Recharging Batteries

Have you ever noticed how a message for one situation can apply to so many others in your life?  I was reminded of this a few days ago as I turned on my tablet to do some reading.  The message that flashed on the screen said "Battery is Dangerously Low" and something about needing to plug my device in STAT if I was going to use it at all.  I found the message interesting as not only did I want to do some reading, so scrambled to find the charging cord, but it also struck a different chord.   My internal battery was also starting to feel dangerously low and yet I didn't feel like I'd taken any similar precautions or measures to replenish it.  I may not have had such a dramatic message flash at me in the bathroom mirror but I could feel the energy draining, slowly and steadily.  A sense of overwhelm at all that is going on in our world, on top of managing a household and work responsibilities while trying to ensure that I am also staying active and healthy.   The signs were starting to manifest in a general sense of tiredness, wanting to pull away from others (more than we already have had to), a lack of interest in the things that usually help to fill my cup and inspire me, and just an overall feeling of blah.  As I thought this over I realized that I needed to find my charging cable and plug into a power source as well, before I burned out.

This is so much easier said than done, because I often equate this need to recharge with slowing down, and that makes me feel edgy.  I tend to push back against the idea of slowing down as it feels like I am just going from activity to laziness and the fear is that once I settle into a more sedate routine it will be hard to break out of that.  I almost feel at times like doing this is similar to allowing myself to be trapped in a very sticky spiderweb that I am going to be caught up in and not able to untangle myself from.  Seeing this is a first as I don't think I have ever actually taken time to understand why I push back on this idea so hard.  I know that I need the rest yet I refuse to do anything to help myself until the point where I end up in bed sick or just completely exhausted.

To change this pattern I am going to approach this concept from a mindful place.  Understanding that recharging for me may not look like recharging for you or for anyone else.  Everyone's batteries are a bit different and fuel a different machine so our charging times and requirements are all going to be unique.  Taking stock of what is important to me on the day and in the moment and stripping away any thoughts around the "shoulds" is a good start I think.  Letting go of those self-imposed and also externally imposed expectations of what needs to happen is crucial in reducing guilt around productivity.  So what if you haven't baked 100 loaves of sourdough bread and done a full Marie Kondo of your entire house, there is always tomorrow and the day after that.  Then evaluating what is left and seeing what is a do now and what might be a do later would be my second step.  These are the tasks that actually do need to happen, like laundry when you start running out of clean clothes, and getting groceries (in person or delivered) and also time to relax and to just be still.  Being gentle around the process is my third step and really is the most important one.  Always reminding ourselves that as we take on something new, even something that may seem trivial to others, we are bound to have missteps and need to take do-overs.  That's okay and all a part of learning.  It is also the way we would treat our children, our friends and anyone else in our lives that we love, so why not ourselves?

I'm looking forward to plugging my charging cord in and feeling the energy grow inside of me, as I know that functioning at closer to 100% will just allow me to be feel more present and to show up more authentically for everyone in my life.