Recharge…It’s not optional

Recently, things have been a bit hectic for our family. My mother-in-law has been ill and my wife has been traveling to Floridaabout once a month to be there for her Mom. We live in Montana, so that’s not simply a quick drive down the street rather it takes a whole day on a plane to get there. This got me thinking…the thing about wanting to be there for someone else is it becomes increasingly important that you be there for yourself, so you can keep your energy up and function well.

The truth about this for me is I subscribe to the idea that you can’t be of help or take care of anyone else if you are not helping and taking care of yourself, first.

Now, I know most of us already have a pretty good handle on a basic level of self-care and that’s great. However, what I am talking about here is when you have an added stressor(s). With extra stressor(s) you must take added care of yourself.

This may look a bit different for everyone, yet there are a few things that seem to be non-negotiable when under increased stress. You need to keep yourself running at a higher vibration to keep up and keep healthy.

Here’s 3 tips for you:

• Get a decent amount of sleep EVERY night. This equates to a minimum of 8 hours and better is 9 to 9.5 hours each night. This may be a good idea regardless of any extra challenges, yet it becomes hugely important when you are adding more than your “regular” routine. Problems begin when you are tired from lack of sleep. You are more likely to become frustrated, resentful, and maybe most importantly you are more likely to make mistakes.

• Take time to be away from the stress. This can be a walk outside, a run, a bike ride, a trip to the gym, or even a swim if you have that available. The point here is to do something away from the home that is entirely focused on YOU. Taking even short breaks like these can work wonders.

• Eat regularly and healthfully. Often when under increased stress one of the first things to get sidelined is the ability to make time to prepare and sit down to meals. The key here, ask for help…don’t wait until you are starving to think about food. When this happens you are much more likely to make a quick, usually less healthy, choice and consequently feel poorly because of it. Ask for help to keep a regular eating schedule.

There are undoubtedly many more things that need our attention when stress and demands on our time increase. What I am suggesting is simply that when this happens, you allow yourself some space to raise your awareness of the choices that will keep YOU running at peak efficiency, despite any added challenges.

Helping others in their times of need is a wonderful thing and can be very fulfilling.

Just make sure YOU are getting YOUR time to recharge, it’s not optional.