What would happen if your health failed you?
The importance of a Support System
The formal definition of a support system is a network of personal and professional contacts available to a person or organization for practical or moral support when needed.
My definition a support system are individuals that provide professional or practical assistance to you in times of need.
I have had to rely on my support system quite a bit during some recent health challenges, so I know the subject of support systems all to well.
I have learned that having help is not a sign of weakness or laziness but rather a way to eliminate stress, allow your body to heal and when I am healthy be more productive to do my main jobs.
What would you do if tomorrow you were bed ridden and could not go to work, pick up your children, or fix your own meals ?
Do you have the support systems in your life to survive or even flourish?
The end of March 2010 I spent 4 days in labor at a hospital with sleep only lasting 20 minutes at a time. After the birth I started to hemorrhage and lost enough blood to need to be given fluids. After a few visitors I got a full night's rest. The rest along with the fluids made me feel like a million bucks ………artificially………….. or so I thought compared to how I felt with no sleep. So feeling good I decided I would make the decisions about how long I stayed in the hospital because I was a doctor. So I strong armed them in letting me go home 24 hrs after the birth. What a BIG MISTAKE !!
The first night home I refused help and said I would care for my son all night. My milk was not coming in so me and Joshua were becoming stressed out. To make a long and very painful lesson short for several weeks I contributed to the deterioration of my body and mind by trying to “Stay in Control” and not allowing help.
14 months later I still was not 100% and unfortunately just suffered a miscarriage. But I know this too is in God's plan and His lessons for me.
When you lose your health or have an incident where you are not able to “do it all” having a support system in place is crucial.
After our recent miscarriage just a few phone calls and emails allowed people to fill-in and help with our businesses, classes, lectures, cleaning ,cooking, child care, our emotional and spiritual health, and physical recovery. What a difference this all made for me for getting on the road to Total Wellness!
Now think about your Support Systems… What are they? Next article we will look at how to Set up a Support System before you need it :Tips and Tools to get you through the hard times , Physically, Emotionally and Spiritually.
We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.
In times of crisis this point is emphasized but the truth is we should have a support system in place for all times. As much as we want to share our good events, is as much as we should trust our friends and team in times of fear or loss. Hug them for no reason, make someone’s day!!
[…] 2. Support system – I wrote about support systems a year ago. My definitions of a support system are individuals that provide professional or practical assistance to you in times of need. It’s important to reach out to others at all times to give and gain support. The old adage, no man is an island is so true for all of us. We need each other to grow, learn, live and get encouraged or to encourage. Please read all about it here. […]