. She said, "It has been amazing for me to realise that I can actually sit down. I say ignore the chore, it can wait and it does wait! And it isn't the end of the world."
And this rest is more radical than we might first think. Expert Dr Amiry explained, "We [women] always put everything that involves us and our wellbeing and our health to the bottom of the pile. And everything else; the house, the chores, life, work, family, kids, whatever you've got going on, we are always right at the bottom."
Then, the expert says, health scares like Jenny's put things into perspective. "When you're recovering from any surgery, or [you've] got anything going on, it's really important to not put yourself at the bottom. So I think it's really good to give yourself that time, holistically, to fully recover."
But, Jenny points out, we need to be giving ourselves time to slow down and listen to our bodies before illness forces us to by 'not ignoring your symptoms and just putting things off because you're busy,' which is something a lot of us do.
So, Dr Amiry recommends making self-care 'a priority, not a luxury,' and says to give yourself the time to tune into your body and let yourself rest as often as possible, whether you do that by learning how to practise self-care every day or by incorporating expert-approved tips to boost your mental health into your schedule. In the long run, your health will be in better shape, you'll notice problems when they arise and also have the capacity to make more space for yourself and your needs when you need to.
