How many times in a week do you say out loud or in your head “I’m tired!” or “I’m exhausted!” or “I need a break!”
Once a week? Once a day? Once an hour?
And how many times do you actually listen to… and HEED… that message?
Here’s the thing… by the time you think or say “I’m tired”, the truth is that your body has already been sending you signals before you can even verbalize what is going on for you.
You may have fuzzy thinking, poor coordination, feel fatigued in any part of your body (joint pain, back pain, headache, etc), crave junk food or caffeine, feel stressed out a lot…. The list goes on.
Our lives have gotten so cluttered with input and information that we have stopped listening to our body’s natural messages to us. It starts with a whisper, then a yell, then sometimes a whack on the head (figuratively or literally… have you read Arianna Huffington’s story about her wake up call? Whoa!)
You don’t really want to wait for a whack on the head, do you?
No, I didn’t think so.
I’d like to encourage you to really listen for the whispers that invite you to rest.
And once you’ve heeded those inklings, here are a few things you can do about it.
1. Stop. Take 5 minutes to assess. Pause what you’re doing and just breathe. So often when we realize we are tired, we keep going or push through until it’s “convenient” for us to slow down. (Ever hear yourself say “I don’t have time to be tired!”) By then, it’s often too late and then you make really poor choices. Like eating a bag of potato chips, a chocolate chip cookie AND drinking a cup of coffee. You feel fantastic again for all of 5.3 minutes and then the sugar crash rains on your parade and you feel even crappier and more tired than you did at the beginning. If you truly stop what you are doing and take a few minutes to tune in to your body’s messages, it will help you know where to go next.
2. Course Correct. This is a gentle reminder that you have choices. You are in charge of your life, of your schedule and of how you choose to manage it. I can hear you now saying “BUT my _______________ (kids, spouse, boss, staff, clients) NEED me….!” Yes they do, but you are no good to them if you are burned out, exhausted and running on fumes. You can always make changes. You can reschedule that late afternoon meeting. You can ask someone else to pick up your kid from soccer practice. You can decide that you will go to bed a full hour early tonight because your body is craving sleep. You can rearrange the rest of your week. You can say “no” to the volunteer commitment that you were just about to say “yes” to.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2. Truthfully, it’s that simple. The more we stop throughout the day and take mini-assessment breaks… for a few deep breaths, a moment of silence, a quick meditation, stepping outside into nature, a 5 minute brisk walk… the easier course correction becomes and then it’s a gentle veer from the planned course versus a complete 90 or 180 degree turn!
Revitalization Action: Stop and take a 5 minute assessment right now. Think about the rest of your day. Look at your calendar. Listen to your body. Does it feel good? Are all systems go? If so, hooray! If not, if something feels wonky or out of alignment, pay attention! And do a little course correction. The little voice that says “I need rest!” will feel heard and validated. And your whole being (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) will thank you.