Let’s talk about the contradictory truth of how investing more time actually recharges you….
‘I’m too busy to go to yoga this week.’
‘My life is a mess, I’m on the brink of a meltdown so I really don’t feel like going to this friend’s birthday party.’
Or, my personal favourite; ‘I’m already juggling too much, there is no way I can work on this passion project that I have been dreaming about for years’ (I’ve caught myself red-handed on this one before).
If this sounds even vaguely familiar, order your thoughts to a halt. Seriously, tell them to STOP NOW and not move until further instructions.
Here is why. Being busy is not what drains your mental energy. Your energy gets spend doing the things you have to do, or the things you don’t like to occupy your mind with.
Working long hours, or work occupying your frontal cortex long past the hours you are payed for, family issues, bills, the leaking tap, your car needing a service, the fight you had with your partner last night…
Yes, all of this costs energy. It makes your life busy. It taxes your mental resources at the highest tax bracket, and, if you let it, it will stop you from doing what you are passionate about.
And that is exactly why I ordered your brain to a grinding halt. Too often our days are chock-full with stuff we have to do. Towards the evening we feel so tired from completing all our have to’s that we just curl up in a little ball and watch tv until our physical exhaustion has caught up with our mental exhaustion and we can go to sleep.
Next time this happens, drag your sorry ass of the couch. Come up with something you love doing and do it. It can be anything from quilting to writing a blog post on a topic you are passionate about. It can be taking an online course or slowly building a side business/passion project.
No matter how busy, tired or down you are, prioritise time to do what you love. BY DOING WHAT YOU LOVE, YOU RECHARGE YOUR MENTAL BATTERIES.
So go out and run, sing, dance. Find time to do yoga. Attend your friend’s party and connect with inspiring people, or slowly chip away at your passion project. It will motivate you, inspire you, clear your head, give you purpose, and connect you. It will recharge you and improve the quality of your life 10-fold.
Especially do it when you are feeling crap. When it feels like life has beaten you down and you see no way to get back up. Do what you love doing, it will recharge you and the energy will radiate through to the down-dragging parts of life.
Go charge those batteries and find out what you are really capable of!
Love, Chantal