I took the sick day before my body had to force it out of me

Dear Delyara, That is progress for me. I am very practiced at waiting until I am visibly unwell, half-broken, or actively miserable before I permit myself to stop. This week I noticed the earlier signs — the drained body, the shortness of patience, the strange emotional wobbliness that comes when I’m trying to function on less than I need — and I called in sick before the collapse point. I spent the day sleeping, eating properly, and doing almost nothing useful. Which, in this case, was useful.