In 2012, My husband and I moved our family twice. Our girls were ages 5-17; Preschool 2nd, 6th, 9th and 12th grades - in 4 different schools!
The first move happened in early February. I was thrilled to leave behind a house that was way too small for us and the painful memories of personal struggles that occurred while we lived there.
We moved into a rental house and I loved it. But, just 3 months later, the landlord called and told us he needed to move his family in - and we needed to move - again.
The second move happened in early August, right before school started. Right before sending our oldest daughter off to college. Right before my youngest started Kindergarten.
My To-Do list felt miles long and one morning I awoke and just couldn't face any of it. I didn't know where to begin. But that didn't matter because I couldn't get myself to do ANY of it anyway. I literally felt paralyzed.
I didn't know it at the time, but my nervous system was in a state of shutdown. I slept. I cried. I mentally fumed and spun on that damn To-Do list. Turning to prayer and my husband for support gave me the traction I needed to just take one step at a time.
Looking back, I want to give my 2012-Self the information she didn't have and encourage her to use the inner strength she didn't believe she had.
So, this is for you and her:
Time is finite. Energy is infinite.
We all have 24 hours each day. But Energy can be increased, created, and replenished. Energy is abundant. Energy can also be decreased when needed.
But you must tune in to what kind of tired you are and what kind of rest you need.
If you are physically tired, give yourself physical rest.
If you are emotionally tired, notice if you've given yourself permission to feel, rather than resist your emotions. Often the exhaustion comes from fighting against what you're feeling.
If you are mentally tired from learning, studying or intense mental focus, take a mental rest.
If you are on sensory overload (lights, sounds or touch) step back from sensory input and reset your nervous system through breathing, meditation or movement.
The types of rest each of these requires depend on what works for YOU. Some solutions cover the needs of all the kinds of tired; For example: Sleep, movement, nature, nutrition, and meditation as well as crying and laughing.
With Stillness, ask yourself what you need.
Then find the simplest and easiest way to provide yourself that support.
This is how your Energy is created and replenished. This is how you can increase your Energy within minutes.
Create space for Energy creators throughout your day and you'll create "more" time.
Because you're less likely to drive yourself into shutdown, like I did, and more more likely to move through tasks with ease.
Operating from a sense of self-trust and capability makes it easier to say "no" to what you don't have time for or aren't interested in.
Identify what energizes you and what depletes your energy.
Identify what time of day you feel most energized.
Gift yourself the alignment of when you feel energized to complete harder tasks.
Move the energizing tasks to a time of day that you usually feel drained.
Supporting yourself in these ways will create the victories that bring feelings of self-confidence and capability.
Xo,
Meredith
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