Recharge Your Batteries and Revitalise Yourself

Sometimes, if you are like me, life has a habit of feeling overwhelming. Those are the days when nothing seems to shine or sparkle. Everything becomes a little flat and grey. There just seems to be something missing.  You are busy with family and life just takes over.  Well, I can go like that for some time but I know if I ignore the signs then I will just burn out. No one, least of all you, needs or deserves that.

 

It happens to me too that a couple of setbacks overwhelm me, and I can’t see any way out.  When these moments happen, I can tie it to the fact that I am just not looking after myself.  I’m skimping on the important things, for any number of reasons. Focusing on those in turn can revitalise me.

 

In fact, I made a little pick up list of all the easy things that I can do to turn things around, and start making me feel good about life again.

 

image by

 

A good night’s sleep

 

Is the basis of my sanity! And I’ll bet most of us can say the same. Easier said than done, and we’ll come back to this at the end of the post. But I want to underline that here. Get a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed with no distractions.  If that means taking out the TV and putting a temporary ban on the electronic media, do it!  

 

Don’t skimp on breakfast

 

I was so bad at this. Everybody else’s needs seem to come first. I ended up surviving on slurps of coffee.  By the time mid-morning came around, I’d hit some sugary snack for a quick fix. No wonder I was feeling so rough by the afternoon.  I make a point now of eating a high fibre wholegrain cereal breakfast with maybe some yogurt and drink green tea. This kind of makes me feel good about myself and that is part of the point.  I’ll try and stay away from those sugary snacks altogether, and guess what?  I had no idea that all that salt could cause bloating and high blood pressure. I make a point of cutting down on all our salt intake.

 

image from

 

Exercise

 

The one thing I didn’t understand was that this is not about going to the gym. Exercise equipment is readily available. You can easy compare equipment that would be great at home on somewhere like TopRateTen.  But it’s not just about getting fit.  It’s about the good chemicals that even 10 minutes of exercise can release in your body. Ten minutes to making you feel better and kickstarting your metabolism. I try to walk where I can and make the stairs my option of choice.

There is a great range of good exercise choices that can be done at home either on your own or with a group of like-minded friends. Yoga can be a lot of fun, and some friends of mine swear by their Tai Chi class.

 

Mix up your Routine.

 

I love this option as you can pretty much apply to anything from your hairstyle to the route you walk with the dog!  It also includes what you eat and when you eat it!  It’s a fabulous license to be a whole new person.  Whoever dictated that we do, what we do, in the way that we do it?   No one. It’ just became a habit and we got used to it.  So let’s change things around once in awhile. Feel how refreshing a simple change can be.

 

Make Time for You

 

A few people I know struggle with this one. Myself included, but it’s so important – even if you have to lock the bathroom door to do it.  Draw a warm bath, indulge yourself with a little aromatherapy with essential oils, some scented candles.  But most of all give yourself time to unwind and relax. I’ve got a friend who gets a massage when she feels she needs it.  Whatever it takes, from a day out to a weekend away – indulge yourself once in awhile.

image source

 

You have to take these things one at a time, but you will find that one leads to another. In a few days, you will notice that your mood has lifted and that you have more energy.  And remember that good night’s sleep we talked about at the start of the post?  With a little luck, (and maybe a sleep mask!) it will be coming to you naturally.

 

I think it’s human nature to get stuck in a negative slide from time to time.  But I hope that you’ll be able to find you way out sooner than you think, whatever the season.