Always. You always have the right and responsibility to take care of yourself first.
Even when traveling, I have to remind myself I can rest. I don’t need to go to every site on the list of the top 15 things to do in Bangkok. In fact, when I was there last week, I honestly didn’t go to a single place on my list. I had caught a cold, a simple cold. I know if I had to work at a traditional job, I would have gone to work and functioned as well as I could. But this time, I gave myself permission to rest.
I went out and ate steaming hot curry soups and drank delicious tamarind juice. But I didn’t push myself. I walked around near my accommodation and tried to get a feel for the area. I found a rooftop garden in my hostel and relished the moment. I drank a ton of water, and just took care of myself. And I have no regrets.
Bangkok will always be there when I am ready to return. But since I took care of myself, my cold lasted a week instead of a month. I have always said that because of narcolepsy, it takes me longer to get over simple illnesses, but now I am learning to help myself heal. The simplest part of that healing is to rest, but to rest without feeling guilty about it.
