We can all probably think of times in our lives when we have felt to capacity. Often people talk about stress levels, insomnia, feeling burnt out, overloaded, too much on – the list goes on. You can sometimes witness people running from one thing to the next – never stopping to slow down, press pause or to reflect about where they are at or how they are truly feeling. Life can be so busy yes – and it can get so full. But if we never stop to take care of ourselves, then how do we re charge. How do we take care of our own energy levels?
When was the last time you truly stopped and thought about your own limits? When did you take the time to press pause and think about what you really need? It is so easy to find ourselves doing things for other people, saying yes to things that we might not even truly have the time for. Our diaries can often get so full without us even realising.
I talk to clients about the value of ‘me time’. I emphasise the importance of being able to re charge. And I address what are often seen as ‘gaps to fill’.
Just because you have a free day it does not mean you have to make plans for it. Just because you are available the evening someone asks you to do something – it doesn’t mean that you have to say yes. In all our diaries there should be blocks of time – just for ourselves. And just for whatever we feel like doing.
Look at the week ahead – how busy are you? How much have you committed too? What windows do you have for yourself? What time are you taking for yourself? When are you pressing pause and when are you making time for the things that make you truly happy?
More often than not as individuals we over commit. Many times, we find ourselves saying yes to lots of things and we find ourselves packing our diary and filling it up. What would it be like to press pause? What would it look like to slow down? How would it feel?
That time for ourselves. It is more important than we realise.
At the end of the day, we all only have a certain amount of energy. It is important to be aware of how much. We need to recognise when we are starting to get more tired, when we are starting to feel run down. We need to be able to tune into our bodies and to identify what it is that they need.
Physically we need to rest. We need time out to re charge. However, that looks – a bath, a movie, a book, a series. Whatever works for you as an individual. Early nights. Good sleep. A healthy balanced diet. You name it. Our bodies need nurturing. If we don’t take care of them they will let us know. Headaches, muscle ache, Illness, insomnia – you name it. The body will shout – you are not looking after me.
But it is not just our physical energy that we need to take care of and re charge. It is also our emotional and psychological energy too. Our minds need resting just as much. They also need to re charge. We also need to stop and allow them to rest. It is so easy to get caught up in work and all the additional life admin outside of work. It is so easy to keep our minds busy and active. We can currently be constantly in contact with people – social media, the phone – it is all too available.
What would it be like to take some time out for you mind as well as your body? To turn off your phone and disconnect from the world for a while? To make time in the week when you are not with people and you’re not constantly doing something. Our minds need the space. They crave the quiet and the peace. They need a chance to re charge. It’s so valuable and important.
We all have a certain level of capacity and when that overflows it is a struggle.
Have you ever noticed that you cant listen properly to the person talking to you? Have you ever been aware that your head hurts too much to truly take in everything that they are saying? Have you ever found yourself forgetting things and not noticing what is happening around you??
These are signs that your capacity limit is reached. You are overflowing. You cannot take any more. Your mind has gone beyond its limit. The mind tells you in this way – just like the body tells you in other ways.
One of the things I often encourage clients to look at their life organisation more. If we all sat down and addressed our weekly timetable, how would we feel? What parts would look calm? What parts would look chaotic? What might feel too much? What do we need more of?
I encourage you to press pause. To slow down and take a moment to reflect. Look at your diary and the way that it feels. Take some important time out each week – just for yourself and just for what you need. Block out time in the week – with no set agenda at all. Time just for you. Do not plan exactly what you will do with that time. Leave it free. See how you feel on the day.
In addition to this I would challenge you to explore what might come up because of this. How you might feel and how things might seem.
Then take some time to look at your commitments. Are you overly committing? Are you saying yes to too many things? Make space for yourself. Make space for your time. Its valuable and its meaningful. While we may feel we can keep going and going – our bodies and minds are not a machine. We all have limits. And if we don’t re charge then something will give.
It all begins with you. Make yourself the priority in your life. Know your limits and know the importance of pressing the re charge button when you need too.
