I have been wanting to start a blog for a long time and now it’s time, I’m stuck for words which is pretty unusual if you know me in real life! I guess the thing is, for some context, I’m a recovering perfectionist; so writing this I feel the pressure to deliver something perfect and just right! Something that stikes the balance between being professional and convincing you that I’m a brilliant OT and can deliver you amazing services across individual OT as well as supervision and consulting, whilst also being personable, vulnerable, transparent and delivering on my intentions of being a source of encouragement.
The truth of it is this, I am a highly skilled OT who has been working with adults neurological and physical rehabilitation for most of my working career. I love OT and it really feels like a vocation and a calling on my life. I sometimes feel like OT just gave me a framework and language for expressing thoughts and beliefs I’d held from growing up with two close family members who live with a disability and seeing their challenges in living in world designed for able bodied people. I feel like I’ve supported, problem solved and advocated for people with disabilities and health conditions my whole life in many ways and my clinical OT work has just been an expansion of this.
However, honestly, I’m also a mum to 2 amazing little humans and ever since I became a mum and subsequently had some health issues of my own, I’ve found my identity changing and shifting from purely being about work to other ways of being and doing. This has sent me on a journey of trying to find the “just right” work role and the mythical “work life balance”! And along the way, I’ve found out an awful lot about myself, what I value and what I can offer in my work. Consequently, as well as being a recovering perfectionist, I’m also a recovering people pleaser and am on the other side of burn out from the highly stressful demands of public health leadership through the covid-19 pandemic.
There are still some days when I feel like a hot mess who doesn’t have it altogether and therefore that I have no right to share my thoughts about life or OT as a result; but I’m also realising, more and more, that being self critical is unhelpful and actually imperfection is kind of my super power. And I am hopeful that in sharing my thoughts, ideas and learnings in an open and honest way, it will hopefully help others to feel like less of an imposter, to be less self critical and feel less alone. I am so hopeful that we can come together and support each other on the journey of helping others whilst also taking care of ourselves and having an amazing integrated life as a whole person; not just as an OT!
So, welcome! This is a safe place to come and read and learn along with me.
