Give Yourself a Break
If you've ever had a day when you awoke unrested or hungover or generally not feeling your best, you'll know that on those days even the simplest thing like going to work feels like a drag you don't have energy for.
Take that concept and apply it to life. Today we have some tough challenges facing us - and we need to find the will, optimism, and courage within to overcome them. But if we're not feeling complete, healthy, vital - we're going to have trouble feeling we can summon the strength to meet these challenges and kick some ass.
So I implore you: are you taking care of YOU? Are you doing what's needed to cultivate personal vitality?
This may seem like I'm adding one more thing to your already full plate, but I'm not: let me introduce a way of thinking about this: taking care of yourself is not another thing to do - more often, it's about NOT DOING - or consciously doing - some of the things you're doing now. Here's what I mean:
• Are you prioritizing your time and energy so that you give yourself time to unwind and replenish strength? Evaluate how you spend your time - is it in line with what's important to you? Do you burn time surfing the web, or tell yourself that you're relaxing by watching TV shows you could care less about (TV is passively draining - it is not replenishing) Identify what really re-energizes you, be it a quiet walk, reading a book, taking a bath, or cooking a delicious meal for yourself - and trade your time.
• Are you working yourself into the ground? Feel like you don't have enough time to get things done? Trying to maximize time on the clock? Here's a secret: if you take a truly restful 5-10 minute break - perhaps eating lunch (mindfully, of course!) away from your desk - you'll get just as much done (perhaps more ) and you'll disrupt the stress hormone production in your body which can lead to chronic illness and fatigue.
• Are you paying attention to the types of foods you are fueling your body with? Choosing whole, fresh foods when possible will nourish you and give you more energy than packaged, processed foods (this includes things like bagels, crackers, and powerbars!) which are full of empty calories. Read labels, keeps healthful snacks (nuts, fruit, trailmix) on hand, and make an effort to get fresh food into your body.
That last phrase I used, "make an effort" is the key to it all. Hold the intention to be conscious, to be mindful. You won't be able to make perfect decisions every time, and that's ok. But the intention will get you there more often than you think. And before you know it, you'll be feeling more on top of your game, friendlier to others, and ready for bigger challenges.