You question whether you have got it in you to continue, but part of you knows you are not ready to stop – you have invested so much in to this process so far and there is too much to lose to consider stopping now…
We have just come back from a holiday in time for the Olympics. I could spent all day watching it, I guess a form of hypnosis as it puts me in a trance! I love watching sports that I don’t usually get the chance to watch. It reminded me of something I often say to clients. The fertility journey in many ways is like a Olympic event. The contestants spend their whole lives working towards this one event. Their whole life is arranged around these event, they cannot imagine life it as they need to focus 100% on what they want – being successful. Is this beginning to sound familiar?
Can you imagine running in the Olympic marathon. You whole career has been working towards this. This was your moment, you knew you were giving it your all, physically, emotionally and even financially. You give it all in the race, you cross the line and it so close you have no idea whether you have been successful or not, you look around, totally exhausted…whatever happens you know you have given everything you have got…then suddenly you are told the race isn’t over…you haven’t finished yet, something hasn’t gone quite right and you have to do it all over again. It can often feel like that after an IVF cycle. You question whether you have got it in you to continue, but part of you knows you are not ready to stop – you have invested so much in to this process so far and there is too much to lose to consider stopping now.
It can be tempting to pick yourself up and keep focussed on the target and keep going. It that moment it can be easy to forget what you have already been through, emotionally and physically. If you carry on running you may well make it to the finish line but will you be successful? I often recommend to my fertility coaching clients that they stop, recognise they have just run a marathon, have a breather, whether with the help of hypnosis or not. The clock may still be ticking but do you know what? It will tick awfully slower if you look after yourself emotionally and physically before continuing.
The same can be with natural conception. Month after month of disappointment can build up, it is all one experience, it becomes a marathon.
I am reminded of the story of the woodcutter who in a competition was cutting at the same pace as his competitor however he could hear that his competitor stopped for 10 minutes every hour before continuing. He was sure he was going to fell more trees as he was not stopping at all and they were swinging at the same pace. However he didn’t win. He really couldn’t understand why. He asked his competitor how he managed to fell more trees when they cut at the same pace and he stopped so frequently. His competitor explained that he was stopping to sharpen his axe!
This is one of the reasons why I developed my fertility hypnosis programs, to help you sharpen your axe. What can you be doing to sharpen your axe? Take a fertility holiday. Forget to remember it for a couple of weeks – it will do you a whole world of good in the long run.
Yes, your thoughts may well have a field day telling you all the reasons why could shouldn’t slow down, take a rest, sharpen your axe. They are just thoughts. Not truth. Not wisdom. Put your hand on your stomach. What does your wisdom way?
I would love to hear what your comments on this, spend a moment now posting below, it can be anonymous.
With love
