Maybe you are juggling the pressures of modern life – relationships, work, family, friends, parenting, housework, etc. There’s a good chance your life is very busy and you put a lot of pressure on yourself to be there for other people. But there comes a time when you realise your tank is empty. Your energy is low and maybe you feel exhausted or burnt out, or perhaps you want to escape the grind so you can recharge your batteries. This happened to me very recently. I had been feeling a bit overwhelmed with a lot of things that had been going on in my life. Grief and stress especially were taking their toll on my mental and emotional wellbeing. I couldn’t concentrate at work and I just wanted to lie down all the time. Perhaps you’ve experienced something similar.
This is usually the time when I hear that voice inside my head saying ‘You need to stop! You need to rest, recharge and recalibrate.’ And if I don’t listen to it, I know what’s going to happen next, and it won’t be pretty.
The voice I heard was my intuition, and believe it or not, it knows best. Maybe you experience your intuition as something else, like a feeling deep in your gut – your gut instinct so to speak. A lot of the time you might hit the override button and say to yourself, ‘No, I don’t have time to stop right now’, and just keep going. But I’m sure you’re well aware that not listening will, more than likely, lead to further trouble down the track – sickness, burnout, anxiety or panic. When that happens you usually end up being forced to stop and, as a result, this will have a flow on effect for those around you, especially the people that rely on you for support. So in other words, when the tank is empty, don’t ignore the warning light! You need to stop and refuel.
The next question is 'what can you do to refuel?'
I’m glad you asked. Well, I asked for you.
From my experience, the best way to refuel is to do something that lifts you up, something that enables you to reconnect to your inner self and re-ignites your soul.
Like I mentioned above, I had this experience recently. What did I do? I did something that I knew was guaranteed to lift me up. I went dancing! I took myself out to a pop-up dance party and got my groove on. I went by myself, I didn’t know anyone, and I had an amazing time dancing with 25 strangers in the middle of a park, on an island surrounded by a pond full of ducks and other birds as the sun set. I couldn’t get the smile off my face the whole time. I threw my shoes off, closed my eyes and moved my body, enjoying every second of the experience and, as a result, I reignited the fire deep in my soul and came alive.
Now, dancing barefoot with strangers may not be your cup of tea, and that is completely fine. So what is something that will make you come alive? There are so many possibilities and I challenge you to take a moment now and think about your top three. Here are some ideas to get you started:
watching the sunset or sunrise (on your own or with someone you love)
spending time at a beach or by a river or lake (being by the water has natural soothing qualities and can be very restorative)
listening to your favourite music and getting lost in the sound
receiving a relaxing massage or having a facial
spending time in nature, or with your furry family members (cats, dogs, horses, etc.)
So, whether it’s something you do on your own, or something you do with a friend or family member, when you hear that voice inside your head, make sure you listen and take action. By taking the time to pause and reconnect with your inner self, you are giving your tank just what it needs to fill up again. As a result, your energy will improve and you will feel so much better. I would really recommend you maintain a regular practice of doing things to reconnect with your inner self. This way, there is less chance for the tank to get too empty. We are humans, not cars, and we can achieve so much more when we refuel regularly and maintain optimum performance.
I’d love to hear what makes you come alive. Feel free to share your ideas in the comments below.
