One of the many things that I have learned this past week at my internship is that self-care is important. But to be able to practice self-care is easier said than done. This week I pushed myself beyond my own personal limits. The start of the week was fine-- I was feeling very healthy and didn't feel any symptoms of being sick. Then on Tuesday, it hit me: I was not feeling well at all. I started to get a sore throat, a mild fever, and muscle aches. I took some medicine and pushed through that day like it was just a small thing. Then, come Wednesday morning, I discovered that what I thought would go away overnight had gotten worse.
As the days passed, I gradually felt better, but as soon as I got off work it hit me all at once. I felt terrible, with high fevers, loss of appetite, sore throat, and muscle pains all over my body.
If I were back at home with my family, or in Stockton with my roommates, then I would have gone to the hospital because I did feel that I needed to go. Unfortunately, since I am here in Berkeley, I don't know the area well enough and don't have any friends or family that could help me. I felt alone in my sickness.
The feeling of not having anyone to help me while I was sick was an even worse feeling than being sick. I just felt so alone here. I didn't want to bother my supervisor or other people on my floor, so I just toughed it out and waited for the sickness to become manageable. It is now Saturday, and I still feel sick, but now with only some neck pain and a sore throat.
It sucks being sick, especially at my internship because I want to be present and working on my assigned projects. I sacrificed my own self-care to get the job done. However, realistically, I should have asked for a day off. I should have asked for advice as for where to go for a doctor. I was foolish not to ask for help when I needed it.
So I hope that you can learn from my mistake: always ask for help when you need it, especially when you are in a new environment. Even more importantly though-- and I cannot stress this enough-- exercise self-care. It is very important in any setting that you manage to keep your life in balance. I have learned this the hard way.
When I go back to work, I will ask for a day off because I am physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. It has been a long 3 weeks of my internship and at this point I just need to take time off. I hope come Monday morning I feel better and can be back to at least 95 percent, even if I'm not entirely recovered. It just goes to show how extremely important self-care is, and it's a lesson that I'm sure will be valuable for the future.
