I’m sitting in Lake Powell, spending a couple short days away with my family. While going to the lake with kids isn’t a total break, it definitely provides some much-needed family time, relaxation, and a chance to read books (I finished one today and have another packed for tomorrow!) It has already been an energy recharge for the busy weeks ahead. 

I want to share a little bit today about giving yourself the time you need to recharge on a regular basis. Just as a flashlight starts to go dim as the batteries get low, so do we start to perform under our highest level as our energy depletes. This can happen every day, multiple times a day, or maybe your battery stays charged for weeks on end but when you crash you crash hard. 

Do you have any triggers for when your energy starts to get low? For me, when I am getting worn out I tend to sigh a lot, and my ability to problem solve deteriorates quickly. I find myself dismissing my children rather than engaging with them. Rather than feeling enthusiastic about plans I’ve made or projects I’m working on, everything starts to feel a bit heavy.

A few months ago I noticed these triggers happening more often and decided to schedule regular energy recharge into my weekly routine in order to make it happen. Before then I tried to get some “me time” every so often, but the creative, emotional recharge that I need wasn’t always happening. I set aside two hours, two days a week to deliberately care for my inner-battery. Usually for me that means sewing, crafting, or making something. But sometimes it means sitting on the couch and reading a book, or listening to loud music and dancing around the kitchen while I bake a cake. They are golden energy hours for me, time when I can be alert, excited, and creative. (With the summer coming, I’ve scheduled a regular babysitter two days a week so that I can still have this time for myself.) 

During my recharge hours, I leave everything else alone. I put my phone in a different room, ignore the toys scattered throughout the house, and forget the emails sitting in my inbox. My dishes are already scheduled for the evening along with my laundry in it’s place on Mondays and Fridays, so those things don’t take as much work to let go of. 

It’s amazing how difficult it can be to give ourselves time to do the things that we love. Sometimes I still fight myself about using my recharge time because I think of all of the other stuff that I could be getting done!! I have to recognize that if I don’t charge my battery it will go out. So many times we continue giving when we have no more to give, or pushing and trying when we’re past the point of exhaustion, usually to care for and help others. But when we run ourselves too low, we start to become useless to ourselves and everybody else. Recently, after a week where I used all of my recharge time to catch up on work, I finished the week feeling so spent. I was totally drained emotionally, physically, and mentally. It was a good reminder of how true my need for some energy recharge is, and gave me the confidence I needed to stay on schedule for my own happiness and sanity.

You know what’s really funny? When my cell phone hits that 20% battery mark and I fumble to find a charger so that I can keep power on this most important device. I’ve even stopped at a convenience store on the side of the freeway to grab a charger when I didn’t have one and was planning to be out all day. It’s incredible how responsive I am to that indication of low energy! 

Wouldn’t it be awesome if our bodies had a 20% alarm? If when we started to get that low on energy we had a reminder that we needed to plug ourselves into the things that we love in order to recharge. My regular recharge helps keep me on track to having a baseline of energy reserved. 

Of course there are times when we need a quick boost to get through the day (think a walk around the block, or buying an inexpensive bouquet of fresh flowers.) I also think that a few days outside of routine every so often, whether a staycation, vacation, or full-on sabbatical help keep our energy and happiness high. The important take away is that we do need to recharge, and it won’t necessarily happen automatically. We have to choose to charge ourselves. And we–along with those around us– are so much better off when we do. 

What is it that you absolutely love to do? Or maybe what do you love the idea of doing that you haven’t ever tried? These are some the things that will recharge your energy. Other things might be exercising, or spending time outside.

Now I’ll get back to my books, kids, and daily walks for ice cream at the Marina Store, and you plan yourself some recharge time. And have a great weekend!