[Transformation] The 'Realities of Body and Mind' a Housewife in Her 50s Felt Returning to Part-Time Work After a Long Break: How a Return to Society Filled with Anxiety Turned into Joy
It's Okan♪
"Huh, does my body feel a bit lighter?"
About a month had passed since I started my part-time job, one way or another.
I suddenly noticed that change.
"Come to think of it, maybe I'm not as exhausted as I used to be lately."
When I first started the part-time job, I was worn out after just four hours of work.
Every day, I would come home and just collapse onto the sofa, not wanting to do anything.
Before I knew it, though,
I had a little energy left even after work was over,
and my mood wasn't sinking as low as it used to.
It's not that the work has become easier,
nor that I've stopped making mistakes.
As always,
"Oh, I've done it now!"
there are still moments when I scream that in my heart (lol).
Even so, I found myself feeling somehow more positive than before.
When I stopped pushing myself, something started to change
Looking back, I think the trigger for this change
was something truly trivial.
・Always resting a little after getting home
・Not trying to do housework perfectly
・Not comparing myself to my 'younger self'
As I wrote in the previous ~Reality Edition~,
Click here for the ~Reality Edition~👇
Since deciding to 'accept my incapable self',
I stopped pushing myself too hard.
Then, strangely enough,
I feel that not only my mind, but the tension in my body has also started to loosen little by little.
Once I stopped trying too hard, things started to go well
In the past,
'I have to try harder'
'I have to do this properly'
I used to drive myself into a corner.
But now,
'This is enough'
I have become able to say that to myself.
Then,
・I no longer get overly depressed about mistakes at work
・I blame myself less for comparing myself to others
・Even my facial expressions have softened compared to before
I realized that.
Not trying hard doesn't mean cutting corners,
perhaps not trying too hard means taking care of yourself.
Changes in your 50s arrive quietly
These changes didn't happen because I started doing something special.
They were happening little by little, quietly, through the accumulation of daily awareness.
That is precisely why, at first, I don't think I even noticed them clearly myself.
The body and mind are truly connected
What I felt over this past month was,
When you take care of your body, your mind also calms down; when your mind calms down, your body follows suit.
It was a very simple fact.
When you push your body and mind in your 50s too hard,
they will tell you honestly.
But at the same time, if you treat yourself with kindness, your mind and body will respond honestly.
Actually, around this time, along with the changes in my body and mind, an unexpected change was also occurring.
And that led to a result that even surprised me.