Recharge

Recently, I posted a question on Skinny Scoop to ask you how you recharge your batteries. Here’s the link to the survey, and here is the link to the post that inspired the question.

The number one way people recharge their batteries are by exercising and yoga. And not one person answered date night. Be sure to click here to get all of the results.

So here’s what I have to say about all that.

Ideally, I do try to exercise and practice yoga to stay fit and sane. But as the pace of Birthday Season picked up, that afternoon cup of coffee sounded sooooo good.

So then I would get all revved up and my mind was going a gazillion miles an hour. And you know what sounded good at the end of the day? A nice glass of wine.

Initially, it felt good. But before I knew it, that afternoon cup was a necessity, and I was really looking forward to that glass of wine. As more time went by, the more coffee/wine pattern was replacing the yoga and meditation practices. I started to feel unrested even though I was getting seven hours of sleep. I also just felt generally unwell. My eyes were always itchy and tired. My stomach felt tense and icky.

To me, it can be harder to take that moment to rest or meditate because I feel that I am hardwired to GO-GO-GO! It’s kind of like a pendulum: once I get on that fast-paced kick, it is hard to swing back the other way and relax.

It takes discipline to do what is truly recharging and not just a quick fix. It also takes discipline to figure out what truly recharges your own batteries. I remember when Marie was just a baby. Once she was down for a nap and I had the housework under control, I would just sit and watch TV. I *thought* I was recharging my batteries, but in reality, I wasn’t really resting. I was just tuning out.

And sometimes tuning out is OK, too. Balance is the key. Sometimes a glass of wine and some quality time with those crazy bitches from Real Housewives of New York (or Orange County) (or New Jersey) is just what I need. But more times than not, to truly recharge, I know I need to meditate and do some yoga.

So if I am going to survive another birthday season/holiday season, I am going to have to do a better job of making my wellness a priority.

Boundaries can be such a bitch to maintain and doing the right thing to make sure I am rested and well can take more energy than I have at that moment.

But it is worth it.

Namaste.