Life can be exhausting. Coming and going. Work. Home. Volunteering. Relaxing. Hanging out with friends and family. Trying to meet someone. Forgetting you met someone. None of us feel like there's enough time, which is why we complain about not having any work/life balance. For me, I've found that I'm able to make it through a busy week, unplanned emergencies, tight deadlines, lots of travel, little sleep, or piles of stress by remembering one simple thing:
Where I go to get energy.
There's no doubt you well know what drains your energy. You know the things that take so much out of you. But are you wise enough to know where to go or what to do to regain that energy?
You know where the nearest gas station and grocery store are. When you run out of fuel or food, you know what to do. But it seems like so many of us forget to go back to what gives us energy when we need it most.
Do this: make a list of things that while doing them or after doing them, you feel refreshed, awake, alive, happy, excited, and free.
Then, when you look at a full calendar, drag at the end of a day, or just have a day where you don't feel like getting out of bed, look at the list and do one of those things.
Sure, it means doing one more thing on an already busy schedule. But, just like you need to eat and sleep in order to function, you need to have the energy to get through what needs doing.
As a starter, here are 20 things you can try that might give you energy:
- Working out
- Powernapping
- Eating a healthy snack, like a smoothie, fresh fruit, or almonds
- Watching a few minutes of your favorite movie
- Listening to a certain album or song
- Sending a quick email to a close friend
- Having a date night with someone you love
- Sipping some delicious coffee
- Meeting a friend for lunch
- Drawing or sketching
- Going for a silent walk (no cell phones) in your neighborhood or at a park
- Reading your favorite inspiring quote, poem, or story
- Enjoying the art you love most
- Trying a new restaurant, coffee shop, or ice cream place
- Singing
- Laughing at something hilarious
- Browsing friends' pictures online
- Making lists (maybe even lots of them)
- Taking some deep breaths
- Completing the task you hate most, first
Remember: the point isn't to delay what needs doing, but to get you the stamina and pep to do all that needs doing.