{"id":18112,"date":"2026-01-07T19:22:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T19:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/?p=18112"},"modified":"2026-01-07T19:22:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T19:22:36","slug":"time-to-slow-down-and-reflect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/?p=18112","title":{"rendered":"Time to Slow Down and Reflect"},"content":{"rendered":"


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It was no secret that I\u2019d been under a lot of stress lately. A lot of it came from work, but some of it came from my personal life and avoiding decisions that I knew had to be made in different areas of my life.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d been telling myself, for too long, that I\u2019d make the time to figure things out\u2014soon. Every time my heart rate jumped 20 beats, I\u2019d take a few deep breaths and promise myself that I\u2019d slow down soon. <\/p>\n

However, all the signs and symptoms had surfaced for a burnout. I\u2019d hastily brush them off because I didn\u2019t have the time. Things kept popping up, but I had a good excuse for everything. I was always worried about everyone else. I always came last.<\/p>\n

A day that started normally<\/h2>\n
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Tuesday December 30, 2025, started off like any regular day. I got up and went to work. Work went smoothly. After work, my plan was to run a few errands. I had to pick up a birthday cake for my partner, as his birthday was on New Year\u2019s Day. I\u2019d be off that day and both of us were looking forward to spending some time together. <\/p>\n

I ran the errands, picked up chicken shawarmas for supper and a chocolate confetti cake (complete with birthday candles) for the birthday celebration.<\/p>\n

After supper that night, I started feeling a little strange. I took a few deep breaths, assuming the feeling would pass. Unfortunately, five minutes later, I started feeling an uncomfortable pressure near my heart. My heart actually felt as though it was being squeezed. My heart rate would plummet to 50 beats, and the next minute it would hit 125. <\/p>\n

I kept an eye on it, and the pain didn\u2019t intensify, so I took deep breaths and waited for the feeling to go away. It was uncomfortable, but the pain was manageable. Next thing I knew, though, I also felt nauseous and short of breath. It had been more than a half an hour, and I wasn\u2019t feeling any better. <\/p>\n

It was just after 7 p.m. Both my uncle and father had experienced heart attacks when they were in their early forties, and I was in my mid-forties, so I knew I should take my situation seriously and get to the hospital. I couldn\u2019t wait any longer. I had no idea what would happen next, but I couldn\u2019t take a risk. I needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

Registration and triage<\/h2>\n
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By shortly after 8 p.m., I was registered at the local hospital. Within a couple of hours, I was given aspirin and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check my heart activity. I also had blood work done and a chest x-ray.<\/p>\n

After everything was done, I was told by a friendly nurse that it would take several hours to get my results. At 3:30 the next morning, the nurse called me in to triage again. She said my blood pressure looked good for the time being, and although it would still take a couple more hours, it was important that I wait for my results. I was due to show up for work in less than four hours.<\/p>\n

At this point, I found myself calling work (we\u2019re open 24\/7) and explaining my
situation. Hours earlier, I\u2019d already tried to contact every available staff member to fill in for me. No one had picked up. I had no one to cover my shift. I was in the hospital, in pain and I had no idea what my results would show. Yet here I was, worried about work. My co-worker assured me they\u2019d figure something out and told me to focus on myself.<\/p>\n

Time to slow down and reflect<\/h2>\n
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