Your body and brain are all knocked out of kilter from that incredible physical and psychological marathon. Betting your brain and body are flooded with stress hormones and assorted neurotransmitters that went into overdrive to get you through it. There is not a simple on/off switch - more like a rheostat on a slow timer that is going to require you to take some down time and also to be patient and kind to yourself. Doesn't necessarily have to be "all the way down" time, and how you talk to yourself and how much that self-talk stimulates the body stress reactions or sooths will matter.

Try to stay in the present moment instead of jumping ahead to worry about what is coming up, or what "needs" done. Forget about "two weeks from now." Meditation can be helpful as can doing deep relaxation exercises.

Breathe

Then breathe some more.

Acceptance is about acknowledging the reality of right now without judging, then not clinging to it - letting it go, because the now of right now is no longer the now in one second.

Accept

Resistance to the reality of the moment, including judging the moment, jumping to the future or ruminating about what just transpired, creates or increases tension.

Regard yourself with loving kindness. Only you can know if you need to do some cleaning in order to have a physical space you can be in without "should" distraction. If you can afford it, mg's idea of paying some one is a good one. If you can't afford it, and can't keep your thoughts from straying to everything that "needs" done unless you do some tidying up and cleaning, then do some of that - but do it with pleasure, and only do what you need to do to be peaceful and manageably undistracted in your private space. Doesn't have to be perfect.

Let go of "shoulds."

Allow some recreation. Even if it is only for a couple of hours sometime over the next couple of weeks, do something that is deeply fun and satisfying to you and that takes your mind off of your concerns.

Stress kills if it goes on too long, or at least can lead to significant health problems - makes us very vulnerable. If you can't seem to settle yourself down some in a few days, see your doctor. A short-term sleep medication might be in order to allow your body restorative sleep.

Believe in your resilience.

This really is about healing.

Healing will come. Allow yourself to wait for it.

All the best,

Janie