Ever felt like you saw it coming but kept going anyway?

I have too.

ME didn’t arrive out of nowhere. Teaching taught me many things and ignoring myself was one of them.

When I was teaching, I brushed off the warning signs. They weren’t new. I’d battled similar symptoms during a long recovery from Glandular Fever in the years before. I recognised them. I knew they were a bad sign and that they were getting worse… but I kept ploughing on.

Because isn’t that what we do?

Especially in teaching. You put others first. You keep showing up. You focus on getting through the day, to the weekend, to the holidays.

All the while, you’ve got your eyes on those life milestones…saving for a house deposit, buying a home, maybe planning for a family or trying to build a bit of security. You tell yourself you’ll slow down after this next big thing. But how can you consider dropping your hours, changing career or taking a pay cut when so much of your future depends on staying afloat now?

It’s no wonder people keep pushing. I did too. Until my body took the choice out of my hands.

And you know what happens then… all those questions get answered for you – just not in the way you’d hoped and not with the options you wanted to choose from. So, what was the point in all the effort and energy you used anyway, trying to maintain and retain your old life?

What I didn’t realise back then was how deeply I had normalised pushing through. Ignoring my needs had become such a pattern that I didn’t know how to stop. Well, not until my body forced me to and really don’t recommend leaving it until then.

By that point, I was so ill I disappeared down into the depths of chronic illness. Sometimes now I can even forget just how bleak a place it was — which is pretty wild, given I lived it and the threat of relapse never really leaves you. But it’s also my brain protecting me. Who would want to keep recalling all that, day after day?

Now, after years of learning how to navigate and live alongside ME, I try to listen earlier.

A wise piece of advice I once received made me stop and reflect on the well-known phrase “listen to your body.” The truth is, if you’re already feeling symptoms, you’ve likely gone too far. You’re beyond your energy envelope, the point where your body can no longer recover without consequences.

These days, I try to pace more gently and intentionally. I rest before I feel I’ve earned it. I remind myself that wellbeing isn’t a reward. It’s a foundation.

I don’t always get it right, that’s part of the process too. It hasn’t always been easy.

But I do have a more sustainable way of living now…a softer inner voice and perhaps the biggest surprise, I’ve found space to help others, without abandoning myself in the process.

The word journey gets thrown around a lot. It’s become a bit of a buzzword but when it comes to living with chronic illness, it feels like a valid description. This really is a journey, just not one you ever chose.

There’s no map or sat nav. You end up taking unexpected detours. You run out of fuel. Your battery never quite charges fully. The tyres get punctures more often than you’d like. The insurance comes with an unbelievable number of caveats, premiums and an extortionate excess. Your servicing and MOT? That needs far more than an annual check-in!

It might sound like a strange comparison but sometimes humour is the thing that makes it all a little more bearable. It isn’t about making light of the reality but about helping others understand a little more clearly and maybe offering moments of connection through the shared, sometimes surreal, experience of it all.

Because connection matters. So does being able to tell the truth – even with a smile.

If any of this resonates with you…whether you’re living with ME/CFS, navigating a caring role, or feeling close to burnout, please know you’re not alone and if you’d like a supportive space to explore your own next steps, you’re very welcome to reach out.

© Copyright Rebecca M Jones 2025 All rights reserved

The content in my blog posts is provided for your general information purposes only, that maybe of interest to you. Please remember it has not been created with your specific circumstances in mind and therefore should not be relied on as medical advice or any other type of advice.