How many things in your house are battery powered? How many things need regular recharging? Children’s toys need them, so do cameras, mobile phones, torches, clocks, laptops etc. In fact so many. And have you noticed how quickly these things seem to gobble up the juice? Rather too quickly for my liking.
Do you use normal batteries, the long-life or rechargeable? Do you have a mobile charger that is a companion when you go off for a day or longer. Of course that too needs recharging.
Can you recall a situation when you had to cope with power running out? You had to face the disappointment of not being able to listen to your music, take a photo, use your laptop. Perhaps you have had to deal with the frustration of the child who now cannot play with their toy.
Batteries do run out and then they become worthless, or in desperate need of recharging. What about your own personal batteries, how often do you recharge them? If you don’t, you may become tired and irritable; you might not function as efficiently as before; your immune system becomes weaker and you catch a cold. You lack energy and drive and things become a chore. If you keep going like this, serious illness can set in.
I know I have been there.
You know what they say – “If you do the same old things, you get the same old results”. Perhaps it’s the time to make changes. Could it be that now is the time to bring in new practices and to step into a new way?
For many of us, we are depended on by our families, our employers our businesses. Sometimes we are the only person so what happens when we cannot be there?
The sad aspect to this is that many of us keep running on low batteries convinced that we can keep on going, but what if we don’t? Wouldn’t it be better to recharge them now or to learn how to manage them properly so we don’t put ourselves at risk?
Regular self-care is essential for long life and for our own happiness, but it can also impact on the happiness of others too. Now before you shriek that you don’t have time, it doesn’t have to mean hours on end of relaxation. Just read on and see how this can relate to you.
I am a great believer in a “one step at a time” approach. Start off by taking some time for you every day. This can be as short as 15 minutes, enough time to sit down in a peaceful place and have a cup of tea or coffee or take a short walk round the block, just to clear your head.
Could you give yourself just 30 minutes and read a good book?
Instead of coming up with excuses, spend a few minutes thinking how you could make this happen for you. Sit down with a notebook, a piece of paper or your laptop and draw up a list of things that you would enjoy, that would make you happy and help you feel good.
Make sure you have at least one, and if possible have two days per week when you do not work. Plan a long weekend every three to four months. If you can afford it, get away – a change of scenery is good, and you tend to relax more. If you can’t afford to go away, plan something nice for those days at home, have a girls night in where you pamper yourselves, be lazy and curl up with a good book for as long as you want, don’t set the alarm. Set the time aside and do not let anything change it. Keep it as you would a business appointment, it’s just as important.
Finally, make sure you have at least two major breaks per year. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it is what you want, it is taking the time off that is important. You can have days at home, just don’t fall into the trap of trying to get through the ‘to do’ list. Have some fun.
I know this is harder to do than it is to write, and I get that. It is a work in progress for most of us, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start. Decide that tomorrow is the day that you give to you because you do deserve it. You aren’t here to be giving to everyone, you aren’t here to work all the time, you deserve time for you and to enjoy your life and time.
As individuals, we are much more likely to have time for others if we take time for ourselves first, and less likely to resent giving time to others if we know our own needs have been met. How could you make sure you recharge your batteries and look after yourself?
If you haven’t done so, get yourself a copy my book “How Walking Saved My Life”. It takes you through my story of my burnout and adrenal fatigue and talks about how I used walking as a tool for recovery, how it keeps me grounded and is part of my ongoing daily self-care, as well as other things I love to do.
