06/07/2025
Elijah Alejo, Isinugod sa Ospital Dahil sa Labis na Pagtatrabaho
Iโve been out of the hospital for some time now. Tahimik ako nitong mga nakaraang araw hindi dahil gusto kong itago ang nangyari, kundi dahil kailangan ko munang huminga, tumigil, at damhin ang lahat. The silence was healing, and in that stillness, I had to confront truths I had long ignored.
The reason I landed in that hospital bed wasnโt some sudden illness or accident. It was the slow, quiet neglect I had shown myself over time. Skipping meals became normal. Sleeping late became routine. Pushing through exhaustion felt like a badge of honor. I kept telling myself, โKaya ko pa, konti na lang.โ But my body knew better. It was already sending signs fatigue, headaches, moments of dizziness but I brushed them off. I was too focused on being โstrong,โ too eager to meet expectations, too afraid to be seen as weak.
Until one day, my body said โtama na.โ And it didnโt ask for permission.
Lying there in the hospital, surrounded by machines and silence, I finally saw it clearly: I was running on empty. And I had been for a long time. The world teaches us to chase success, to stay productive, to always be โon.โ But what no one teaches us enough is how to pause. How to protect our peace. How to love ourselves enough to stop.
Health is not just the absence of illness. Itโs being able to wake up with strength, to eat without nausea, to sleep without guilt, to move without pain. Health is being whole in body, mind, and soul. And no amount of fame, fortune, or achievement can ever replace that.
I used to believe rest was a reward. Now I know, itโs a right. Hindi mo kailangang mapagod nang sobra para lang magkaroon ng karapatang magpahinga. You donโt have to earn rest. You deserve it simply because you are human.
To anyone reading this, especially those who are always giving, always working, always trying to be okay for everyone else, please pause. Eat on time. Drink water. Sleep. Say no when you need to. Set boundaries. Listen to what your body is telling you before it screams.
Sometimes, we are so busy trying to prove ourselves that we forget weโre not machines. We break too. And when we do, it hurts not just physically, but emotionally because we realize weโve been the ones abandoning ourselves.
Iโm still healing. Still learning. Still trying to forgive myself for all the times I ignored the signs. But Iโm also growing. Choosing more gently. Living more mindfully. And loving myself not only in moments of strength but also in moments of rest, weakness, and recovery.
Let this be a reminder: You are not your productivity. You are not what you can do for others. You are not your output. You are worthy, even when you pause. Even when you rest. Even when you say, โhindi ko na kaya.โ
From now on, Iโm choosing to live not to impress, but to exist fully. Not to push beyond my limits, but to honor them. Because at the end of the day, whatโs the point of success if you are too tired, too sick, or too broken to enjoy it?
So yes, Iโm okay now but more than that, Iโm awake. And I hope youโll choose the same. Before itโs too late.
-GalawangFrancisco
โขIn Photo: Elijah Alejo
