Dr Ashley Ng

Have you ever had something happened that just ruined your entire day?

Today, it was a stupid hypo at 4am. On top of averaging 4-5 hours sleep each night for the past week or so. And the kids transitioning into their new beds that is not ours. And the beginnings of a cold. And the onslaught of my period.

It was one of those hypos that made you jump awake, drenched in sweat, heart pounding, hands shaking and disoriented as anything. It was one of those hypos where all sense and sensibility is gone and you raid the kitchen pantry. At one point I fell asleep, sitting against the kitchen cabinet, with food still in my mouth. It was probably a sight to behold. And you bet I woke up with a raging hypo hangover. #DuckingFiabetes moment for sure.

I thought I would be able to push through and still get to work since there’s so much to be done. But for once I listened to that nagging voice in my head that said I needed to rest. So I did the forbidden thing and called in sick.

We ended up having a nice slow morning, running some errands before daycare/kinder dropoff. I went for a walk in the sun before the heat settled in to clear the lingering brain fog. And I sat down for lunch away from the computer and savoured it. I had space to think, plan and realise that I don’t need to be panicking about x, y and z. My mind calmed and my body relaxed as I let go of so many feelings of anxiety, panic and frustration that had been bubbling away.

Sometimes, that one thing that ruins your day can also happen to be the thing that you really needed to reset. We thrive on routine and predictability. So when there’s something that throws you out of that path, it forces you out of your own bubble. When you’re at that point, you have a choice to make. To wallow or move. I choose the latter (sometimes after a lot of wallowing).

So next time you feel like your day is ruined, Stop. Breathe. Reasses. and make your choice.